The Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development is ALSO pleased to announce this year's winners of the CBWS 2020 Hero Award for an outstanding contribution to conservation and youth engagement in the stakeholder communities of CBWS.

Here's a little bit more about our 2020 CBWS Hero - Mr. Edgar Deleon:

As a tour guide of over 25 years, Mr. Deleon developed his love for nature by immersing himself in it, helping to show guests from all over the world the beauty and richness of Belize's natural fauna and flora. But it was in 2017 that he turned his full attention to not only showcasing the beauty of Belize's 'wild places' but to fully devoting himself to protecting them!

It was with the founding of the 'Three Lagoons Sustainability Programme', a non-profit environmental education group, that his journey from nature-loving tour guide to 'conservation hero' began! Led by Mr Deleon, the group has: planted 100s of Mahogany and Cedar trees, been involved in critical mangrove restoration activities, held dozens of clean-up events, and established tree nurseries in Chunox, Progresso, and Consejo! TLSP members are fully engaged by Mr Deleon who organises community meetings to build events and activities in partnership with the communities he aims to help, fostering in those communities a love and respect for the nature that surrounds them.

Mr Deleon does all of this altruistically - selflessly devoting himself to ensuring future generations grow-up in the same beautiful Belize that gave him his life's passion!

To quote Mr Deleon, "I do what I do in conservation because I treasure the importance to living in balance with nature in order for the survival of the human race! I am a lover of nature and in time, I want to make a difference for the future".

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