April 2023—A Week With ReefCI
Be sure to scroll below to view our videos after our story for this trip.
Lessons From A Week With ReefCI
We’re currently engaged in several conservation efforts this year, some of which are in development while others we can’t mention due to non-disclosure agreements. However, one visit we can mention is the week we spent with an organization named ReefCI out of Placencia, Belize. Their mission is to preserve and manage the Belize Barrier Reef, adopting their programs to tackle the latest emerging threats to the reef. Their current focus—at least during the week I spent there—is removing the invasive lionfish from the reefs on the Sapodilla Ridge.
Given that I’m currently working to establish my own set of conservation volunteer programs in Quintana Roo with local non-profits, ReefCI seemed like a logical choice for a visit. Aside from the obvious opportunity to gain knowledge and experience from an established and successful organization, the trip also allowed me to fulfill my promise to Belize that I would not let significant time pass by before visiting her again—which I’m previously guilty of. All this, while doing my part to help ReefCI meet their mission, seemed like a win-win for everyone.
The week was spent on a small private island named Tom Owens on the Sapodilla Ridge. With no internet or cell access, we slept in basic cabanas consisting of a rustic bed, a fan, and nothing else but an outlet powered by a generator that ran for a portion of the day. While not the most comfortable of accommodations, it put me into the correct mindset of focusing on what I was here to do; not to indulge in 5-star accommodations on a remote island in paradise, but to perform work and learn further lessons while helping the overall cause. Bolstered by the views and sounds of the ocean waves breaking a mere 20 feet from my bed, I quickly acclimated myself.
On this particular week I was joined by 14 other volunteers on the island, not including the permanent staff that support operations and our comfort, such as the cooks and the maintenance staff. The days were rather routine: A morning dive followed by breakfast; a lecture followed by another dive and lunch; perhaps another lecture—or free time—followed by a third dive and dinner. Culling lionfish was the focus of every dive—along with the inevitable experience of running into sharks, eagle rays, and the occasional turtle. We had one night dive and one snorkel over a local wreck to break the monotony, along with a couple of hours learning about the impacts of microplastics and helping clean up the beaches of one of the nearby islands. Tom Owens, as an isolated island, provided me plenty of down-time to contemplate my thoughts, especially given the radical phase I’ve experienced over the last 12-16 months. In all, it was a very rewarding week surrounded by great people.
On the business side, the experience was eye-opening for me. I was impressed with how ReefCI kept things down to basics. In my head—as a newbie to marine conservation—I was putting too much emphasis on peripheral items as I planned programs with organizations in Quintana Roo. But as ReefCI showed me, the cause should be the singular focus. Our job is to create opportunity for like-minded people and let the rest fall into place. A simple lesson, but one to be learned nonetheless.
I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to join ReefCI and the wisdom they graciously imparted. I plan on returning at some point, but in the meantime, I have a busy summer standing up my own programs along with leisure travel to help bring more awareness to the beauty and importance of the ocean. CaaS
Check out these videos from our trip on our YouTube channel and Instagram:
