Chico activists use tourism to sustain their eco-friendly tropical community
By Shannon Rooney - Published on 04.01.10 - Chico News & Review
Bob Trausch (left) poses with a family who live in a village close to Hummingbird Haven. Two of the children received academic scholarships through Doroteia Pathways, the nonprofit he helped establish. PHOTO COURTESY OF BOB TRAUSCH
About seven years ago, a group of Earth-loving people sat around in Chico living rooms discussing a dream of creating a sustainable alternative community in the Central American nation of Belize, known for its ethnic diversity and breathtaking landscapes.
Spearheaded by long-time Chico peace and justice activists, including Bob Trausch, 67, that idea quickly grew into reality in February 2004 with the purchase of about 100 acres of prime land on the Hummingbird Highway in Belize. Trausch had fallen in love with the small country during a 1997 trip doing reforestation work there. The Chico-based community members formed Hummingbird Haven, a limited-liability company.
After the purchase of the land, the real work began—it had to be cleared.
“It was all very thick bush that we had to cut with machetes,” Trausch said. Buildings had to be built, as well as trails into the bush. Keeping the ever-encroaching jungle from reclaiming the land was harder work than anyone had imagined.
Slowly, progress was made: After hacking out some clearings, the Hummingbird Haven members—who took turns visiting the land—planted bananas, pineapples and other plants, and over time, they manifested a community center building, a caretaker building, and solar showers. For a few years, a couple of the members served as full-time caretakers of the land. Now, member and former Chico resident Michael Martin—who has lived in Belize about six years and worked on a number of environmental projects there—oversees the land as the Hummingbird Haven members’ agent. Belizean Jaime Perez cares for the land and will participate in facilitating some of the ecotourism programs.
Over the years, community members have found many challenges with the financial realities of creating a community in Belize.
Trausch is retired and is able to spend significant chunks of time in Belize, which is on the northeastern tip of Central America, but many of the Hummingbird Haven members still maintain full-time jobs in Butte County and can’t visit there as often.
“It’s hard to complete a vision on land thousands of miles away,” Trausch acknowledged.
http://www.newsreview.com/chico/content?oid=1397477
