The importance of this site, ecology speaking, is not developed to the extent it might be in the description of the project. I am not well qualified to do so in depth, however I would invite anyone more qualified to please comment here.

What I can speak of with some authority is the the patterns and the politics of the development I have observed in being a member of the community for twenty-five years. In that time Ambergris Caye has gone from a small unknown fishing village, (San Pedro) to a leader in early eco-tourism, and now to a regional, general, tourist destination. The community is facing the critical choices between being a sustainable tourist center and the dangers of over development. The time is ripe for international support of the latter.

To give you some indication the ecological importance of this area is it is important to start with the lay of the land, literally. The seaward side, the beach front, of Ambergris Caye is fully developed, as can be seen at top of the aerial photo below. There is one road, just behind the developed beach front
providing the only road access to about six more miles of the Island. The actual Marco Gonzalez Site is the the tree covered hill in the center of the photo. Were the photo taken from the other direction its proximity to the tourist resorts would be apparent. The land on the lagoon side tapers off with the increasing lower land becoming seasonally estuary ponds, as seen on the bottom of the photo and then with a mangrove buffer and Chetumal Bay, beyond, more or less the same distance as to the beach front in the photo.

Currently there is development pressure on increasing high valued waterfront on the lagoon side of the this narrow Island. The patten of development in the past twenty-five years has been that once the waterfront was developed in any given area of the Island, providing land access, the nearby inland properties are sold, and the wetland, there being no other land, is filled, often with household trash, at first, for needed housing for the young and growing Belizian population. Those familiar with the Island in recent years might not realize this is the pattern from the Town Center to the "River", the San Pablo Area, the San Perito Area and the DFC Area, all now, to varying degrees, desirable areas for foreign investors, which increases the demand on land for housing, once again, in a dangerous cycle that leads to over development of all the wetland environment.

Traditionally the filling of the low laying swampland, including mangroves, has been viewed in Belize as growth and progress. The pressures between maintaining the environment and needed development to provide employment are common and well known in every developing country. Ambergris Caye is unique in Belize in that it has developed first and fastest, both in terms of development and ecological preservation . It has set the regional standard of sustainable eco-tourism, before the phase was common, with the fisherman knowing the importance of the Hol Chan Marine Preserve Area to the preservation of the marine environment. The Marine Preserve now functions as an important international example of how the ecological preservation of marine breeding grounds is good economic development providing work in eco-tourism related businesses, while helping to maintain a viable fishery. Its good record of management and success speaks to communities commit and ability to manage a unique environmentally important preserve effectively.

While the government of the day in Belize, which is a functioning democracy, with regular peaceful changes of government, can and will set aside land for conservation, it can be changed again and development rights granted to commercial developers, sometime in the future, by a different government. Belize is currently in the second year of the five year election cycle. The importance of seed money to start a project which will become a source of income for stake holding voters, like guides and tour operators, and on a secondary level to the resort owners and so on, is critical, now, so that the older development pattern is not more attractive to the political leaders. The pressure to show progress and a return on their efforts in terms of employment and secondary economic benefits within the five year election cycle is extremely important to the political realities of those governmental leaders, trying to do the right things.

International recognition of the efforts is extremely helpful. However the seed funding, in this Island facing a critical time in its developmental is of paramount importance. Commercial developers are easily able to provide the seed money needed, on demand. That is much harder for the people of an Island of about twenty thousand. Which is up from about 3000 in the twenty five years I have lived here, to give people some perspective on the rate of development and resulting pressures on our environment.

Yet the spirit of the community that accomplished so much to date, remains. The generation of Island natives that has grown up in a tourist area are ready and eager to do as much good for their Island home as the older generation did by pressing for and supporting the Hol Chan Marine Preserve.

But most importantly relative to the goals of the Geotourism Challenge, as the people of Belize have already committed to sustainable development of their maritime environment, and shown the ability to operate a such a beneficial, in every way imaginable, project in what is the usually the more difficult marine aspect of sustainable ecological preservation and management, it is time now to do the same for our land and cultural environment.

What sort of human ecology will an Island community have to share with its visitors if equal efforts are not made to preserve what is unique to that Island on both the land and in the sea ?

Both are critical to any Island's environment, and tourist appeal. The added benefit of it being the most important early Maya site in the country, and the only one which would showcase the common working Maya, not just the elites in their ritual centers is reason enough for your consideration of his project. It is a fair, but incomplete presentation, but one which properly focuses on the how the funding would be put to work.

But again as I said at the beginning of my of this comment , preserving the different parts of a a barrier island's environment, the added cultural importance aside, is reason enough to support our community's efforts in both real environmental and in in terms of environmental educational value.

So again, I would invite someone better qualified then I to address the importance of this area in both
terms of its importance to as unique bio-diverse environment for wildlife, birds and marine life
and/or as a critical natural buffer, functioning as a flood plain, in our tiny Island environment.
That being in that it serves to control flooding.

Fantastic idea to develop this historical site on Ambergris Caye. I moved to Belize because I enjoy the culture, history, people and the climate. The only part missing from life on AC is sharing the history that makes this place even more special. As I understand the Maya history so far, the Maya ruins on this island are vastly different from those on the mainland. I look forward to the planned Visitor's Education Centre so I may learn more and enjoy the history that is so difficult to access presently.

Marco Gonzalez a 2000 year old Maya Site is an exciting part of Ambergris Caye Belize that holds so many mysteries and much historical information.

In addition to the ruins the jungle area of Marco Gonzales holds a large amount of wildlife and and plant life.

Turning this site into an educational center where locals and visitors can go and learn more about the Maya culture and history of Belize is a very important thing. Especially with the rate of development here it is important not to loose such valuable natural treasures to progress.

Hello Jan

I became very interested in the discoveries of the Maya civilization throughout our country while doing water resources development throughout Belize. I believe that undeveloped sites located on Ambergris Caye can expose more findings on the Mayan way of life since this area seems to have been central to their commerce.

At the same time it would be a uniquely appropriate way to support sustainable development through a tourism product while supporting further research into the intriguing existence of a great civilization. Your project is being followed with great interest.
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Hello Ms. Brown,

You mention that the site was never given reserve status by the government. Is this a goal of your initiative? If so, how is that going? Do you have any partners or support?

Dana Frasz
Ashoka's Changemakers

Hello Ms. Brown,

Congratulations on your great work and specifically for saving the Marco Gonzalez site from a developer in 2007. I'm curious how you are designing the infrastructure and buildings for the site. Are you constructing with local materials and labor? How is the planning for that coming along?

What has been the reaction to your work from locals? Is there any criticism of the initiative? Are locals involved as hosts for home-stays? How could you involve them further? Have you thought of surveying the people to see how the project could better meet their needs?

I look forward to hearing your responses.
Keep up the good work.

Dana Frasz
Ashoka's Changemakers