Ya’axché is assisting 49 deserving students to attend high school in southern Belize in the upcoming school year 2011 – 2012. Students that received scholarships from Ya’axché will attend 4 high schools namely Julian Cho, Toledo Community College, Independence High School and Corazon High School. This year’s scholarships are made possible through generous donations of James Arthur Albert Foundation, Protected Areas Conservation Trust, Conservation and Research Foundation, John Griffin, Justine Godfrey and James Lord. Ya’axché provides a foundation for youths so that in the future they can make sound decisions about the environment for a better Belize.

Student Santiago Teul of Golden Stream, “…would like to thank Ya’axche for the assistance, good help and advice that they offer me to accomplish my education for the first school year.” Medina Bank Primary School Principal, Howard Reyes is pleased to hear that his students received assistance. “I have worked hard with these students and I want them to continue their studies. I will be preparing more students for the upcoming school year and hoping that Ya’axche can continue to give their support.”

Ya’axché works with communities through its Community Outreach and Livelihoods Programme in the Maya Golden Landscape, using an integrated landscape management approach to conservation efforts and by empowering communities. Education plays a major role for communities in the Maya Golden Landscape, but many are unable to continue secondary studies due to high tuition fees and textbook costs.

Realizing that sending children to attend secondary schools in southern Belize is expensive, Ya’axché initiated its Scholarship Programme in 2003. Since 2003 Ya’axché has assisted sixty-six students to attend secondary educational institutions in Toledo and has graduated 33 students (16 females – 17 males).

Ya’axché continues to involve young people in its work. Conservation is highly dependent on the support from communities that live in the Maya Golden Landscape and education plays an important role in understanding the importance of maintaining the integrity of the environment.

If you want more information about the work that Ya’axché is doing please contact:

Ya’axché Conservation Trust
#22 Alejandro Vernon Street
P.O. Box 177
Punta Gorda, Toledo District
Belize, Central America

Phone/Fax: (+501) 722-0108
Email:info@yaaxche.org
Facebook: facebook.com/yaaxche

Ya’axché Conservation Trust is a community-oriented organization which advances integrated landscape management for equitable development on southern Belize through sustainable land-use practices.

A Harpy Eagle chick was discovered 10 months ago in Bladen Nature Reserve, the furthest north that a breeding pair of harpy eagles have ever been confirmed. In May a group, including Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education (BFREE) bird team, satellite tagged the chick.

The team was led by Angel Muela, a seasoned harpy eagle tagger, and William Garcia (BFREE). Ya’axché rangers Victor Bonilla, Pastor Ayala and protected areas manager Lee Mcloughlin were present in an observational capacity. The whole expedition was filmed by internationally renowned wildlife film maker Richard Foster.

The adult female and male had not returned to the nest to feed or nurture the chick for some time resulting in a malnourished and weak chick. It made a few failed attempts to fly; it fell to the forest floor risking being attacked by predators and an instance had a close run in with a troop of spider monkeys. The team returned the chick to the nest to prevent predation of the weak chick. BFREE’s bird team also took the unusual step of providing dead chickens and later bringing live chickens for two months to train to kill prey.

 In early July, BREE team sighted the adult male with the chick on a tree near the nest where he was seen feeding the chick and standing watch over the chick as it attempted to fly. The bird team withdrew their support for the chick and monitored the situation before being forced to leave the site because of the advent of the famous heavy rains of Toledo’s wet season.

Monitoring continued via the satellite tag, which had been attached to the back of the chick, the bird team could continue to determine its movements. They were able to confirm that the chick, now a juvenile, had left the site of the nest and moved to a nearby valley where she stayed for 5 days. It seems she is doing well as it is unlikely such movements would be occurring in ill health. It also suggests she is becoming more comfortable and skilled at flying.

This is by no means the end of the story; the chick will depend on the support of her parents for the first TWO years of her life. BFREE are working on GIS mapping to produce interpretive maps to keep the public informed and particularly for use for educational and scientific purposes.

KEEP WATCHING FOR FURTHER UPDATES ON THIS INCREDIBLE STORY!!