February '08 trip

georeferenced photos

Georeferenced photos of the Belize Open Source property, Natalio Soliz's guest room in August Pine Ridge, and the August Pine Ridge water tower and well are displayed on Google Earth. See http://belizeopensource.org/node/322

cover page

Cover page: Executive Summary and Recommended Next steps, Summary and Detailed Recap of the Discussion from Belize Open Source Sustainable Development Brainstorming Meeting

Blue Creek Senior Center

Blue Creek Senior Center with rodeo grounds and mahogany planted area to the left in foreground.

August Pine Ridge

August Pine Ridge town center with Natalio Soliz's place across road, room Pat Coyle stayed in is on top of structure.

Sugar cane

Sugar cane truck on way to Belize Sugar Industries (BSI) factory in Orange Walk Town

Aerial view

Aerial view: View across front of property looking along main road toward August Pine Ridge, with new entry road to caretaker's residence

Donating blood

Pat Coyle donating blood at Orange Walk Hospital. US Red Cross currently bars donating for a year after leaving Belize due to malaria watch.

Yo Creek Ag Station

Yo Creek Ag Station: Sow with piglets for breeding program

Yo Creek Ag Station

Vicente Tuyub at Yo Creek Ag Station nursery with Moringa shrub and palm seedlings

Yo Creek Ag Station

Yo Creek Ag Station: Nursery with 50% solar transmission netting overhead

Yo Creek Ag Station

Yo Creek Ag Station: Palm, resistant to lethal blight

Yo Creek Ag Station

Yo Creek Ag Station: Black belly sheep

Tilapia on the plate

Tilapia on the plate: Tilapia seasoned and fried. Very tasty!

Tilapia in Shipyard

Tilapia in Shipyard: Tilapia in 5 gallon pail with water from pond

Tilapia in Shipyard

Tilapia in Shipyard: Collecting netted tilapia to transport in 5 gallon pail with water from pond

Tilapia in Shipyard

Tilapia in Shipyard: Netting fish from pond fed from well

High protein forage plant

Vicente Tuyub at Yo Creek Ag Station with Trichantera gigantea high protein forage plant suited for marginal soils.

Vicente Tuyub at Yo Creek Ag Station

Vicente Tuyub at Yo Creek Ag Station with young cattle being prepared for Livestock Exhibition

Yo Creek Ag Station

Vicente Tuyub at Yo Creek Ag Station with young cattle being prepared for Livestock Exhibition

Yo Creek Ag Station

Yo Creek Agricultural Station: Vincente Tuyub at with young cattle being prepared for Agricultural Exhibit

Blue Creek Hydro

Blue Creek Hydro: Dam for hydro plant also provides recreational uses.

Blue Creek Hydro

Blue Creek Hydro: Looking into generator building, at mechanical to electrical conversion equipment.

Blue Creek Hydro

Blue Creek Hydro: Generator building and transmission lines, serving a dedicated grid of homes in Blue Creek.

Blue Creek Hydro

Blue Creek Hydro: Locally designed and faricated water turbine for hydro plant generating about 150kW, serving a dedicated grid of homes in Blue Creek. Plans to add a second turbine to double the output are being considered.

Commemorative stone

Commemorative stone dedicated as part of 50th anniversity celebration of Mennonites coming to Blue Creek in Belize.The stone was brought from the Shipyard community.

Tree for 1960

Tree for 1960, planted and watered.

Mahogany site

Mahogany site, almost all planted.

Mahogany planting site

Mahogany planting site with senior living center (old folks home) in background.

Tree for 1960

Tree for 1960: Pat Coyle with tree for 1960.

Tree for 1960

Planting tree for 1960: Pat Coyle planting tree for 1960, the third tree auctioned.

Mahogany auction fundraiser

Mahogany auction fundraiser: 50 trees were auctioned, raising over $56,000Bz for completion and operation of senior living center (old folks home) as part of 50th anniversity celebration of Mennonites coming to Blue Creek in Belize. Names of donors will be placed with their individual trees which were planted and will be maintained near the center.

Planning session - Muffles Junior College

Planning session - Muffles Junior College: Natalio Soliz, Vicente Tuyub, Marion Cayetano, Pat Coyle, Adrian Leiva. Photo by Osmany Salas.

Planning session - Muffles Junior College

Planning session - Muffles Junior College: Around the table: Osmany Salas, Adrian Leiva, Natalio Soliz, Vicente Tuyub,and Marion Cayetano. Photo by Pat Coyle.

Planning session - site visit

Planning session - site visit: At caretaker's residence - Adrian Leiva, Pat Coyle, Marion Cayetano, and Vicente Tuyub. Photo by Osmany Salas.

Pines and other trees at new entry road

Pines and other trees at new entry road to caretaker's residence (red roof visible through trees)

Property line August Pine Ridge side

Property line August Pine Ridge side, improved grass in buffer strip, looking to front of property

Caretaker's residence through trees

View from property line August Pine Ridge side, in buffer strip, looking through trees to caretaker's residence (red roof visible between two trees)

Property line August Pine Ridge side

Property line August Pine Ridge side, neighbor Victor Ramos fence line, improved grass in buffer strip, looking to back of property

Palmetto and low bush

Typical palmetto and low bush regrowth at rear of property - not many larger trees. I understand it had been cleared for grazing cattle, then let go back to regrowth.

Medium sized old cashew tree

Medium sized old cashew tree toward the back of property

Pines and other trees at new entry road

Pines and other trees at new entry road to caretaker's residence (red roof visible through trees)

Pines and other trees at new entry road

View of pines and other trees at new entry road and August Pine Ridge water tower from the old entry road

Pines and other trees at new entry road

View of pines and other trees at new entry road from the old entry road

Large mango near caretaker's residence at old entry road

Trees from caretaker's residence: Large mango at old entry road looking toward main road

Mango and other trees from caretaker's residence

Trees from caretaker's residence: Large mango, pine, cashew and others looking across property toward August Pine Ridge

Pine and other trees from caretaker's residence

Trees from caretaker's residence: Larger pine and others looking at angle toward back of property

Pine tree from caretaker's residence

Trees from caretaker's residence: Larger pine and others looking to the back of property

Trees at new entry road - 4

Trees at new entry road: mango, pine, and others; turning corner toward caretaker's residence

Trees at new entry road - 3

Trees at new entry road: pines and others

Trees at new entry road - 2

Trees at new entry road: pines and others

Trees at new entry road - 1

Trees at new entry road: pines and others

Old entry road - large mango trees at caretaker's residence

Old entry road, looking toward caretaker's residence and large mango trees

New road - caretaker's residence

New improved entry road, looking toward caretaker's residence

New improved entry road

From centerline of new improved entry road, looking into property

New improved entry road

From centerline of new improved entry road, looking toward main road

New improved entry road

From centerline of new improved entry road, looking toward August Pine Ridge water tower

Entry to property

Entry to property: Unimproved road, looking toward caretaker's residence, concrete power pole to the right

Property line looking along road at front of property

Property line looking along front of property toward August Pine Ridge water tower, improved grass buffer strip,

Property line August Pine Ridge side

Property line August Pine Ridge side, improved grass buffer strip, looking to back of property

Property line: Natalio and Victor Ramos

Property line on August Pine Ridge side; improved grasss buffer strip, Natalio and Victor Ramos, Sr.

Natalio at property line

Natalio at property line: improved grasss buffer strip, looking toward August Pine Ridge water tower

New road to caretakers residence

David Dyck's crew made new road into caretakers residence - Natalio Soliz and rental vehicle

Natalio in caretakers residence

Natalio in caretakers residence

Natalio at caretaker's residence

Natalio Soliz at nearly complete caretaker's residence