Belize Audubon Society

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The Belize Audubon Society is a conservation group in Belize. was formed in 1969. Like similar societies elsewhere, it is named in honor of ornithologist and naturalist John James Audubon.

Belize country in Central America

Belize is a country located on the eastern coast of Central America. Belize is bordered on the northwest by Mexico, on the east by the Caribbean Sea, and on the south and west by Guatemala. It has an area of 22,970 square kilometres (8,867 sq mi) and a population of 387,879 (2017). Its mainland is about 180 mi (290 km) long and 68 mi (110 km) wide. It has the lowest population and population density in Central America. The country's population growth rate of 1.87% per year (2015) is the second highest in the region and one of the highest in the Western Hemisphere.

John James Audubon American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter

John James Audubon was an American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. He was notable for his extensive studies documenting all types of American birds and for his detailed illustrations that depicted the birds in their natural habitats. His major work, a color-plate book entitled The Birds of America (1827–1839), is considered one of the finest ornithological works ever completed. Audubon identified 25 new species.

Contents

History

The Belize Audubon Society was formed in 1969 by Dora Weyer and a group of conservationists. The Society was formed with a vision to inspire people to live in harmony with and benefit from the environment. The first president of the Belize Audubon Society, James A. Waight, served from 1969 until 1986. He was born in Belize City and was the Surveyor General of Belize. His dedication to the Belize Audubon Society is honored by an annual award for services to conservation in Belize called the James A. Waight Award. The Belize Audubon Society aims at conserving and protecting wildlife in Belize for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity. In 1973 the society's first launched conservation project, the Jabiru Stork, was added to Belize's list of protected species.

Board of directors

The responsibilities of the Board of Directors of the Belize Audubon Society include policy setting, fiscal guidance, and governance of the society. The Board is composed of 15 voluntary members. These members are elected from general membership during the Annual General Meeting, which is held no later than May 31 of each year.

The following officers make up the board:

Laws Governing BAS

The laws of Belize that govern the operation of the Belize Audubon Society and the conservation efforts of this society are as follows:

Law System of rules and guidelines, generally backed by governmental authority

Law is a system of rules that are created and enforced through social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior. It has been defined both as "the Science of Justice" and "the Art of Justice". Law is a system that regulates and ensures that individuals or a community adhere to the will of the state. State-enforced laws can be made by a collective legislature or by a single legislator, resulting in statutes, by the executive through decrees and regulations, or established by judges through precedent, normally in common law jurisdictions. Private individuals can create legally binding contracts, including arbitration agreements that may elect to accept alternative arbitration to the normal court process. The formation of laws themselves may be influenced by a constitution, written or tacit, and the rights encoded therein. The law shapes politics, economics, history and society in various ways and serves as a mediator of relations between people.

Protected Areas

The Belize Audubon Society co-manages seven protected areas located in Belize. These protected areas are as follows:

Protected area location which receives protection because of its recognised natural, ecological or cultural landscape values

Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international organizations involved.

1. Blue Hole Natural Monument 2. Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary protected area

The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is a nature reserve in the Stann Creek District of south-central Belize. It was established to protect the forests, fauna and watersheds of an approximately 400 square kilometres (150 sq mi) area of the eastern slopes of the Maya Mountains.

3. Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary

4. Guanacaste National Park

5. Half Moon Caye Natural Monument

6. St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park

7. Victoria Peak Natural Monument

James A. Waight Award

The James A. Waight award is presented on February 16 each year to individuals or organizations in recognition for their work in the protection and enhancement of Belize ‘s natural environment. The award is named after the Belize Audubon Society's first president, James A. Waight.

Selection Criteria

Nominees of the award must meet the following criteria:

See also

Conservation in Belize

Since declaring independence in 1981, Belize has enacted many environmental protection laws aimed at the preservation of the country's natural and cultural heritage, as well as its wealth of natural resources. These acts have established a number of different types of protected areas, with each category having its own set of regulations dictating public access, resource extraction, land use and ownership.

National Audubon Society non-profit organisation in the USA

The National Audubon Society (Audubon) is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation. Located in the United States and incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world and uses science, education and grassroots advocacy to advance its conservation mission. It is named in honor of John James Audubon, a Franco-American ornithologist and naturalist who painted, cataloged, and described the birds of North America in his famous book Birds of America published in sections between 1827 and 1838.

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This page gives an overview of the complex structure of environmental and cultural conservation in the United Kingdom.

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Wildlife Conservation Society Wildlife conservation and zoological organization based in New York, NY

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) was founded in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society (NYZS) and currently works to conserve more than two million square miles of wild places around the world. The organization is led by President and CEO Cristián Samper, former Director of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History. Based at the Bronx Zoo, WCS maintains approximately 500 field conservation projects in 65 countries, with 200 PhD scientists on staff. It manages four New York City wildlife parks in addition to the Bronx Zoo: the Central Park Zoo, New York Aquarium, Prospect Park Zoo and Queens Zoo. Together these parks receive 4 million visitors per year. All of the New York City facilities are accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

Protected areas of India

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Victoria Peak (Belize) mountain

Victoria Peak within the Maya Mountains is the second highest mountain in Belize. The highest peak in the country, Doyle's Delight at a height of 1,124 metres (3,688 ft), is located 57 kilometres (35 mi) southwest of Victoria Peak. Victoria Peak is situated in the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. Victoria Peak is situated in the Stann Creek District of Belize, in the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, and is home to many flora and fauna common to Belize. It was pronounced a natural monument in 1998, comprising about 4,847 acres bordered by the Sittee River Forest Reserve, Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, and Chiquibul National Park.

Massachusetts Audubon Society nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection of the nature of Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Audubon Society, founded in 1896 by Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall, headquartered in Lincoln, Massachusetts, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to "protecting the nature of Massachusetts". Mass Audubon is independent of the National Audubon Society, and was founded earlier. Mass Audubon protects 36,500 acres of land throughout Massachusetts, saving birds and other wildlife, and making nature accessible to all with its wildlife sanctuaries and 20 nature centers.

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Tourism in Belize

Tourism in Belize has grown considerably recently, and it is now the second largest industry in the nation. Belizean Prime Minister Dean Barrow has stated his intention to use tourism to combat poverty throughout the country. The growth in tourism has positively affected the agricultural, commercial, and finance industries, as well as the construction industry. The results for Belize's tourism-driven economy have been significant, with the nation welcoming almost one million tourists in a calendar year for the first time in its history in 2012.

Allen Morgan American ornithologist

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Janet Gibson Belizean biologist

Janet Gibson is a biologist and zoologist from Belize. She was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 1990 for her efforts on conservation of the marine ecosystems along the Belizean coast, in particular the barrier reef system. The Belize Barrier Reef was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 1996, through efforts of Gibson and others. She is the current director of the Belize Wildlife Conservation Society.

Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary

Crooked Tree Wild Life Sanctuary (CTWS) is a protected area in Belize. It is recognized as a Wetland of International Importance. It was designated as a waterfowl habitat on April 22, 1998 under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. During Belize’s dry season many resident and migratory birds find refuge in the lagoons. The sanctuary contains 16,400 acres of lagoons, creeks, log wood swamps, broad leaf forest and pine savanna, home to hundreds of species of wildlife. The Sanctuary protects globally endangered species including the Central American River Turtle, Mexican Black Howler Monkey, and Yellow-headed Parrot.

Connecticut Audubon Society non-profit organisation in the USA

The Connecticut Audubon Society, founded in 1898 and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to "conserving Connecticut’s environment through science-based education and advocacy focused on the state’s bird populations and habitats." Connecticut Audubon Society is independent of the National Audubon Society.

Half Moon Caye island in Belize

Half Moon Caye is an island and natural monument of Belize located at the southeast corner of Lighthouse Reef Atoll. This natural monument was the first nature reserve to have been established in Belize under the National Park Systems Act in 1981 and first marine protected area in Central America. This is also Belize's oldest site of wildlife protection since it was first designated as a bird sanctuary in 1924 to protect the habitat of the red-footed booby birds.

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Protected areas of Scotland

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