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| Dilcia Trejo
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Miss San Pedro, Dilcia Trejo, has been selected by Director Mito Paz of Greef Reef Environmental Institute to attend an upcoming Conservation Education Course at the University of Kent in England. This training will qualify Miss Trejo to be an educator for a national Manatee Awareness campaign in Belize to begin in January 2003.
Director Paz explained that Green Reef believes in utilizing local people within the community for marine conservation education and awareness programs. This being the case, plus having a background in biology, were two of the reasons Dilcia Trejo was selected for training. Miss Trejo attended St. John's College Junior College where she majored in Chemistry and Biology, graduating with honors in 2001. In an interview with The San Pedro Sun, Miss Trejo stated she has always enjoyed fieldwork and is looking forward to embarking on this new journey in her life. "I have mixed emotions; I feel anxious, happy and excited. I hope to fulfill the aim of the (Green Reef) proposal, which is to protect the manatees in Belize. They are considered ëhigh risk' on the endangered species list," commented Miss Trejo.
This Manatee Awareness campaign will follow the award-winning Promoting Protection Through Pride campaign model pioneered by the RARE Center for Tropical Conservation. "Pride" campaigns specify a "target species" for conservation that symbolizes local or national pride and then uses this symbol to build support for habitat and wildlife protection.
Green Reef Environmental Institute is a non-governmental organization dedicated to the protection and conservation of Belize's marine and coastal resources. In a proposal to the Global Environment Facility, Director Mito Paz stated, the "Pride" campaign has been used in 25 countries and successfully tested by Belize in the 90s during a Keel-billed toucan campaign undertaken by the Forestry Department and the RARE Center. He stated each country uses a different endangered or protected specie of animal, bird or marine creature for their "Pride" campaigns using appealing methods such as music videos, puppet shows or church sermons, to promote positive conservation methods and endear the "target species" to the general public. Mr. Paz explained the manatee was chosen because it is a prime symbol of national pride and "everybody loves manatees!"
The proposal for "Increasing Manatee Awareness Conservation in Coastal Belizean Communities"is being funded by Green Reef Educational Institute, the Global Environmental Facility Small Grants Program, the Protected Areas Conservation Trust and the US National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The "Pride" campaigns are divided into four phases. On September 15th, Miss Trejo leaves the island to begin Phase I - attending RARE Center's ten-week Diploma in Conservation Education Course in England. Upon her return in late November, she will focus primarily on educating citizens on manatee conservation in targeted coastal communities. Phase II includes community planning workshops and surveys, gathering data on local attitudes and behaviors, and fine-tuning the campaign objectives. In January 2003, the Manatee Awareness campaign will be implemented (Phase III) and last through November 2003. As Campaign Educator (CE), Miss Trejo will work with Green Reef and be responsible for building community support for eliminating manatee poaching and promoting conservation efforts in 20 of Belize's coastal communities targeted as traditional users of manatees. In Phase IV, Evaluation and Final Reporting, Miss Trejo will be required to return to the University of Kent for two weeks of workshops and seminars. Students will report on and evaluate the results of their campaigns, and create follow-up plans for their conservation education programs.
Belizean waters are believed to provide habitat for 300-700 manatees, the largest population in Central America and the Caribbean. Manatees are protected in Belize under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1981 and three wildlife sanctuaries have been established. Primary threats to manatees include illegal hunting, collision with watercraft, entanglement in fishing nets, and habitat destruction caused by coastal development, industrial pollution and municipal wastewater pollution. Weak law enforcement, insufficient programs aimed specifically at manatee protection and lack of public awareness regarding manatee conservation importance greatly exacerbate these threats.
On behalf of Green Reef and the entire community, The San Pedro Sun wishes Miss Dilcia Trejo the best of luck in her endeavors!
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