Join Sustainable Harvest in the Mayan villages of southern Belize. Participants will take part in community garden and reforestation projects and work with families on new appropriate technology programs including the construction of wood-conserving justa stoves, composting latrines, chicken coops, fish ponds and irrigation systems.

Until recent years, Belize's environment remained relatively untouched, but now Belize is confronting serious environmental degradation.  Toledo is the most impoverished district in Belize and perhaps the most threatened. A rainy region with a unique coastal ecosystem, Toledo is home to rare and endangered species. Unfortunately, this area now faces deforestation problems including slash-and-burn farming and the sale of logging rights to big timber companies.

After an orientation in Punta Gorda, the group will head out to the small Kekchi and Mopan Mayan villages working with SHI. While in the villages, participants will stay in guest houses and with local families. In addition to work projects, we will also take a weekend sightseeing excursion.

Travel Costs
The cost for this trip is $1,500 per person.  This total includes a donation to the local program, project materials and supplies, liability insurance, all in-country transportation, rustic accommodations in the villages and double occupancy hotel accommodations when we visit tourist areas, meals and guide / translation service.  This total DOES NOT INCLUDE airfare to Belize, phone calls, souvenirs, or any additional costs not mentioned.

Sustainable Harvest International is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and program costs may be tax-deductible.  If travel funding is an issue for you, please contact Sarah Kennedy at our outreach office to brainstorm some fundraising ideas.

Sustainable Harvest Belize

SHI has been working in the Toledo district of Southern Belize since 1999. Currently the program has three extensionists working with 205 families and several schools. They teach a wide range of sustainable techniques using a variety of species. One of the most important species is cacao, which is native to southern Belize and grows in a natural forest environment. Cacao pods also contain the primary ingredient of a very valuable product: chocolate! If a cash-crop like cacao is firmly established in an area, that area is much less likely to be logged for timber. It is a long-term investment in the land that will contribute to the local economy and help the people of southern Belize lead the way to sustainable development.