Today's lagoon clean up is a big success. Several boats showed up and the different crews began retrieving garbage and debris from the bottom of the lagoon between Sir Barry Bowen bridge and Caribeña gas station.

Our crew members were Luis Paz , Lester Lemus , Daniel, Luisito and myself. Together we retrieved and bagged over a 1,000 pounds of all types of glass bottles.

A big shout out to Abner Bacab for organizing and to Estel's Dine By the Sea for providing us with a delicious lunch. I had to leave a bit earlier to get ready for work but I'm excited to join again the next time.

Remember one of the greatest gifts you can give is your time!

Jose Mauricio Vasquez

A second clean-up campaign rids Boca del Rio lagoon of more rubbish

The lagoon at Boca del Rio was relieved for a second time from rubbish after a clean-up rally on Saturday, February 6th. The volunteer activity led by island resident Abner Bacab saw a group of islanders giving up their Saturday to clean the waterway, where they bagged over 1,000 pounds of garbage from the bottom of the lagoon. The cleaning started at 9AM from the Sir Barry Bowen Bridge in Boca del Rio. For hours, the group of volunteers, comprising of tour guides, fishermen, conservationists, marine biologists, students, dive instructors, real estate agents, and island residents, raked the lagoon’s bottom. When they arrived at the Caribeña Gas Station, their boats were full of all sorts of discarded items. The bulk of the trash consisted of glass bottles (broken ones as well), plastic items, old cell phones, steel, fishing nets, and even electrical appliances, to name a few.

Bacab and his group are satisfied to rid the lagoon of so much garbage, which poses a threat to the sensitive natural marine environment. They hope to raise awareness to keep the marine environment around the island clean and healthy. Many of the items like fishing lines/nets can be dangerous for marine life, such as manatees. Also, the different things dumped in the lagoon, such as metals, can release hazardous substances in to the water. In turn, many residents in Boca del Rio and the nearby San Mateo Area fish at the lagoon. Bacab looks forward to organizing another clean-up soon.

Click here to read the rest of the article in the San Pedro Sun

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Community Beach Clean-up on Ambergris Caye, Belize
John and I participated in a community day of beach clean-up along a five mile stretch of beach on the northern part of Ambergris Caye. It was a beautiful Sunday morning and over 100 people came out to help from locals to expats.