2024 Westgate Belize Conservation Expedition

Accommodations

ECOMAR Research Station

Founded in 2009, the St. George’s Caye Research Station & Field School supports archaeological and marine research for visiting professors and their students. The facilities at ECOMAR are based on traditional Creole colonial architectural styles, students will share screened-in dorm rooms with bunk beds and private bathrooms. As water conservation is a integral part of island life, power is generated each night, and hot water and air conditioning are not available. Students will be grouped in their rooms according to gender and availability.

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Cahal Pech

Cahal Pech offers a beautiful setting in San Ignacio town. Rooms include hand-crafted pieces made of Belize hardwoods, two double beds, a writing table, private, screened veranda with deck chairs and a hammock. Free Wi-Fi access is available throughout the facilities to keep everyone feeling connected. Students will be grouped in their rooms according to gender and availability.

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Group Flight

Once your flight has been confirmed, the itinerary will appear here.

Walking Tree will secure a seat on the group flight for each participant unless otherwise instructed.

Travelers are responsible for checked baggage fees. Please visit the airline’s baggage webpage to learn if you should expect to pay anything.

We will provide a group manifest – complete with reservation codes and ticket numbers – to the Group Organizer/s before departure, and travelers will need to check in at the airport in order to receive their boarding pass and have documents verified. We recommend arriving no later than three hours prior to the scheduled departure, but contact your Group Organizer for specific details on exactly where and when to meet on the day of departure.

FLIGHT INTERRUPTION, DELAY OR CANCELLATION 
Air travel can be unpredictable.  Regardless of proper planning, there may still be instances when a flight is delayed or cancelled due to staffing shortages, weather, mechanical problems, etc.  Please note that in such an event, Walking Tree Travel (WTT) is not financially responsible for unanticipated costs incurred by travelers en route.  Our programs officially begin and end in the destination country, and because our staff doesn’t fly with the group, Group Organizers (the traveling faculty member/s) become the front-line advocate for the group in the event of a delay. In most cases of cancellations or delays, the airline will be the one who re-books travel or possibly arranges a hotel and food the night.  Our primary role will be to  keep families updated and provide support to the Group Organizer to reach a  quick and effective resolution.

Host Community and Project Details

ECOMAR MARINE BIOLOGY CENTER at ST. GEORGE’S CAYE
Historical St. George’s Caye is less than 10 miles from Belize City and one mile from the Belize Barrier Reef, making it an ideal location for getting to and from the mainland and reef ecosystems. The Caye, and the other cayes, reefs, and estuaries that surround it, collectively make up Belize’s section of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, a chain of barrier islands stretching from Mexico to Honduras that together comprise the largest coral reef ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere. This “seascape” is also the second longest reef in the world, and is home to hundreds of invertebrate and vertebrate species such as whale sharks, Antillean manatees, and hundreds of mollusks found nowhere else in the world. The unique geology of the region and the biodiversity it harbors make it a priority conservation area, and one of Sylvia Earle’s “Hope Spots.”

During our stay in Belize, we will be partnering with ECOMAR, and organization that coordinates marine biology and conservation projects that focus on conserving the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System and World Heritage Site, along with the associated marine ecosystems and the diverse marine life that is so important to the people that live near the coast. ECOMAR’s mission is to help local people, governments, and visitors learn more about the marine ecosystems that support their livelihoods. “When resources users are more knowledgeable about the ecosystem processes they take ownership of the environment and become involved in protecting these valuable natural resources.”

They do this through a variety of programs that we will learn about and participate in, including sea turtle nesting and in water studies, coral reef ecology studies, manatee and conch research, and a variety of other marine biology research education programs which we will learn about during our stay. We are privileged to be guided in our work by local and visiting researchers who are experts.

Packing List

What follows is a sample packing list that is provided as a guideline. Feel free to augment as you feel necessary.  We recommend you bring a larger piece of luggage like a roller, duffel bag, or backpack, as well as a smaller backpack that you can bring on hikes, weekend excursions and shorter activities.

“Less is more” is a packing tip we encourage for all our travelers. The list below should cover everything you would need, but know yourself and what you are comfortable traveling with.  We suggest bringing only as much as you would be able to carry on your own.

Finally, we recommend consulting a weather forecast for your destination. 

CLOTHES

• Underwear
• Socks (a mixture of good hiking socks and casual socks)
• T-shirts or work shirts (some quick dry)
• Long sleeve shirt
• Set of pajamas
• Light sweater
• Rain jacket
• Travel/athletic shorts that are breathable and light
• Comfortable/hiking/everyday pants (NOT all jeans)
• 2 nice shirt/top to be worn to more formal dinners (girls might want a skirt or something a little nicer for such occasions)
• Durable athletic/hiking shoes
• Swimsuits
• Sandals (Chacos/Tevas etc)
• Long-sleeve rash guard, to protect from sun while snorkeling (mandatory)
• Hat

Important: Snorkeling gear (mask, snorkel, and fins). Visit your local dive shop or sports equipment store and have the staff fit you with a mask. A good fitting, comfortable mask and a well-sealed snorkel can make or break a snorkeling or diving trip, so make sure to try it on and practice at a local pool a couple times before you travel. Snorkeling gear can be rented at ECOMAR for a fee of $11.75/day, and this is not included in the cost of tuition. If you plan to not bring your own gear, please bring enough cash to rent gear for the duration of your time at ECOMAR.

TOILETRIES

BRING THE BASIC TOILETRIES YOU NEED PLUS:

• Reef-safe or mineral sunscreen (mandatory), mosquito repellent, and aloe vera – Read list below
• Band aids, Neosporin and other basic first aid supplies
• Hand Sanitizer
• Medication in properly marked original container
• Lip balm

*Those with long hair, a small bottle of conditioner for tangled hair

MISCELLANEOUS

• PASSPORT
• Small backpack
• Sunglasses
• Journal and pen
• Book
• Camera
• Ziplock bags to keep valuables out of humidity and water.
• Debit card/US Dollars (we recommend about $50-$150, depending on amount of desired souvenirs, extra items etc.)
• Durable water bottle
• 1 quick-dry towel (1 big one or 2 small ones)
• Flashlight/headlamp
• Batteries and/or portable cell phone power banks
• Deck of cards or other portable games

CORAL REEF SAFE TOILETRIES

• Sun Block.
• Badger Broad spectrum SPF 35 zinc oxide
• Thinksport SPF 50 Sunscreen
• All Good SPF 30 Sport Sunscreen Lotion
• Babo Botanicals SPF 30 Clear Zinc Lotion
• Suntegrity Natural Mineral Sunscreen
• Raw Elements SPF 30 Certified Natural Sunscreen
• Stream2Sea SPF 30 Mineral Sunblock
• Mama Kuleana Waterproof SPF 30 Reef-safe Sunscreen
• Mosquito repellent
• It is very important to know that all items must be Deet Free.

Support Team

At a minimum, one experienced Program Leader will travel on every trip. In addition to this full time leadership presence, Walking Tree has additional support staff in all destinations and 24/7 support from our headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Below you’ll find a list of the team members involved in the planning, organizing, and leadership of your program.

Guillermo Montoya Berganza

Guatemala & Belize Country Director

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Universidad Rafael Landivar – B.A. Marketing with emphasis on Advertising
Postgraduate studies in Business Management, Costa Rica and India

Guillermo was born and raised in Guatemala. He has traveled throughout North and Central America, and parts of Europe and India. His first intercultural experience took place in North Dakota and Canada as an exchange student. He then volunteered with an international organization in Guatemala that provides educational opportunities to young students. Through this organization, he became a guide for a Latin American student group in Norway and Denmark, giving him the opportunity to explore several European countries and find his traveler spirit. Guillermo lives in Antigua, Guatemala, where he works to support independent coffee farmers and an artisan community and leads programs throughout Central America. He speaks both Spanish and English and enjoys adventure travel, photography and history.

Luke Mueller

Co-Founder of Walking Tree Travel and Business Lead - Denver, CO

[email protected]

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Emory University – B.A. Sociology and minor in Latin American History

During college, Luke spent a semester living and traveling in rural Mexico. His experience sparked a fascination with Latin America and a commitment to community service that continues to this day. Upon graduating from college, he joined WorldTeach and lived with a local family in a small village in Costa Rica while teaching elementary English. After this experience, he moved to San José, the capital and largest city of Costa Rica, and wrote for The Tico Times newspaper. Luke has since traveled to over 60 countries on five different continents.  Now settled in Denver with his family, he continues to crave massive helpings of rice and beans.

Amelia “Ame” Garita Castillo

Country Operations Manager - Costa Rica

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University Nacional, Costa Rica. Business Management/Sustainable Tourism

Amelia was born in San Gerardo de Rivas, Costa Rica, close to the highest mountain Cerro Chirripo. While a young girl Ame had the opportunity to climb Cerro Chirripo with her father over 50 times before she turned 18, and fell in love with the outdoors and wilderness. After having these amazing experiences she went on to study tourism and business management in the National University of Costa Rica where she graduated with a bachelors degree. Since then she has worked for the Costa Rican tourism board, before moving on to guiding. She has worked guiding students in outdoor adventure working for Outward Bound Costa Rica, Outward Bound Mexico, and Outward Bound Hong Kong. She also guides wilderness therapy with Pure Life by Aspiro in Costa Rica. She has had the pleasure of traveling in Europe and South America which further confirmed her love for traveling, the outdoors, and guiding. She has traveled to over 14 countries and loves to share her experiences with others and also help them discover their own passion, and worldly views. She speaks fluent Spanish and English, and most enjoys her time by guiding and helping others. She now works for Walking Tree full time as a part of the Country Operations Team in Costa Rica.

Group Roster

Below is a list of the travelers enrolled on the program.

• 1 Aileen Ibarra Avena
• 2 Amy Schneider
• 3 Benjamin Nyquist
• 4 Briggs George
• 5 Gaomai Lee
• 6 Grace Hitchens
• 7 Jack Preheim
• 8 Jake Daubner
• 9 Jocelyn Rehder
• 10 Landon Weber
• 11 Oliver Stanton
• 12 Sianna LaDuke
• 13 Soren Mrochek-Moore
• 14 Tiernan Clair
• 15 Victoria Leedahl
• 16 Zackary Rome

Blog and Communication

During travel we will work hard to keep families updated as frequently as possible with blogs and photos, giving you peace of mind that your traveler is safe and thriving on their program.  Students regularly contribute to these posts, giving parents a great way to vicariously track the progress of the trip. You will receive an email notification when the first blog is posted, after which we recommend you check in regularly via the black “Program Blog” button at the top of this page.

Beyond this proactive approach to communication during the trip, most destinations are wired enough to allow participants semi-regular access to WiFi so you can also expect to communicate with your traveler directly. Ask your Walking Tree representative about the degree of connectivity on your program.

GLC Curriculum

Standards of Behavior

In order to run a safe and successful program, it is important that we create an environment of trust, security and respect. All individuals participating in our programs are required to take responsibility for their actions and adhere to a high standard of behavioral conduct.

ABSOLUTE DISMISSAL

1.  Possessing, consuming or distributing alcohol or illegal drugs.
2. Associating with participants while they are in possession of, or are consuming, or distributing alcohol or illegal drugs.
3. Behaving in a way that consistently damages the group dynamic or jeopardizes personal or group safety.
4. This includes consistently displaying a negative attitude, intimidating or excluding other participants, sneaking out, disobeying group leaders, and any other behavior that is not conducive to an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect.

GROUNDS FOR DISMISSAL OR IN-COUNTRY CONSEQUENCE

1. Getting a piercing or tattoo.
2. Stealing, or deliberately damaging or defacing any personal property, buildings or materials.
3. Threatening physical or emotional harm, or brandishing a weapon.
4. Possessing, consuming, or distributing tobacco or nicotine, including vape pens.
5. Riding mopeds, motorcycles, or any other type of unauthorized vehicle.
6. Being out of designated area or accommodations after curfew.
7. Breaking group rules.

These standards of behavior are essential for the successful completion of your program. Please take the time to review these as a family and make sure everyone understands and agrees to them.

Health and Safety

We strongly recommend visiting the CDC Belize website to get the most updated information on health and vaccination considerations in your destination country. In addition, we encourage you to consult with your personal family physician so you can be as informed as possible when making important decisions about vaccinations and other necessary health-related preparations before travel.

Beyond these recommendations, our in-country staff prepare meticulously for all programs. Walking Tree will register our programs and travelers with the U.S. Department of State Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) in case of emergency. In country staff also verify the safety records of our partner organizations, vendors, and transportation providers, thoroughly vet homestay families via in depth interviews and home visits, and keep up on important current events in the region.

Program Leaders are seasoned travelers who are CPR and First Aid certified, undergo thorough training in crisis management, and participate in a multi-day leadership training retreat. We do our best to prepare for any eventuality and have detailed emergency protocols for our leaders, in-country staff and U.S.-based staff.

We receive medical disclosures from all participants to ensure we are able to meet every students’ needs during the program. Please inform us immediately of any additional health issues that you did not list during your initial registration process. Program Leaders will also hold an online information session before your departure, as well as an arrival orientation in-country, in order to give participants important instructions on food safety, hygiene and preventing injury and illness. Leaders and in-country staff always respond immediately to any mental, physical or emotional health issues and follow comprehensive emergency protocols.

Insurance

While we work hard to ensure the safest experience possible for our travelers on program, experience teaches that travel is never without risk. For this reason, we recommend that all travelers consider a travel insurance policy with  two additional provisions: Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) and Bed Rest. Detailed explanations of both provisions can be found on the link below.

To provide families with a quality option, Walking Tree has partnered with Travel Insured International, one of the most respected providers in the industry.  Begin by getting a quote here.

IMPORTANT NOTE: in order to secure coverage with CFAR included, you must purchase the plan within 21 days of your deposit/first payment. You must also insure 100% of your trip cost, so program tuition + flight.