Our first week in Belize is complete!

On our first work day in the village, each team took turns flying our drones and learning the basics of taking aerial imagery. With all teams helping out the leadership, we were able to collect the imagery we needed for all the teams to create their maps for the village. In our downtime, we each worked on story maps that showcased our interests and the personal journeys that brought us to this trip.

The flood team working with leadership to learn drone basics.

The marine debris team finalized their research plan, leaving room for some inevitable changes along the way. First on their to-do list was to gather materials for their quadrats and start building them to ensure they were ready for data collection the following week.

Their digital work consisted of building two apps on Survey 123, one for the quadrat data collection of coastal marine debris and one for community interviews on marine debris hotspot perceptions

The next steps include working with Hopkins Sargassum Task Force to rake sargassum deposits into eroded areas to create dunes and build back the beach. 

Utilizing their time during the week, the flood team has established great relations with people around Hopkins village. They are excited to continue moving forward with those relationships to learn from community members. This has enabled them to narrow down their purpose to hone in on their research questions.

Additionally, the flood team has spent a significant amount of time learning to fly the drones and interpret the imagery it produces. In the coming weeks, the flood team will use the data collected to address their research questions for the community. 

The education team focused on creating interactive activities for the children in Hopkins. Drone flying practice, solar cars, and Sphero robots were the highlights of the past week.

Some children started creating bonds with the team. In the coming weeks, the group will continue facilitating fun activities at the library related to mapping, drones, and culture. The group is looking forward to collaborating with the marine debris and flood teams to create educational activities based on their work in Hopkins.

To end the week, the REU’s and RET’s visited Jaguar Paw at Caves Branch Outpost to go cave tubing. During the tour, the group learned about the history of the caves and some of the Mayan people who used to inhabit the area. For some, Sunday was a day to relax and spend time in Hopkins village. Others visited Placencia and explored the town. We continue to feel welcomed by the residents of Hopkins and are incredibly grateful for the experiences thus far. 

Opening of one of the caves at Jaguar Paw.

Written By: Simone Schneider, Alexis Davis, Emily Huston