Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary

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2 Vision The Belize Audubon Society (BAS) will be a strategic leader in building a nation in which people in Belize live in harmony with and benefit from the environment. Mission The Belize Audubon Society is a non-governmental membership organization dedicated to the sustainable management of our natural resources through leadership and strategic partnerships with stakeholders in order to create a balance between people and the environment. The Belize Audubon Society hopes to inspire a sense of respect and responsibility for the natural environment among all Belizeans. We also care for national lands encompassing 192 thousand acres. It is a challenging responsibility but, very important for the benefit of all Belizeans. These national lands include: Half Moon Caye Natural Monument (Est. 1982) Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary (Est. 1984) Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary (Est. 1986) Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve (Est. 1986) Guanacaste National Park (Est.1990) St. Herman s Blue Hole National Park (Est.1994) Victoria Peak Natural Monument (Est. 1998) Blue Hole Natural Monument (Est. 1999) Actun Tunichil Mucknal Natural Monument (Est. 2004)

3 Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary The wetland of Crooked Tree is located in the Belize District and in parts of the Orange Walk District. It sits at the bottom of the Belize River watershed and it is the largest inland wetland in Belize. A watershed is a drainage basin where water from rain drains down hill into a body of water, such as the Belize River. The Drainage Basin includes streams creeks, ponds and rivers that channel into the sea. The Belize River Watershed is the largest out of 16 principal watersheds in Belize. In order to protect this very important wetland system, the Government of Belize established Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary in 1984, making it Belize first wildlife sanctuary. It covers about 36,479 acres of wetland and savannah. In 1998 it gained international recognition and was designated Belize s first Ramsar Site. Benefits of the Crooked Tree Wetlands: *Supplies a wide variety of fish for food. *Supplies fresh water for daily activities. *Home for over 300 species of birds. *It is a tourist attraction. *It is a playground for our local children. *Wetland trees filter pollution by absorbing it through their roots and leaves. *It controls flooding by soaking up water. * Provides opportunities for job creation.

4 Hello kids! I am Jimbo Roo, the Jabiru Stork. Come and explore our wonderful wetland along with Teacher Joe, Glen and Tromisha. Join them to help protect our home!

5 Look at this beautiful place, it is called a wetland!

6 Wow! What is that big animal? That is our elegant Jabiru Stork! It is the largest bird in Belize. It has a wingspan of 6-8ft and it loves to eat swamp eel and fish.

7 Oh look there are three baby Jabirus in their nest; it looks like they are sleeping! Great spotting, Glen. A mommy Jabiru lays about 3-4 eggs. Jabirus make their nest on tall Pine or Ceiba Trees. That is why it is important to keep these tall trees on our land.

8 Is the Jabiru the only kind of bird found here in our wetland? Blue-Winged Teal Roseate Spoonbill Snowy Egret Ringed Kingfisher Wood Thrush Certainly not! Our wetland is so wonderful, that 300 types of birds make it their home. Some birds come from far, like the Wood Thrush which, comes from Eastern United States during winter.

9 Oooohh! Is that a crocodile in the water? Jaguar Morele st Crocodile Turtle Gibnut Boa Constrictor Yes... A crocodile! There are many types of animals in the wetlands like: reptiles, mammals and insects. All these make up our biodiversity.

10 Snail Kite Apple Snail Plant When there is sunlight, plants grow and animals feed on them. Can you see the food chain in the wetland ecosystem?

11 Ecosystem...what is that? Mangrove Ecosystem Wetland Ecosystem Coral Reef Ecosystem Forest Ecosystem An ecosystem is an area that has plants, animals, air, soil and water, all working together when provided with the sun s energy.

12 Teacher, the land has huge cracks, it looks ugly without the water. What happened to the water? Oh no, it is not ugly! Dry season is setting in, that is why the water has dried up. But don't worry, when the rains come, the wetland will collect water like a sponge. It will do exactly what nature designed it to do!

13 Why is the farmland so far away from the water? Farmers around this area are smart and care for their wetlands. They leave a strip of ft of trees around the water s edge.

14 Why do they leave the trees in front of the water s edge? When they leave the trees it takes up any pollutant, such as cattle dung, pesticides and fertilizers. It also soaks up water while protecting the land from washing away (prevents soil erosion).

15 Look, there is Mr. Tillet pumping water from the well and some fish in the water. I love to eat fish! You see for yourself... Wetland at work! It provides fish to eat and clean water to drink, wash and take a shower. Everyone benefits from it, so let us take good care of it.

16 I love my wetland! How can we help to care for it? We can be careful how and where we are cutting down trees: Leave trees around the water s edge. Leave some trees in your land, it can be nesting places for birds and other animals. Go bird watching for fun! Pledge not to kill birds and other animals for fun. Don t play with fire especially near dry trees and shrubs. With just one spark you can destroy miles of lovely wetland plants and animals.

17 Be careful about what you do with waste materials. Do not throw your garbage into the wetland. Animal dung and sewage can harm the wetland. Ask farmers to keep their cows in their farms and use cattle dung in vegetable gardens or in bio-digesters.

18 Jimbo Roo Jabiru Concept and Design: Olivia Carballo-Aviez Reviewers: Anna D. Hoare, Dominique Lizama, Amanda Burgos Illustrations: Glen Bradley Layout Assistant: Jose Gonzalez Front cover Jabiru painting: John King Photo Back Cover: Dirk Fransico Copyright 2009 Belize Audubon Society For more information on the wetlands of Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary contact: Belize Audubon Society 12 Fort Street PO. Box 1001 Belize City Belize Central America Phone: , Fax: Website: