Tropical ecology in Belize an MVNU tradition

Zach Ballenger and Dr. Jon Bossley

The nation of Belize hosted a group of ten MVNU students studying Tropical Ecology for two weeks during the university’s 2022 spring break. The trip began with a 3 a.m. bus ride to the airport on February 19, where the group waved goodbye to Ohio’s winter on a flight to sunny Central America.

A spectacular adventure in a tropical wonderland followed. The students were participating in a long-running tradition that was established over 20 years ago when Dr. Dan Mosher initiated the first Tropical Ecology excursions in the late 1990’s. The course grew out of MVNU’s expanding Environmental Biology program to introduce students to wildlife and cultures very different from those found in Ohio.

Belize was selected as the host nation for the course because of its impressive tropical wildlife as well as its multi-cultural society. A mix of Spanish, English, Creole, and Mayan, Belize remains a cosmopolitan society with a long and varied history that far predates its nationhood in 1981. The region’s impressive biodiversity has remained the steady constant across the generations and cultures that have called the area home.

Blessed with such diversity, Belize provided the 2022 Tropical Ecolog y students with an enriching cross-cultural experience, as well as a unique biology field experience. Jungle hikes, canoe trips, cave explorations, snorkeling adventures, birding boat tours, visits to a local farmers’ market, and excursions in ancient Mayan ruins all contributed valuably to the class goals.

A primary objective of the course was to observe and catalog as many plant and animal species as possible in the 14 days of time abroad. Belize is home to many unique ecosystems, such as tropical rainforests, pine ridge forests, and marine environments. With these exciting ecosystems came a plethora of stunning flora and fauna. Beautiful bromeliads and orchids decorated the tree canopies like ornaments. Rare birds, like the agami heron, were found wading in a river, and exotic arthropods like scorpions and leaf-cutter ants lurked around the forest.

As student Megan Jennings put it, “Tropical Ecology gave me the opportunity to immerse myself not only in the environment of a beautiful country and culture, but a diverse and wonderful wildlife.”

The trip connected the students with the present-day Belizean culture, as well as to the past.

“I was impressed by how much time the people had invested into caring for the natural world,” said student Chase Hall, “but also how much they valued the shared history and stories trapped within the ground itself in the form of caves, Mayan ruins, glyphs, and artifacts. It was breathtaking and refreshing.”

Towering temples and pottery fragments acted as powerful mementos which connected the people of modern-day Belize to the long-forgotten world of the ancient Mayan civilization.

Interaction between the Belizean people and MVNU’s students and faculty is a distinct benefit of the course. Ecotourism is a major industry in Belize, so the people are always happy to share knowledge of their natural resources, history, and culture with visitors. For many MVNU students, the trip to Belize is their first experience abroad, so the welcoming culture in Belize establishes a great introduction to international travel. For over two decades now, MVNU has built and fostered many friendships with pastors, tour guides, and wildlife experts throughout Belize. This year’s group of students added another chapter to that continuing story.

When it came time to head home, everyone on the trip reluctantly packed their things. The group had grown close, and the previously unfamiliar nation of Belize had begun to feel like home to yet another MVNU class. Parting is such sweet sorrow, as the saying goes, but Belize provided many great memories for the journey home.

In reflecting on the trip, another student, Kiera Jones, felt that Belize was beyond anything she could have imagined.

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On the last morning of the trip, the group met just before heading to the airport to talk about their favorite experiences of the trip. It quickly became apparent that the beauty of Creation was found in every corner of the two short weeks, from homecooked meals to early morning bird calls to the tiniest shell washed upon the ocean shore. Belize had impressed yet another MVNU group, and so the tradition continues!