Placencia Mangrove Workshop: June 13, 2009

On June 13th, 2009, about forty people gathered at the Placencia Village Community Center to see presentations by scientists, climate experts and conservationists regarding the importance of mangrove conservation in Belize. The work was sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund with logistical help from the Southern Environmental Association and Brooksmith Consulting.

The lead speaker was Ramon Frutos, the retired head of the Belize Meteorological Society. Dr. Frutos reviewed the evidence and accumulating impacts of climate change. His talk pointed out that most of Belize was vulnerable to severe weather and sea level rise. The need for shoreline protection is high and becoming more acute.

Nadia Bood of the World Wildlife Fund followed Dr. Frutos, demonstrating how mangroves can not only protect shorelines from storm damage, but add land mass at a faster rate that sea level is projected to rise.


Here Nadia discusses the value of mangrove buffer zones along developed shorelines.


Lisa Carne, biologist and consultant showed a series of slides analyzed by Environmental Biology students at Independence Junior College. Their analysis showed the historical pattern of mangrove removal in Placencia has been accelerating recently.

John Cheeseman, professor of Plant Biology at the University of Illinois, gave an in depth description of mangrove biology. Dr. Cheeseman pointed out that mangrove restoration is a difficult process on exposed shorelines where erosion and storm damage are most likely to occur.

Here Dr. Cheeseman shows the results of a mangrove planting at a shrimp farm from September 2009.

Tim Smith, biologist, consultant and Lagoon Projects Coordinator for the Southern Environmental Association outlined past and future mangrove conservation strategies for Placencia and Placencia Lagoon. Those include mangrove plantings, restorations and reserves.


The climax of the morning was the talk by community researcher Adrian Vernon who drew on his extensive practical knowledge to present detailed information about how to successfully plant red mangroves.




After a morning of talks and a catered lunch, some of the group met at the Peninsula Club development to replant mangroves along cleared shorelines.

Many thanks to speakers and participants for a successful mangrove workshop!