Workshop participants and their trainers

The International Center for Journalists conducted a workshop on St. George’s Caye in Belize Nov. 24-26 on how to cover marine conservation issues in that Central American nation. Participants included nine journalists from Belizean newspapers, radio and television stations and two non-profit groups.

The workshop focused on conservation of coral reefs, mangroves and grass beds in the face of mounting pressure from climate change, tourists, fishing and land development. The program was directed by Dr. Bob Thomas, a Ph.D. zoologist who is Interim Director of the School of Communications at Loyola University, Perry Beeman, past president of the Society of Environmental Journalists and a reporter for the Des Moines ( Iowa) Register, and veteran radio reporter and trainer Dale Willman. Among the speakers were Melanie McField, a World Wildlife Fund scientist studying coral reefs, Valdemar Andrade, CEO of the Protected Areas Conservation Trust of Belize, Mike Heusner of Belize River Fishing Lodge, eco-tourism expert Luz Hunter and Joe Villafranco. director of the TIDE program.

Participants in the workshop announced plans to launch a Belize Environmental Reporters Network (BERN), an association to help them exchange information and skills for environmental coverage. They immediately began swapping data and ideas through a listserv set up by ICFJ.

The workshop was sponsored by the Oak Foundation and the Protected Area Conservation Trust of Belize, which will cover transportation, food and lodging for participants. Click here to see the program agenda.

Journalists interested in participating are invited to fill out an application and send it by e-mail to: Belize@icfj.org or by fax to ICFJ in Washington, DC at +1-202-737-0530. Click here to download the application.

Program Details

What: A three-day workshop on marine resources, fishing pressure, coral damage and pollution impacts. Participants gained skills in basic story-telling as well as advanced investigative reporting techniques. They also gained access to useful experts, materials, NGOs, Internet resources and listservs of environmental journalists from the Caribbean, Latin America, the U.S. and the world..

When: November 24-26

Where: St. George's Caye

For more information click here.
To download a program agenda, click here.

For information, please contact:
Rob Taylor, Director
Science & Environmental Programs
International Center for Journalists
1616 H St., NW, Third Floor
Washington, DC 20006 USA
Phone (202) 349-7601
Fax (202) 737-0530
E-mail: rtaylor@icfj.org
Web: www.icfj.org
Web: www.ijnet.org

Robert A. Thomas, Ph.D., Director
Center for Environmental Communications
Loyola University Box 199
6363 St. Charles Avenue
New Orleans, Louisiana 70118 USA
Phone (504) 865.2107
Fax (504) 865-3799
E-mail: rathomas@loyno.edu
Web: www.loyno.edu/lucec