Ecorana Environmental ltd., Blog at it's partner field staiton at the T.R.E.E.S

We are Ecorana Environmental, an eco-travel and environmental education company that specializes in creating and planning applied learning holidays for students, researchers, and ecotourists alike. Our team consists of travel and outreach specialists as well as research biologists and teachers who specialize in environmental education and conservation. We are well-versed in providing comfortable, safe, and exciting learning and travel opportunities to a range of clientele interested in environmentally and culturally conscious travel.Ecorana is poised to offer travel and education abroad opportunities in the diverse tropical country of Belize. Ecorana employs biologists who are well-trained in tropical ecology, herpetology, and ornithology, and as such, studies in tropical biology are the primary focus of our educational holidays. However, our team’s diverse interests and expertise allow us to plan all types of holidays ranging from wildlife ecotours to yoga retreats to West African drumming courses to ecological field technique courses. Wherever your interests lie, you can be guaranteed that Ecorana will be right there with you.Ecorana maintains values of environmental and cultural conservation and stewardship, hands-on education, and inclusive learning, and seeks to instill those values in all visitors to Belize. We work with many field stations and educational centers, scientists, educators, tour companies, tour guides, eco-lodges, and parks, both on the mainland and on the islands of Belize, to make sure you go exactly where you want to go and see exactly what you want to see and more!

One of our main partners is the Toucan Ridge Ecology and Education Society (T.R.E.E.S) and their field station in Belize. The objectives of this environmental education center are to host various cultural and environmental based student courses, workshops and event hosting in the heart of the beautiful Maya Mountains of Belize. We plan on providing our services to international students as well as providing opportunities for Belizean students.

For more information see our website at www.ecorana.ca, or send us and email at info@ecorana.ca or to go directly to the T.R.E.E.S website www.treesociety.org

Monday, June 3, 2013

Freshwater Snorkeling

A new activity at T.R.E.E.S - Freshwater Snorkeling! We took some of our friends (Kendra and Devin) that helped us make great little sampling nets to try out the new nets. We all brought our snorkels and went snorkeling in one of the swimming holes! It was amazing, we saw about 10 species that are common aquarium fishes back home. We still need to identify them but we know we had ; mollies, swordfishes, plathys, catfish and more!!! We are thinking we will now offer this as an activity at T.R.E.E.S!
Eva helping Devin try out the nets

starting the freswater snorkeling

Swordtails

Swordtails giving my arm a spa treatment

snorkeling in the swimming hole!

This one is still unidentified!!! Any guesses?

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Finally the Kitchen

It has taken us about 1 year now, but we have finally finished the commercial kitchen that will feed all our well anticipated guests.

I would like first to thank everyone that has made this great kitchen into reality. Brendan for the tiling, Chris and Clark for structure and Will and Erwin for the finishing work. Off course all the work that V and I had to put into it as well, cabinet, island, counters, etc.! Want to thank my uncle Pierre the Chef for helping us design the layout of the kitchen which is working out awesome!

You ready??? Here it is...
the original building we now call the kitchen

Chris and Clark working on new wall supports
new back wall added
New front wall
Now tiled with unfinished stove

Building the counters

new fridge and adding on the final walls

Cabinets almost completed

Final kitchen, complete with fume hood, commercial stove, only need to add the cupboard doors

Kitchen with island in middle

and the fridge, there it is the pride, at least my pride of T.R.E.E.S, I love this kitchen!!!


view towards the restaurant!










The Painter

T.R.E.E.S is officially opening is doors in early June! The site is ready and we have almost got all of the operating permits in order...this is it, we are almost open!!!

Diego starting to the draw the mural, he is being admired by group of volunteer students from Pro-World

We have decided to now switch the focus from construction to making the place a little more Hip! So Diego our amazing painter neighbour is working on a mural for the main outdoor client veranda. We have chosen to use one of the other T.R.E.E.S logos designed by Peter Diamond as the main image in the mural.



The artist hard at work

The completed toucan, Diego will now finish with some nice flower designs in the green
Diego changed it a little to add his own artistic style in the mural and it looks great! I will add another picture soon when the mural is complete!

Good work Diego!

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

flower beds


Now that the construction phase is almost complete we have a little more time to make things look nice. My mother was here last week and we used her green thumb skills to redo all of the plant beds around the house! Looks awesome!It will take a couple of weeks before everythings bushed out good, but I will add other photos once we are there! Thumbs up!


Tuesday, April 30, 2013

6 Weeks left before the Yoga Retreat!

There are only 6 weeks left before we offer the Yoga Retreat! Tell you friends, share our event pages on FB, tell your neighbour...

Ecorana Environmental is offering a 7-day all inclusive yoga retreat at the T.R.E.E.S facilities in Belize. Come deepen your Yoga practice while taking in the flavors of this tiny Central American country on the Caribbean coast. Tingle your senses with the tastes and sounds of the culture and nature that beautiful Belize has to offer!

For more information visit the T.R.E.E.S site: www.treesociety.org

Thanks to all our readers!

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Belize Football! Belize Vs. Trinidad and Tobago

I wanted to post that we don't only work at TREES while it sure feels like it. We went to see a friendly between Belize FF and Trinidad and Tobago. The match ended 0¬0 but Belize played very well and was a very good match!

The stadium was packed and this boded well for the Belize FF which has been doing very well in the last few months. Time will tell if they will be able to qualify for the 2014 world cup! Go Belize!






Thursday, March 21, 2013

The T.R.E.E.S sign

After lot's of work on Vanessa's part we now have our T.R.E.ES on the side of the road. Unfortuneatly V now has to do a whole other one for the other side of the highway. Or else we will only be getting customers from the Belmopan to Dangriga side! Anyhow, it looks great and it is attracting lot's of attention, good and bad! But all in all, people are starting to talk about us, which is good because we are very very close to being open for business!


hard at work
starting to look like a Toucan
Vanessa being extra careful painting the sign, you never know...

The beautiful new sign posted in front of the Center