Sarteneja Village artist Chuy Carrillo creates a beautiful mural at Corozal Town's Coronation Park commissioned by Oceana in Belize and the Belize Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage.

Mural Brings The Barrier Reef To Light

Biological systems are incredibly complex, and can fall victim to serious ecological consequences when disturbed by human activity for example oil exploration, which contributes significantly to noise pollution and contamination of our environment.

In an effort to bring awareness of such dangerous activities OCEANA and the Belize Coalition have joined forces to show Belizeans the beauty that Belize has beneath the crystal blue waters of the Caribbean Sea.

Both organizations have embarked on a journey that will display through mural paintings, the beauty that lies within the Jewel’s Barrier Reef. According to OCEANA’s field representative for Corozal, Ryan Rivero, this mural paintings are being conducted throughout the country and displays what could be lost if we do not protect our eco system.

Ryan Rivera OCEANA’s field representative for Corozal

“The message that we would like to portray through this mural is one that of a reminder to have our Belizean people to be aware of what we put at risk when we allow for certain things to occur in the Ocean and what we need to protect and this is actually a collaborative effort between the Belizean Coalition to save our natural heritage and Oceana and this is being done throughout the districts and we want to remind our people of what we have and all of our themes are based on our marine Eco-system, it is a beautiful project and a beautiful mural we need to take care of it, Oceana and the Coalition and the artist have already done with their part so it is up to us Corozaleneos to keep it as it is because I do understand that there are some mischievous people and I would like to ask the support from the Corozalenos to keep it beautiful.”

The representation of the mural should give Corozalenos a sense of what is to be a Belizean, and create a consciousness of what we could lose if our eco system gets destroyed, says Rivera.

Ryan Rivera OCEANA’s field representative for Corozal

“Other district have done their unveiling and I would like to take this opportunity to invite to everyone who is listing to come this Friday the 13th at 10am for a short ceremony for us to present this to the Corozalenos because this is not for the Coalition, this is not for Oceana this is for the Corozalenos and apart from being a beautification project I want them to pass everyday where they can see it and they can say you know what this is what I have to lose this is what the Coalition is saving, this is what Oceana is fighting for, this is what makes us Belizeans and that is why we are doing this in each district to create that consciousness in people about what we have in our eco-system.”

The life like painting came alive through the artistry of Corozal’s very own Eluterio Carillo who hails from the village of Sarteneja.

Eluterio Carillo Painter/Artist

“Como puedes ver tenemos diferentes especies hay como cinco o seis, incluyendo la tortuga, el delfín, el rock beauty que es el pescado, tenemos el caracol, tenemos el tiburón que no falta, la verdad es para proteger el arrecife y para que en el futuro ellos miren no solo en pintura pero que lo miren real.”

Reporter

“Esa pintura lo tomas con una foto o solo lo sacas directamente de la mente?”

Eluterio Carillo Painter/Artist

“Solo de la mente, más o menos me inspiro que es lo que voy a pintar y de haya lo voy sacándolo en la mente y realmente me gusta pintar y dibujar cosas sobre el mar y cosas de la naturaleza, en un tiempo fui pescador y también me gusta hacer cosas abajo del agua como las tortugas.”

Oceana and Belize Coalition invite all Corozalenos to the unveiling of the mural that will take place at the Coronation Park on Friday 13th May 2016 at 10:00 a.m.

CTV3