Pact Celebrates Women Leaders in Conservation with Art Showcase

The Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) is celebrating thirty years of safeguarding Belize’s natural heritage with a month-long series of events honoring the nation’s conservation champions. As part of the anniversary observance, PACT partnered with three local women artists and entrepreneurs to create one-of-a-kind pieces inspired by the journeys and achievements of female leaders in conservation. News Five’s Britney Gordon reports.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Belize’s conservation movement has long been powered by women, and this year, the Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) is putting a few these women’s legacies on display with “Rooted and Rising”, an event that blends environmental advocacy with local art. PACT Executive Director, Abil Castañeda, tells us how the conservationist and artist worked together to bring this project to life.

 

Abil Castañeda, Executive Director, PACT

“We took their life, their careers and their profession in conservation, and asked some of our brightest minds in creative in creative arts thinking to say, what can we do to develop products that commemorate that life, to commemorate that dedication that they have shown over decades”

 

Highlighted at the event were conservationists Jessie Young of the Women’s Conservation Group at the Community Baboon Sanctuary, Maria Garcia of the Itzamna Society, and Christina Garcia of the Ya’axche Conservation Trust. Young shared that due in part to their efforts; the monkey population has grown from eight hundred in 1985 to over six thousand today.

 

Jessie Young, Women’s Conservation Group, Community Baboon Sanctuary

“It’s not easy to manage a community-based organization such as the Community Baboon Sanctuary. It’s quite complex, but we have managed to persevere. Being born and raised in the community, we know our people, we know the needs. We believe as women we have the strength that it takes to manage anything, and so we stepped in, and the landowners gave us permission to take over the management.”

 

Zyania Alonzo is one of three artists selected to bring the vision to life alongside Aesha Garel, and Landee Longsworth. Partnering with Maria Garcia, Alonzo shares the story of her piece.

 

Zyania Alonzo, Artist

“I wanted to do something that represents the forest and its intricacy, so the body of the bag represents the root system that is in the forest. And then I also wanted to add the handles from the forest as well, which is made from supa seeds. The body of the bag takes around fourteen hours to print, so that’s just the body of the bag. And then the handles are made, and then we have to put the handles on the bag, and then we have to make the satin part of the bag and then the tussles are hand braided.”

 

Minister of Sustainable Development, Orlando Habet, explains that women are increasingly being recognized for their contributions to conservation, with many serving in leadership, management and technical roles across Belize’s protected areas network and more space is being opened for artisans in conservation.

 

Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development

“We want that all the sectors, all the ministries who have some way of contributing to the orange economy to also participate, because you’re looking at history, you’re looking at culture, you’re looking at art, and certainly you’re looking at people, because without the people, you don’t have the revelation of that potential or those ideas, the concepts and the and the work that they do.”

 

The celebration concluded with a pop-up marketplace where visitors viewed the custom-made piece. Half of all proceeds from artwork sales will be donated directly to the participating conservation groups to help fund their ongoing environmental work. Britney Gordon for News Five.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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