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27 May — 1 June 2000
Tela, Honduras
“Honduras is a prime example
of a Mesoamerican country known more (by the uninitiated) for its natural
disasters than its natural beauty. On May 27 I traveled to Honduras to
continue our work with the Alianza Mesoamericana. After a short flight
from Houston to San Pedro Sula, Alessandro D'Agostino of Garifuna
Tours met me at the airport and shuttled me to our first destination
for the trip — Tela.”
 Costa
Rica dominates nature tourism in Mesoamerica. Although there are adjacent
countries blessed with far more extensive expanses of unaltered natural
habitat, Costa Rica has perfected (relative to its bordering competitors)
the business of nature. Perception is reality, and the international traveler
perceives Costa Rica to epitomize the rain forest experience.
Fermata has had the opportunity to visit Mesoamerican
countries less well known for their ecotourism assets. Belize, Guatemala,
Honduras, Mexico, and Panama are examples of countries where we have worked–and
played. Based in Texas, these countries are easily accessible. In fact,
within a short day’s drive from Austin we can enjoy the spectacular
Sierra Madre Oriental south of Monterrey and Saltillo. Our love of Latin
America is native, not assumed.
Tela is the former home of the Tela Railroad Company,
once owners and producers of the famed Chiquita bananas. The Tela Railroad
Company, and the United Fruit Company, are among the institutions that
inspired the term "Banana Republic." In the early 1900’s
bananas were extensively planted for export. United Fruit and Standard
Fruit came to dominate the local markets and wielded tremendous power
throughout the country. Bananas were the biggest industry in Honduras
for years and for a time Honduras was the leading producer in the world.
The phrase "Banana Republic" was originally used in reference to Honduras.
Bananas accounted for two thirds of all Honduran exports in 1913, making
the companies extremely powerful players in Honduran politics. Each company
allied themselves  with
domestic political factions, and the rivalries between the fruit companies
shaped Honduran politics in the first half of the 20th century.
Tela, now entering the 21st Century,
is an old company town on the mend with a well-worn ambience that contrasts
favorably with the gaudy, carnival atmosphere of a Cancun-styled resort.
The old company headquarters, in a state of disrepair,
is being considered for restoration as a museum. Former residences are
being converted to lodges for leisure travelers. In fact, the Hotel Villas
Telamar complex was actually the living quarters for many of the executives
of the banana company.
The first evening we stayed in the Hotel Caesar
Mariscos. This pleasant hotel fronts the beach (Belize is only a few hours
away by boat), and the fried platanos served in the restaurant were enticing.
However, immediately after our arrival, a  tour
leader from Garifuna Tours, Josue Borjas, arrived to extract us from this
idyllic setting. Josue had agreed to guide us on a kayaking/birding trip
on the nearby Rio Platano, a jungle river contained within the Punto Izupo
National Park.
As we drove to Punto Izupo, we passed through
the Garifuna village of Triunfo
de la Cruz. In 1635 two Spanish ships carrying slaves to the West Indies
were shipwrecked near St. Vincent. The slaves on board escaped and took
refuge among the Carib Indians. The Caribs and African refugees eventually
intermingled, with the Africans adopting the languages, culture and traditions
of the Yellow Island Caribs. In 1795 the Garifuna people rebelled against
the British; the Crown punished them by deporting them to the island of
Roatán, off Honduras. In the years that followed, the Garifuna
slowly established  villages
on islands and along the coasts of southern Belize, Guatemala, and northern
Honduras.
The Garifuna have continued with many of their
African customs, including a unique language, religion, music, and dance
(such as the "punta" and the "yancunu"). A staple
in their diet is cassava, and a favored beverage is "gifiti,"
or the "medicine of love." Gifiti (also known in both Honduras
and Belize as the mahogany drink), is a concoction of alcohol, various
roots and herbs such as "pie de hombre," cloves, and anise.
A similar version in Belize is known by the British term "bitters."
Our kayak ride along the Rio Platano transported
us back in time and space. Only a few huts broke the green wall that lined
the river, as though man had only recently arrived in this region. This
border of mangrove thickets and rain forest, combined with the silence
of our travel by kayak, allowed us to venture incredibly close to the
wildlife that abounds in these forests. What a fantastic way to bird!
Our calling (a  cacophony
of pishes, squeaks, and whistles) to attract small landbirds out from
the dense vegetation lured a Common Black-Hawk within 10 meters over our
heads. Howler Monkeys bellowed (growled, actually) from the canopy, and
parrots (Red-lored Parrots, for the most part) at times blackened the
sky. Green and Ringed Kingfishers were perched on virtually every log
or overhang.
Josue led us into a small tributary of the Rio
Platano, wending our way through a maze of mangrove roots, branches, and
logs. Suddenly we were enmeshed in a Boat-billed Heron  roost.
Superficially resembling a night-heron, this odd waterbird is blessed
with a bill that more resembles a boot or shoe than a bird’s beak.
The "bok-bok" call of this heron shattered the silence, and
startled a Mangrove Cuckoo into a choked chortle.
As we paddled back to the landing, I talked with
Josue about the birds that inhabit these blackwater rivers in the tropics.
No sooner had the word "sungrebe" left my lips than one abruptly
breached no more than 30 meters to the starboard. In the New World there
is only one species from this family, and although relatively common in
the proper habitat these secretive waterbirds are rarely seen.  We
enjoyed leisurely views, as the bird appeared not to be disturbed by our
kayaks in the least. My new passion? Birding by kayak!
The following day we relocated to El Jardin Botanico
de Lancetilla, a short distance inland from Tela. Lancetilla is an extensive
botanical garden originally developed in 1925 by the United Fruit Company.
The expansive arboretum and adjoining native forests are now maintained
for the enjoyment and education of all by La Escuela Nacional de Ciencias
Forestales (ESNACIFOR). Although cabanas are being developed for nature
travelers, a major painting project relegated us to a former United Fruit
Company building converted into a dormitory.
 As
Alessandro delivered us to our accomodations, we passed a small pond at
the base of the hill upon which the dormitory stands. Besides teeming
with various damselflies and dragonflies (they would have to wait for
closer study), I immediately noticed a Bare-throated Tiger-Heron skulking
along the bank. For the remainder of my visit the tiger-heron would be
in place each morning, carefully working through the lillypads for prey.
Throughout the day members of the Alianza Mesoamericana
drifted into Lancetilla. As the first to arrive, however, I had ample
time to walk the grounds of the gardens. According to locals, the jardin
had sustained major damage during Hurricane Mitch.
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Mouse over faces for info in status
bar in both this photo and the one at left.
PARTICIPANTS NOT SHOWN
Anaite Seibt Eurohoduras
Tours/Comision Nacional de Vision Ecoturistica (Honduras)
Rafael Sambula PROLANSATE
(Honduras)
Brett Jenks RARE
Ted Eubanks Fermata
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However, I could see little of that destruction,
and therefore I assumed that much of the region had generally recovered
from the storm. Tropical bird species such as Crimson-collared, Scarlet-rumped,
Blue-Gray, and Yellow-winged tanagers, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Collared
Aracari, Keel-billed Toucan, Dusky Antbird, Red-throated Ant-Tanager,
Clay-colored Robin, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Blue-throated Trogon, and
Greenish Elaenia (at nest) were found within the first hour of my arrival.
A Great Antshrike worked a dense clump of bamboo along the entrance road.
Crackers (a group of butterflies that make a cracking sound when defending
territories) were in profusion, and several species of heleconians
drifted thorough the forest. For a brief moment I studied a brightly
colored species of Aphyla (a genus of club-tailed dragonflies),
but it sped away before I could grab my camera.
 Work,
however, interrupted my Lancetilla respite. For the past two years Fermata
Inc., at the invitation of the conservation organization RARE
Center for Tropical Conservation (RARE), has worked with the Alianza
Mesoamericana in developing ecotourism strategies for sites in Belize,
Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. The various representatives from sites
within these countries, along with RARE personnel, were in Lancetilla
to present resource assessments that they had conducted using the Fermata
ASAP (Applied Site Assessement Protocol).
For the next three days we dedicated ourselves
to discussing these assessments, and developing a basic philosophical
structure for the Alianza Mesoamericana that will carry it forward into
the future. I could not have been more pleased with the results. In general,
the site assessments were excellent, a result that I fully expected given
the incredible talent and enthusiasm of this group. In addition, under
the guidance of RARE’s Fernando Garcia, a revised mission statement
and set of goals were adopted. Since these will form the very foundation
of the Alianza, I will present them in the entirety.
The Alianza Mesoamericana
Mission
 The
Alianza (Alianza) Mesoamericana is a federation of natural sites, protected
areas, governmental agencies, communities, and goods and service providers.
The members of the Alianza are committed to the development and promotion
of ecotourism as a means for supporting conservation efforts in Mesoamerica.
Additionally, the Alianza and its members are dedicated to social betterment
and sustainable economic development through ecotourism. The Alianza and
its members are committed to the belief that the demonstrable conservation,
social, and economic benefits derived from ecotourism in Mesoamerica will
ultimately impact political policies, leading to improved conservation
programs in the region.
Mision de la alianza
 La
alianza mesoamericana es una federacion de sitios naturales, areas protegidas,
agencias gubernamentales, organizaciones no gubernamentales, comunidades
y proveedores de bienes y servicios. Los miembros de la alianza estan
dedicados al desarrollo y promocion de ecoturismo como una manera para
apoyar esfuerzos para la conservacion de Mesoamerica. Ademas la alianza
y los miembros estan dedicados a mejorar la situacion social y desarrollo
sustentable de la economia, a traves de actividades ecoturisticas. La
alianza y sus miembros estan comprometidos a la creencia de que los beneficios
de conservacion, sociales y economicos demostrables derivados del ecoturismo
en Mesoamerica al final crearan un impacto en las politicas a mejorar
programas de conservacion en la region.
Goals / Metas
 Economic
- The Alianza requires that each of its members
either be demonstrably self-sustaining, or have developed a business
plan that will lead to self-sustainability.
- The Alianza and its members insure that a portion
of revenues from its ecotourism programs accrue to local communities,
states, and host countries.
Economicas
- La Alianza requiere que cada uno de sus miembros
demuestren ser auto sustentables o han desarrollado un plan de negocios
que resultara en auto sostenibilidad.
- La Alianza y sus miembros aseguran que una
parte de las ganacias de los programas llegan a las comunidades locales,
estados y paises anfitriones.
Social
- The Alianza is committed to the proposition
that conservation cannot be separated from the social context within
it exists. Therefore the Alianza and its members are dedicated to the
development of programs that include local communities in the benefits
that are derived from ecotourism in protected areas. Primary among these
benefits is the opportunity for local communities to participate in
environmental outreach and education programs within the protected areas.
- The Alianza and its members actively support
the cultural integrity of indigenous populations that live within and
around protected areas in Mesoamerica, and recognize their right to
share in the benefits of ecotourism projects within their own context.
 Sociales
- La Alianza esta dedicada al concepto que la
conservacion no puede estar separado del contexto social. Es por ello
que la Alianza y sus miembros estan dedicados al desarrollo de programas
que incluyen las comunidades locales y usos que vienen del ecoturismo
en areas protegidas. En primacia entre estos beneficios esta la oportunidad
para comunidades locales a participar en programas de educacion ambiental
adentro de las areas protegidas.
- La Alianza y sus miembros apoya activamente
la integridad cultural de las etnias que viven adentro y alrededor de
las areas protegidas en Mesoamerica y reconocer sus derechos a compartir
en los beneficios de proyectos de ecoturismo.
Conservation
- The Alianza and its members commit to annual
conservation goals and audits that are derived from our ecotourism efforts.
Of particular importance is the maximization of conservation from the
ecotourism programs.
- Considering that ecotourism, and all of its
projected benefits, are dependent upon a viable natural resource base,
the Alianza and its members agree that conservation receives priority
consideration in the distribution of funds derived from the ecotourism
efforts.
Conservacion
- La Alianza y sus miembros estan dedicados a
metas de conservacion anuales y auditorias que vienen de nuestros esfuerzos
ecoturisticos. De importancia particular estan la maximizacion de la
conservacion que estan derivados de los programas de ecoturismo.
- En consideracion que el ecoturismo y sus beneficios
proyectados estan dependientes sobre la base de los recursos naturales
viables, la Alianza y sus miembros acuerdan que la conservacion recibe
consideracion prioritaria en la distribucion de fondos derivados de
esfuerzos ecoturisticos.
Political
- The Alianza and its members believe that the
public recognition of the economic, social, and conservation benefits
derived from its programs will enlist a constituency that supports the
conservation of natural sites within Mesoamerica.
- The Alianza and its members believe that development
of such a constituency will increasingly demand that its governmental
policies reflect the importance of protecting these natural sites.
Politicas
- La Alianza y sus miembros creen que el reconocimiento
publico de los beneficios derivados de sus programas crearan un ambiente
de convivencia que apoya la conservacion de sitios naturales en Mesoamerica.
- La Alianza y sus miembros cree que el desarrollo
de la convivencia van a aumentar la demanda que las politicas gubernamentales
reflejan la importancia de la proteccion de areas naturales.
 Armed
with site assessments, as well as a revised mission statement and goals,
the members of the Alianza will next develop business plans to support
the opportunities and aspirations identified in the ASAP exercises. We
will next meet in Mexico in September, when the members will present their
business plans. Speaking for myself, I could not be more proud of this
dedicated group of individuals. Conservation groups in the United States
could learn much about how to effect conservation with limited resources
from these dedicated men and women. RARE has set the stage for community-based
conservation in Mesoamerica, and our relationship with that organization
is one we treasure.
 Our
last night proved to be the most memorable of the trip. Late in the day,
we were drenched with the obligatory afternoon tropical thunderstorms.
As darkness approached, I began to hear a repetitive croak or grunt that
sounded like a cross between a large frog and a hog. I finally located
the source of the bizarre sound perched among the fronds of a palm tree
— a Bare-throated Tiger-Heron! As the light faded, the tiger-herons
began calling from all of the palms surrounding us. No other time in my
life have I had the pleasure of being serenaded by a chorus of tiger-herons,
their guttural utterances echoing through the Lancetilla forest.
 After
this heron symphony, we drove to Tela for a different musical feast. A
Garifuna troupe from Triunfo de la Cruz had agreed to perform for us,
and we were not about to miss this opportunity. For hours we listened
to the rhythmic music of the Garifuna, and joined them in their "punta"
dance. I sat in awe, staggered by the complex syncopation of their percussive
music.
Before leaving Lancetilla at the meeting’s
end, I had one last morning to walk the forest edge. As I neared a clump
of seeding bamboo, I noticed a blue-gray finch that I did not immediately
recognize. Soon joined by what I presumed to be a female (chocolate brown
in coloration), it suddenly dawned upon me that before me, feeding on
bamboo seeds, were Blue Seedeaters. This species is a bamboo specialist,
and is usually only seen in areas where bamboo is seeding. The bamboo
in Lancetilla had cycled into its seeding phase, and these seedeaters
were exploiting this transitory resource. For me, it was simply a case
of being in the right place at the right time.
Yet isn’t that one of the seductions of nature,
the unexpected moments of discovery?
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Trip du Jour, 27 May — 1 June 2000
Tela, Honduras
by Ted Eubanks
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