Conservation

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Conservation is our passion and purpose

Chaa Creek is fully committed to the implementation and utilization of environmentally sound and sustainable Best Management Practices. Upon arrival guests receive an orientation by our reception staff explaining Chaa Creek environmental policies as well as suggestions to encourage each guest to participate in our conservation efforts. We also encourage our industry partners to further develop their own sustainable practices by setting benchmarks and sharing information in green development and responsible tourism programs.

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Conservation Efforts

  • Renewable Energy – We are proud to announce the completion of the installation of 315 solar panels. These panels will supply our property with solar energy during the day. After the sun has set, we will be powered by Belize’s electricity grid, alternating between the two power sources. This is the start of our journey towards converting to a fully renewable energy source, and we are ecstatic to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and do our part in mitigating climate change, which is critical to protecting humans, wildlife, and ecosystems.
  • We adhere to the Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle practice. All reusable and recyclable materials are separated from our waste stream.
  • We have transitioned to using eco-tank printers with heat-free technology, reducing ink cartridge waste by 90% and electricity consumption by 80%
  • We have a written Chaa Creek Environmental Policy available, which sustainably guides daily operations.
  • Our written Chaa Creek Purchasing Policy requires our suppliers to provide environmentally safe products in reduced or bulk packaging.
  • We produce our own water using state-of-the-art high-filtration systems and provide guests with hygienic water refilling stations and souvenir aluminum water bottles to reduce the use of plastic bottles.
  • We use only energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps combined with automatic timers, motion detectors, and photovoltaic switches, and maximize the use of natural lighting to reduce energy consumption.
  • Guests are politely asked to reuse their towels whenever possible to conserve water and energy.
  • We strictly enforce the protection of all wildlife in our 500-acre private nature reserve, minimize tree removal during construction, and take all possible precautions and actions to preserve the local habitat.
  • Kitchen waste and other organic materials, such as grass trimmings, are composted and then used as fertilizers in our ornamental and vegetable gardens at the Maya Organic Farm.
  • Restaurant leftovers are given to a local farmer to use as pig feed.
  • Metal cans are crushed in a manual crusher that was designed for Chaa Creek. The crushed cans are then used as fill material in concrete building foundations.
  • All glass bottles and jars that are not returnable or reusable are crushed and used as additional aggregate when mixing cement.
  • To reduce our paper consumption, our administrative staff is encouraged to use both sides of paper when printing or copying and to use electronic media as much as possible.
  • We purchase recycled paper, and our commercial printing is done on recycled paper.
  • Cardboard boxes are flattened and used as ground cover at our organic farm to control the growth of unwanted weeds around the vegetable plants. Remaining wastepaper and cardboard are sent to a commercial recycling facility.
  • Water consumption is minimized by low-flush toilets and low-flow shower heads. Rainwater is also collected to supplement water consumption.
  • Wastewater and sewage are treated with an enzyme-producing, digestive bacterium in properly designed septic tanks.

Conservation Projects

Over the years we have partnered with many local and international agencies, organizations and individuals to facilitate environmental conservation and research projects.  Some of the more noteworthy projects are:
  • Howler Monkey Reintroduction – in partnership with the Yerkes Primate Institute and the Foundation for Wildlife Conservation
  • Birds Without Borders – conducts neotropical migratory bird research in partnership with the Zoological Society of Milwaukee County.
  • Vascular Plant Cataloguing – in partnership with the New York Botanical Gardens
  • Agroforestry Research – in partnership with the New York Botanical Gardens
  • Bay Palm Reforestation – an ongoing Chaa Creek Natural History Centre project
  • Archaeology Research – continuing research into the over 70 Maya sites within the Chaa Creek Nature Reserve, assisted by Dr Samuel Connell of the University of California.
  • Sustainable Green Developments and Environmental Tourism Project

Stewardship

CLEAN UP CAMPAIGNS 

Keeping Belize’s rivers and roadsides clean one bag at a time. This initiative is just one of Chaa Creek’s many commitments to maintaining a clean and healthy environment.

Such actions encourage local Belizeans to follow suit and allow our international visitors to appreciate how deeply Belizeans care about their environment. They will foster an understanding of why Belize has earned such a glowing global reputation for environmental awareness and sustainable tourism.

SUSTAINABILITY: ECOTOURISM AND RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL

Each year, the Lodge hosts and educates hundreds of local and overseas students and sponsors internship positions in ecotourism and responsible travel through programs at our Natural History Centre, Blue Morpho Butterfly Breeding Centre, the Maya Medicinal Plant Trail, and other Chaa Creek operations. Educational field trips within the Chaa Creek Nature Reserve are offered to local and international schools, universities, and community groups.

 From our Founders

“Belize has offered us a delightful landscape in which to add our home-grown vision to the awesome canvas that nature has provided us. To live in a country where the people are as diverse and colorful as the unique environments, they inhabit is truly inspirational. The natural world that sustains us, the dramatic flora and fauna that entertain us, and the colleagues who toil to advance and polish our efforts, all supply the dynamic bedrock that Chaa Creek has matured upon.”

Mick & Lucy Fleming

Be part of nature's lasting legacy

Every step you take helps protect the rainforest, its wildlife, and the communities who call it home. At Chaa Creek, your journey becomes a living contribution to conservation, ensuring these wonders thrive for generations to come. Together, we turn travel into a force for good.