REPLANTING & BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT FOR REPLACING COCONUT TREES IN THE DEVASTATED TOURIST TOWNS OF CAYE CAULKER AND SAN PEDRO! By the Belize Development Trust e-mail:
[email protected] We've been doing some of the basic research and setup for this suggested coconut tree planting project. A few revisions have had to be made to the first round of suggestions on the replanting of coconut trees on the two islands around the two towns.
Due to yellow leafing disease, we were advised it was inadvisable to replant with island seedlings from the northern area of Caye Caulker. Recommended was a replanting program using Malaysian Dwarf Coconut seedlings. As far as we can determine, there are nurseries in Western Belize with these coconut seedlings in stock. Frank Redmond, a long time volunteer contributing factual data and reports to the Belize Culture Listserve and the Belize Development Trust who lives in the western highlands of Belize advises us that there are two major types of disease resistant coconut trees. One costs about $2 USA per tree seedling and the other around $3 USA per seedling.
First estimates were vastly underpriced. Mostly, because we have to pay more for coconut seedlings and have the problem of internal transportation costs within Belize. A new rough estimate for such a beautification and coconut tree re-planting project is around $5000 USA. Or as far as that money will stretch.
If left to ordinary replanting by casually interested towns people and visitors. Re-planting would probably occur over a number of years. On Caye Caulker, the coconut trees in the town were almost all destroyed. No replanting will probably take place if it is left to opportunity and inclination by anyone for another 10 months. There are too many other priority items on re-construction and economic reasons.
The Belize Development Trust of Caye Caulker has an account to receive cheque deposits at: Belize Development Trust, Account number 33001397, Turnberry Bank, 9300 S. Dixie Highway, Pinecrest, Fl. 33156, USA.
There is already $200 in this account.
We also can accept credit card donations via phone: c/o Ray at 1-305 - 685 - 9752
Credit card donations will actually be processed within Belize and converted at Barclays Bank into local Belizean currency. This costs a loss of 3 % fee for the Merchant Bank commission and I believe it is another 3 % for bank foreign currency exchange. For a total of 6 % loss before we start using credit cards. But the volunteer doing this part will not be available until Monday, Oct. 23rd, 2000. But we can take down the credit card donation details now. A holdup is the difficulty while we wait for FAX connection with Caye Caulker and the internet and phone line services to be re-established.
Required for telephone credit card donations are: Your name, the credit card number, the type of card being used, the expiration date and mailing address for the card for the credit card registration.
Whatever amounts DONATED, or received in a GRANT, we will persue. If it is a small amount, then only a small amount of seedlings will be done. The volume will correspond to the amount the project collects to replant and beautify both San Pedro and Caye Caulker.
The project is likely to be done piecemeal as volunteers contribute some time to the project on an "as available" basis. We will try to cut any costs to the bone. Figure through February before the Coconut Tree Planting project would close.
The Belize Development Trust will do the organizing and administration. Unlike, the donations for the island Emergency Committees, this project will have a set of books of expenditures. If you love San Pedro and Caye Caulker, then by all means join us, in trying to beautify both places once again, with new coconut trees.
Ray Auxillou
Trustee/Project Director
Belize Development Trust
http://belize1.com/BzLibrary Background information: The Belize Development Trust has three currently functioning projects. These are the web based, Belize Electronic Resource & Development Library project. The Belize Development Issues internet publication and media cooperative project for social change. And the currently working Hurricane Network, which is best represented by the Hurricane Message Board done by volunteer Marty Casado.
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