The Belize Audubon Society held a ceremony on Saturday at the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary to honour two of its former outstanding board members, Lascelle Tillett and Mike Heusner. A release from society today calls them: "pioneers in the ecotourism industry and stalwart advocates of conservation."
But Saturday's ceremony was also used to announce the Sarita Tillett Legacy Grant. That grant will be used this time to make upgrades including benches, and an observation deck on the Sanctuary's 123 trail. Here's more from Audobon's executive director Amanda Acosta:
Amanda Acosta, Executive Director, Audubon
"The trip had two main purposes one was to celebrate board members who have retired during the COVID period. We recognized Mr Lascelle Tillett and Mr Mikre Heusner who have been outstanding members for over 20 years. The second event we held or the second purpose for which we went to cockscomb was to celebrate the life and legacy of Ms Sarita TIllett. Ms Sarita, a long-standing member of the Belize Aubodon society, sadly passed away due to Covid in 2021. In her honour, we received a legacy grant that upgraded the trail that used to be known as the one, two, three river trail."
"Significant infrastructure has gone into the trail to upgrade it for the golden citizens of Belize. Some of the infrastructural improvements on the trail included bridge steps, and in essence, we were trying to make the trail as easy for mobility as possible. We know that some of the trails at the site are arduous and have a series of elevation variations. This trail was done and upgraded with those people of the golden citizens in mind. In addition to the infrastructural additions made on the trail that used to be the one, two, and three river trail. We will also be in the process of constructing a birding deck that will allow people to sit down, recreate, set up a scope and wait for the birds to come. It is a long bird trail at the back of the campground."
