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You came to the right place for Belize Resources and Information.

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Connecting The Dots

by tacogirl 17/09/2019
written by tacogirl 17/09/2019
Caribbean Culture and Lifestyle Belize Magazine Conservation Issue Launch with Mcnab Visual Strategies

I recently attended the Caribbean Culture + Lifestyle Belize conservation issue launch and then the eco-marketplace expo afterward.

As I listened to the speakers, they were all connecting dots about the special edition’s important theme of conservation.

Everyone had something interesting and different on the main focus. Throughout the launch we heard from, master of ceremonies Kyle Montero, outreach program assistant, Oceana Belize; welcome address was given by Tanya Mcnab, Creative Director, McNab Visual; Strategies Conservation in Belize, Janelle Chanona Vice president, Oceana Belize; remarks Jesse Robinson, executive director of Getch Foundation; and closing remarks Louise Row Lead brand manager, Caribbean Culture and Lifestyle. In true meeting fashion, the Belize National Anthem was sung, this time by Jackie Castillo.

It was unanimous that we have to work together to highlight, value and take ownership of our most treasured and in many places overstressed environment. We need to be more passionate, inspire each other and do better about caring for it.

The eco expo afterward was great and there were some good products available. Everything from solar to fashion. Many places were giving out reusable shopping bags. A few companies were giving out some cool paper straws, another, bamboo ones. Both great initiatives to help us have plastic-free reefs. I ended up buying some recycled paper notebooks for Tinker (my friends Cindy and Andy’s daughter) for her first day of school.

Caribbean Culture and Lifestyle Belize Magazine Conservation Issue Launch
Eco-expo
Caribbean Culture and Lifestyle Belize Magazine Conservation Issue Launch
Information and education
Caribbean Culture and Lifestyle Belize Magazine Conservation Issue Launch
Paper straws for a plastic-free reef
Barrier Reef Ambergris Caye
More protection of our most valuable natural assets is needed

A Dot That Needs Connecting

The expo mentioned above is a great start to helping get eco-friendly options out there along with some education on why businesses and individuals need to adopt better practices across the board when it comes to Belize’s environment.

While the country of Belize has started out phasing non-environmentally friendly single-use products back in April 2019, more needs to be done in order to help people comply.

Last week or so, I started ordering food from Wake N Bake lunch delivery. When I enquired on the packaging I got an informative, realistic answer.

Me – Any way to cut back on nonrecyclables? I like your lunches but the packaging makes me cringe.

Wake N Bake – Miss Laurie I agree with you but so far I’ve found two kinds of recyclable containers. One in price comparison to styrofoam was very flimsy and the second was very sturdy but they are like 4 times the cost styrofoam! I’m already trying to provide an affordable product to my customers but by all means, if you know somewhere I can check for recyclable plates, do tell! I’m willing to look into it. All my customer’s opinion counts!!

Me -Ouch, I agree. What about dropping the fork and sauce containers from mine and if possible bag? I usually bring my own containers for take-out. I did not mean to make you feel bad in any way for saying that. My friend Dennis made me start using my own container on his last visit to Belize because he saw I do not cook much and wanted to help me be more responsible lol.

Wake N Bake -Miss Laurie you didn’t make me feel bad my dear! I honestly did seek options to not use styrofoam! If you would like you can get two of whichever containers and every time I deliver food for you just hand me the empty one and when you order again we just rotate those two containers! I’m here to work with all my customers so they get the best possible service I can provide! I appreciate your comments and will try to seek better alternatives for plating the food!

It is not the first time I have heard from business owners that the supply of reasonably priced environmental to-go container options does not meet the demand of phasing out unhealthy single-use products. We live in a highly take-out society and there are way too few well priced sturdy take-out containers available. Many businesses want to keep their to-go pricing low so that their customers can afford it.

Jackie Musante Feldman co-owner of the Truckstop restaurants Arepa and Rasa once told me “it is almost $1.00 BZ for a single biodegradable to-go container at a local shop….and that is ludicrous…I know it because we have been using them for 3 years….again, we started this from the beginning and of course, it takes a bite out of our food costs and it affects our pricing of food to the consumer. At least it is a start…..but without proper management, it could backfire.”

I have to agree that it could easily backfire or get lost in the day to day shuffle. Some sort of leveling up in the strategic plan and management of phasing out single-use is needed to bridge the gap, and a monitoring system to help businesses become accountable.

What does it say when the current choices are seeming to make many businesses potentially lose customers or take a hit in profit due to container-related price increase or serve food in non-environmentally friendly containers?

Potential Solution

Duty on environmentally friendly containers needs to come way down or lifted altogether. It has to become as cost-effective and easy for everyone to do the right thing without hurting the socioeconomics of businesses and customers in the process. It also needs to be harder and not cost-effective for businesses to do the wrong thing. Duty could be raised on all materials that should be phased out. Once reasonable alternatives that work for everyone are established and running well, banning specific things like styrofoam outright containers and cups would also be helpful.

As you saw above, Wake N Bake was immediately willing to work with me on a suitable option for both of us. After I told him I try to bring my own container for takeout. Together we instantly made my $12 chicken alfredo and garlic bread lunch zero waste. And today my $10 chicken burrito with pico de gallo and sour cream will turn up in my blue container.

Belize phases out single use plastics and styrofoam

Another Big Conservation Dot

We are known for our beautiful waters, yet more areas of Ambergris Caye waters are testing extremely high for coliform bacteria. This is from a bad combination of using garbage for landfill combined with improper infrastructure. As a result, the damage being done to our most precious asset is alarming. If we do not identify all areas and take proper measures to clean the water, we will suffer greatly. People in some areas and animals are already showing signs of living in a highly toxic environment.

Before building more tourism, and having a potential repeat in other parts of the island without proper infrastructure and building local housing in wetland areas, is not good. It would be beneficial to correct the already overstressed environment first.

I had an opportunity to talk to William Usher of Green Care products in-person at the show. I had previously only spoken to them by Facebook messenger. They have a great natural product that can clean our highly toxic waters. It is am EM technology (Effective Microorganism) that helps restore microbial balance. It’s a biological brown solution made from the mixing of aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms. The product that is formulated naturally with sugarcane molasses.

Before that happens though we need to identify and stop all sources of contamination. I’m still hoping more cavalry magically appears whos goal is to help save our unhealthy waters. I have a great stockpile of information and two significant studies, both which pinpoint that improper infrastructure in combination with using garbage for landfill is causing toxic land.

The pictures below show we have too much to lose by ignoring our toxic water situation on Ambergris Caye. I hope we can find the right help to get things in reverse and get a healthy water report card islandwide.

Flying in Belize with a Caribbean Sea view
Keep our waters clean
Jellyfish in San Pedro Lagoon
Snowflake Jellyfish in resting position
Top side of a Jellyfish in San Pedro Lagoon
Flatter side of Jellyfish in San Pedro Lagoon

Photo credits above go to Will Narod “The Paradise Guy” for feature image and Caribbean Lifestyle.com for the Belize Magazine cover. Unfortunately the unthinkable happened and two separate files of folders I took that day vanished into thin air. Thankfully I had those two resources mentioned above and just enough event pics left on my camera to go with this write-up.

Related

tacogirl

Laurie Norton grew up dyslexic and was very challenged by the school. She never dreamed she would move to Belize and become a writer. A year after her move to Ambergris Caye, Laurie became an entrepreneur and professional writer starting tacogirl blog in 2007. Since then she has helped many people plan their vacations or move. She also has been published in Great Destinations Belize Guidebook, Moon Guide to Living in Belize, Insight Guides, Island Magazine several times and USA Today. Currently Laurie resides in downtown San Pedro and enjoys being a "city girl" on a tropical island.

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Laurie was super helpful in providing places to eat, things to do and best yet had ongoing blogs that allowed us to... look back on other places that she pointed out. A fantastic resource for both first time and return visitors of Ambergris Caye!read more
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B W
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Fantastic service .I needed to find a place where I could buy a local sim card as my UK sim doesnt work in belize and... Tacogirl put me on the right path .Decided to walk across town and discovered so much more in beautiful San Pedro.Many thanks.BWread more
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Kristi Palm
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We have been using TacoGirl for what feels like decades when planning our trips to Belize! It has only been a few... years but she is the first place we stop to see what is happening in our favorite vacation spot. She knows all the best spots to get away and do so many fun things - whether it is relaxing or exploring! We are planning our next trip with our twins and she was the first person I reached out to. Knowing we have a resource like her, makes trip planning a breeze!read more
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D Zep
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Found tacogirl while doing some research on an upcoming trip to Belize. This is the place for all the information you... need to plan your vacation. Incredibly helpful and responsive. I sent an email with lots of questions and received a very quick and detailed response that helped us finalize our plans.read more
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We have been following TacoGirl for years now and before booking any trip to San Pedro we check to see what is... currently happening. We love the emails to let us know when a new blog has been posted. Keep up the great work Laurie, we feel like we know you.read more
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I first got my Passport in 2012 and Taco Girl was my first connection back then Great then and Marvelous Now! She's... blossomed and developed into a wonderful contact for any and all information Belize. She goes above & beyond to respond with information that you need whether visiting Belize or relocating! I wasn't able to fund the move then but now that I have much more equity I am doing it.This time she was the 1st person I reached out to! Now I am selling and moving to Belize. She responds immediately! Like I do in my Pet Sitting Business! I was so impressed I followed her all this time. And was not disappointed!Pamela Nixonread more
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Chris S
17:12 17 Sep 21
Wanted to give a shout-out to tacogirl belize for helping us! She is a plethora of knowledge and was super helpful and... responsive in helping us find longer term stay on the island. Thank you so much for your help!read more
Ty Willingham
Ty Willingham
01:47 20 Aug 21
I've spent the last month exploring Belize. I'm retired & seriously considering moving down to Belize permanently from... the US. I contacted the local San Pedro expert "Taco Girl" to help me get started in finding an apartment to rent. With her help, I've located several places that meet my needs & budget requirements. Thank you Laurie!read more
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Greg Cox
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I am very glad I found you and asked you a question about a spice in Belize. You helped me figure out the name of it... and where i could buy it. You went above and beyond to help. Thanks again.read more
Katherine Jones
Katherine Jones
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I am so grateful for the time and energy Laurie has taken to share about her experiences traveling to and living in... Belize as well as provide thorough recommendations for planning a trip there. I was so thankful (and honestly surprised) that Laurie took the time to respond to several of my questions via email. I highly recommend reading Laurie's blogs and helping to support her business. Thank you Laurie!!read more
Greg R
Greg R
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tacogirl was very nice to share her knowledge with us and assisted with planning our trip to Belize; thank you for the... help and info, it was helpful and allowed us to plan utilize our time accordingly while both on the mainland and islands of this great country.read more
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As a Canadian—tired of long winters—I cannot wait to spend some time in Belize. I haven't set foot yet, but I am... yearning for lots of Caribbean adventure. Thanks so much to tacogirl for her endless enthusiasm and generosity of spirit. She is a constant stream of up-to-date information. Her knowledge and love of the area is priceless, and I will need her expertise for future endeavours!read more
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We started coming to Ambergis Caye in 2014 and stumble on to Tacogirls blog, so glad we did! We used her 15% discount... at The Premier Duty-Free shop in the airport! It worked great all we did was let them know we read it on her blog . She has great information awesome pictures, we have tried several places she has recommended, all were amazing. Highly recommend reading her blog. Kathleenread more
ksniegoc1
ksniegoc1
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It was my first time visiting Belize and San Pedro so naturally I had a ton of questions when it came time to planning... the travel. Taco Gril's blog was an invaluable source of information for all the travel questions in Ambergris Caye. I was able to learn a lot of basic information, as well as many tips and tricks. In addition when I reached out to Taco Girl for advice on finding a local photographer and a restaurant recommendation, she was very quick to respond and gave me many helpful suggestions. She also provided a lot more information from a local's point of view, which was much for valuable than than a typical guidebook. Thanks to her helpful suggestions we were able to celebrate my daughter's birthday at a nice restaurant, and had a great photo family session with a local photographer. I'm very thankful for all her resources and knowledge.read more
Myra F
Myra F
01:30 25 Mar 21
I started coming to San Pedro Belize in 2007 and that is when I met the online presence of Taco Girl. Her blogs on the... island and area are very personable and informative. She gives out promo codes from time to time so watch out for those. You cannot go wrong with someone who was a tourist and now lives here for quality info. Thanks Taco Girl for helping make my trips memorable!read more
Corey Holm
Corey Holm
04:38 25 Feb 20
I take the seniors from our academy to Belize every year for their senior trip. One of the first people I contact when... I start planning the trip is Laurie with TacoGirl Belize. She knows the island of San Pedro better than anyone else out there. Trust me, I have looked. If you are looking for the best restaurants, hang outs and shops then Laurie help plan your vacation.read more
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Carol Taylor
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Love Taco Girl Blog @LaurieNorton!I've been reading this blog since I started visiting Ambergris Caye in Belize almost... 10 years ago. It is filled with helpful up-to-date information and recommendations that I wouldn't necessarily find on my own. Laurie Norton's knowledge and extensive network on the island provides her with the ability to share perks/discounts/coupons with her readers, which come in handy year after year. Things on the island change daily - new businesses pop up constantly and LaurieNortonstays on top of these developments. Whenever I plan my return trip to the island, I always check her blog first - and I recommend you do the same. Trip Advisor ain't got nuttin' on Taco Girl!read more
Heidi
Heidi
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Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and local information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s always nice... to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. There is so much information it's amazing! Thank you Laurie!!!read more
Nick Goodman
Nick Goodman
21:23 30 Nov 19
I am considering a move to Belize and I have serendipitously found tacogirl.....what a treasure! She is full of great... advice, helpful hints.....knows everybody on Ambergris Caye and has a thousand useful recommendations and suggestions. Whether you are planning a vacation or relocating, you should make use of the many services she has to offer…..read more
KellyDivePhotography
KellyDivePhotography
20:58 30 Nov 19
I’m so pleased to see tacogirl's blog on Google. Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and local... information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s always nice to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. I especially enjoy her guest articles, providing a different perspective of all things San Pedro. Her tipping quide is a classic, and don’t forget her Tropic Air flight code and on-island discounts. You’re not up-to-date with what’s going on in San Pedro if you’re not regularly reading tacogirl's blog.read more
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I have known Laurie (Taco Girl) for several years. She has been a wealth of good information for me in all of my... pursuits in Belize. I highly recommend her for any services you may require.read more
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William Jones
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Do yourself a favor. Read this BEFORE any trip to San Pedro - Ambergris Caye or Belize in general. Not saying “do what... everyone else says”, but Laurie has frank and honest info which will make your stay in country a little more fun, a little more informative, and often at a great cost savings. Best thing: it’s unbiased, honest, and factual. Personal note: thank you for your personal tailored help in answering mine (and my wife’s) questions.read more
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Taco Girl (Laurie) is amazing. She has so much knowledge about Belize and has great connections with many of the... businesses in Belize. Because of her connections she is able to offer many perks and discounts that you wouldn't have been able to find otherwise. She is super responsive and I always go to her for all my travel needs. From golf cart rentals, to spas, to places to eat. She's got the inside scoop on all!read more
Michael Rieck
Michael Rieck
20:22 21 Apr 19
Since 2003, my wife and I have been to Ambergris at least once a year to experience the fantastic diving. About twelve... years ago we me Tacogirl on a blog giving us discounts on golf carts, local airfares, and restaurants. Over the years we have grown a friendship and I look forward to her weekly blogs about he changes on my favorite home away from home. The island changes every year, and she always shows you what to see, do, and eat.read more
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Belize Blog Est. 2007

belize travel specialist

ABOUT ME

I took the plunge and moved to San Pedro Town on the Island of Ambergris Caye, off the coast of Belize, Central America. Originally from Canada, I made the life-changing move to escape winter for good (in 2006) after one three week vacation. If you have any questions or want Belize help planning and booking, please feel free to contact me.

SPARKING MY DESIRE

A few childhood memories that shaped my desire to move to Belize from a young age. Sailing in the Virgin Islands, seeing a rainbow out the window of an island hopper as we flew from Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico, Christmas in Hawaii and many trips to Florida.

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