With only two full days of camp remaining, our theme today emphasized Chaa Creek’s goals, actions, and vision for the future – responsible tourism and sustainability. Before heading to the conference center for a presentation from Chaa Creek Owner and Founder, Lucy Fleming, our Eco Camp Director, Jacqueline Britt, gave the campers a talk about Mennonite sustainable living.

I am Hazel; I would very much like to be an “Eco-Kid” because of my love for all animals, plants and things of nature. The responsibilities of an Eco-Kid involve the study of the habitats of animals and to help in the protection of homes of wild animals. As an Eco-Kid I will have the opportunity of working closely with private and public agencies such as The Lodge at Chaa Creek in the application of the principles and rules which guide us in living in peace and harmony with the earth and all its inhabitants.

Everyday you go outside and when you look around your community you see many more things that you can do to help your environment look as clean as you. I look around my environment and say to myself ‘Had I’ve always been living in this area and not been paying much attention to it’.

Are you looking for a unique vacation spot this year – a place that offers you plenty of opportunities for R&R while also giving you the chance to appreciate Mother Earth? You’re not alone. Ecotourism is becoming more popular, as it allows travelers to enjoy a pristine area of the world while fostering a respect for other cultures and for the environment. For many of these travelers, the country of Belize tops the list of places to visit.

THURSDAY July 28, 2011 – Solid Waste Management was the theme for the day and Chaa Creek’s Senior Naturalist Guide Brion Young decided to base the topic around the importance of the three R’s: REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE!

Despite all that man has achieved – electricity, air and space travel, advanced computers and open-heart surgery among other things – and while our human intellect has soared to unimaginable heights, we have sadly neglected and dismissed the very source which nurtures our precious lives. Notwithstanding, nature like a loving and forgiving mother, continues to provide despite our many transgressions. As humankind irreverently pollutes this precious but delicate environment, our planet struggles to survive an increasingly destructive war we have foolishly waged on our very life support system.

My boyfriend and I were planning our trip to Belize today and noticed this amazing opportunity to be a part of an Eco-tourism package. We couldn’t think of a better way to spend our vacation than at the luxury resort of Chaa Creek learning to how improve and conserve the environment that we love so much.

My husband and I heard about Chaa Creek and would like nothing more than to spend our vacation with you in Belize! I was born in Argentina shortly after World War II, and since my parents moved to the US in the 1960s, I have never been able to return to Central/South America. I would like nothing more than to re-enter the vibrant Latin culture that I was raised in, if only for a short …

Belize Ecotourism Vacation Sweepstakes- Essay#12

Lush jungles, exotic birds and flowers and a plethora of animal life, unlike anything seen in the backyard. That is what I think of when I think of Chaa Creek. To be encompassed in a world of natural beauty would be a heavenly experience indeed.
Sadly, each day our world becomes a little less green.  So we must take steps to minimize our negative impact on our environment, while increasing awareness and  …

Belize Vacation Sweepstakes- Essay#11
A trip to Belize with a stay at the The Lodge at Chaa creek would be a dream vacation for my wife and I.  We are seriously involved in bird education and rescue and going to Belize would give us an opportunity to see parrots and other birds in their natural habitat.  Staying at one of the most highly regarded and awarded Belizean eco resorts would be a dream come true.  We have researched such vacations extensively …

It is very important to me to travel to places that are environmentally friendly. Observing and interacting with the environment, learning about about the culture of the local inhabitants, and their interaction with the land is hugely vital to me. I attended high school at the “School of Environmental Studies”. As part of my senior thesis I worked with a local battered womens’ hostel and helped them go totally green. Like the “Go Green” of …

Belize Eco-tourism Vacation Sweepstakes
To the people at Chaa Creek and Belize, my son and I have been looking for an eco-friendly place to take a vacation next summer. My son is very eco-minded, went to high school which specialized in environmental sciences, in conjunction with the Minnesota zoo.
For his senior project, he revamped a local battered women’s shelters garbage system so that it was totally recyclable. He earned a community award for this. It is very important …

Belize Eco Tourism Vacation Sweepstakes
On my return flight home from San Ignacio, Belize I was already trying to calculate my finances to go back. I, along with twelve others, was working with ProBelize to build a homeless shelter for teenage girls. This project, and the town, opened my eyes to a whole new world, to say the least. In the ten days I was there, I learned to appreciate the world around me more than I ever had in …

Enter our Belize Eco Tourism Vacation Sweepstakes and Win All Inclusive Belize Vacations

The Lodge at Chaa Creek, Belize’s award-winning luxury eco-lodge in the jungles of Central America is offering all inclusive five 5 day vacation packages to the lucky winners of our Belize Ecotourism Vacation Sweepstakes.
Travel, when conducted mindfully can be a powerful tool for positive change, inspiring awareness of environmental responsibility and social commitment.
Through our new “Go Green Belize” package The Lodge at Chaa Creek is continuing its longstanding …

Green Globe, the leading certification program for sustainability in travel and tourism and The International Centre for Responsible Tourism-Belize (ICRT-Belize), Green Globe Partner in Belize, congratulates The Lodge at Chaa Creek in the Cayo District of Belize, Central America on achieving Green Globe Certification. Throughout the certification and auditing process, The Lodge at Chaa Creek made significant investments to ensure that the resort’s infrastructure met the highest environmental standards. A key focus for the certification for the Lodge at Chaa Creek was their overall commitment to the environmental aspects impacted or affected by their operations. Chaa Creek has created a unique stewardship for their immediate area of operation through setting up a private reserve, practicing organic gardening, controlling river side erosion and assisting in onsite and in-country research by visiting students, professors and universities from abroad and locally.

The largest district in the country and home of the capital city of Belmopan, the Cayo District offers a plethora of ecotourism adventures. With an astonishing 880,000 acres of protected land in the form of nature reserves and national parks, this district is truly a nature-lover’s dream. The lively towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena and the quiet border town of Benque Viejo del Carmen provide a glimpse into the lives of the friendly residents. They also serve as a base from which to explore pristine forests, clean rivers, rocky plateaus, ceremonial caves, towering mountains, cascading waterfalls and ancient Maya temples.

News Americas
Belize’s ecology-economy balance

Belize is known throughout Central America for its progressive environmental conservation programmes, but with few exports, the small nation’s economy also depends heavily on tourism.

And the large volume of tourists – many drawn to the world’s second largest barrier reef that is home to a huge variety of marine life – has some experts worried that potentially irreversible harm is being done to the country’s treasured environment.

As Al Jazeera’s David Mercer explains, finding a balance between the environment and the economy can be a challenge.

Cayo is the largest district in Belize and is a world leader in ecotourism. If you are vacationing in the pristine Cayo District; you must definitely visit the following Maya Temples and Ceremonial Caves:
Xunantunich
Xunantunich or Maiden of the Rock is situated on the Western Highway across the river from the village of San Jose Succotz. This major ceremonial center can be reached by ferry daily and it is only 1.5 Kilometer (one mile) from some lovely rapids of the …

DAY SEVEN:  There were no roads—just overgrown jungle.
Mick Fleming approached in dugout canoe. “But there was something about the place,” he recalls more than 30 years later.
His wife Lucy, who arrived on horseback the day after he saw the overgrown farm, agrees.  “This place always had a certain amount of magic—a pull. I felt it. We were young and crazy—no money and decided to be pioneers.”
Lucy was from New Jersey; Mick from England. They had met in England …

Originally slated for May 19 – 22, 2009, in Belmopan, the capital of Belize, the Third Annual World Conference for Responsible Tourism has been postponed till next fall, announced the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) this week.
What happens when a small, scarcely populated backwater of a country is suddenly deluged with a million foreign visitors a year? What’s the best way to address the host of changes and challenges that this brings? Tourism experts from around the world will attempt to …