Three Lagoons Eco Guardians: Eight Years of Protecting Coastlines and Mangroves

Every piece of trash left on Belize’s beaches comes at a cost, both to marine life and eventually to humans. From plastic bags tossed aside to bottles left behind, human negligence is choking wildlife and allowing microplastics to creep into the food chain.

For eight years, the Three Lagoons Sustainability Program has been tackling this problem head-on. The organisation protects northern Belize’s 66-foot coastal reserve, running from the high-water mark inland, through regular cleanups, mangrove restoration, and environmental education.

What started as a small family initiative led by Edgar De Leon Sr has grown into a community-wide movement supported by volunteers and organisations such as the Belize Fund for a Sustainable Future.

“We want to create stewardship within our community for us to protect the sixty-six-foot coastal reserve,” De Leon said. “It’s public land, but it’s also ecologically rich and must be cared for.”

Plastics and other debris pose serious risks to marine life, from ingestion to entanglement. “We are not seeing the fish eating the plastic, but we know it is happening. We do not see it doing bad to our bodies. But we know that it is doing bad to our bodies,” De Leon added.

His sixteen-year-old son, Edgar Jr, and a group of young “Eco Guardians” have combed the coastline through several cleanups. The team has removed everything from plastic bags tangled in mangroves to coconut debris along the shore.

“We made this Eco Guardian group to encourage teenagers out there that instead of being inside their house with technology, on their phone, laptop, or tablet, they could come out, help us clean, and make a better Belize,” Edgar Jr stated.

Beyond cleanup, the programme has also focused on restoring coastal ecosystems. Over the years, Three Lagoons has planted more than fifteen thousand mangrove seeds, with a 95% survival rate.

Mangroves serve as natural buffers against coastal erosion and provide critical habitats for fish nurseries. Where mangroves are missing, the shoreline is literally slipping away. “By them planting more mangroves, we are getting an opportunity. Erosion will stop,” said Darnell Cruz, a Sarteneja Village Councillor.

 

“We started as five people: me, my uncle, and his wife,” said Andrea Carillo, a long-time mentor. “Now as we have grown, people feel attracted to it, and they have joined, and I am so proud of it.”

After eight years, the Three Lagoons Sustainability Program has grown and inspired community members to take an active role in protecting the environment through consistent cleanups, mangrove restoration, and education.