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As Chaa Creek grew, so did its contributions to the land and people of Belize, and Chaa Creek Cares with a commitment to put 5% of all room revenue directly into environmental and community projects was born.
In addition to providing tangible benefits, we’ve been delighted to see how Chaa Creek Cares enhances our guests’ vacations, and that Chaa Creek continues to attract travelers who share our commitment to sustainable tourism and responsible travel. With one dollar out of every ten they spend on their accommodation helping to support Belize’s beautiful, unique ecosystems and multicultural communities, Chaa Creek’s guests are making a difference while enjoying what we hope are truly satisfying, memorable vacations.
Our Pack-a-Pound initiative gives Chaa Creek’s guests an opportunity to donate school supplies to classrooms in Belize. We encourage our guests to share one pound of their luggage space for materials (pens, pencils, erasers, etc.) to be donated to a local school. Guests can also send supplies to Chaa Creek via mail to P.O. Box 53, San Ignacio, Cayo, Belize C.A. Chaa Creek gathers the school supplies, packs them off by pound and then distributes to the schools and students who need it most.
School supplies that can be sent include but are not limited to:
If you would like to donate to this cause, kindly contact our program coordinator Lydia Guerra at frontdeskmgr[at]chaacreek[dot]com or call us directly to +501-880-0490. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated by Belizean teachers and students who receive these school supplies.
Established in 2020 in memory of Laddie Gillett by his Grandmother, Lucy Fleming. Laddie, a young Belizean, was shot by a police officer and tragically passed away, sparking national calls for justice and accountability. The foundation is dedicated to honoring his legacy by advocating for youth rights, promoting social justice, and supporting programs that empower young people across Belize. Through community outreach, education, and awareness initiatives, the foundation works to create a safer, more compassionate future for Belize’s youth.
The Chaa Creek Scholarship Program annually provides 15 local students with partial educational scholarships at secondary and tertiary levels, paying for tuition, fees, books, and other necessities.
Chaa Creek believes that the education of the children of Belize is the key to the preservation of our natural environment, which in turn supports the sustainability of our tourism industry and thus the economic well-being and social advancement of the people of Belize. We are committed to this vision and continually strive to provide the financial and physical assistance required to achieve this goal.
Chaa Creek assists its employees financially by establishing the Employee Dollar Club, an in-house program that provides up to $1,000 BZD in emergency funds. The employee pays $2 BZD per week, managers pay $6 BZD per week, and the funds are placed into an employee savings account. The total is then matched by Chaa Creek.
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, 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.
Our Butterflies on the Road Initiative brings environmental education directly to schools and to many special events throughout Belize. Our Naturalist Guides take our Blue Morpho, Malachite, and Owl butterflies to schools in nearby communities to educate children on the importance of butterflies in the ecosystem.
Financial assistance, in-kind gift certificate donations, and community support programs benefit the Octavia Waight Old Folks Center, the Cayo Deaf Institute, King’s Children’s Home, Belize Wildlife & Referral Clinic, The Raptor Center, Friends for Conservation and Development, and several sports teams, among many others.
Chaa Creek supports and works with local organizations and groups that conduct community-based conservation and improvement projects, such as anti-litter campaigns and the development and maintenance of public parks.
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.
Chaa Creek has in-house procedures and resources in place to respond in times of need. Whether from individual tragedy or natural disasters, Chaa Creek will always respond to calls for assistance.
Chaa Creek offers a weeklong summer camp scholarship program for 24 Belizean schoolchildren to educate them about biodiversity, natural resource conservation, the ancient Maya, traditional healing, and the three “R’s”: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
The program aims to instill memorable values that will impact how children live their lives, their relationship with our fragile Earth, and the sustainable development of our future.
Some of our guided educational activities include hiking to ancient Maya sites to perform archaeological excavations, horseback riding through Jungle Trails while studying the medicinal flora within our 500-acre private reserve, songwriting and talent show sessions, hands-on sustainable organic farming techniques, and supervised water activities.
“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
