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6 days ago, the Friends For Conservation and Development launched their telethon drive to generate revenue for their expansion of their rangers program.

As we've told you, the Chiquibul National Park, which the FCD co-manages, is 4 times the size of Barbados, and there is a need for more boots on the ground. There will be 3 new conservation posts - one of which was completed about 3 days ago. That facility, Valentin, has already made the news because earlier in the construction there was an armed incursion of Guatemalan civilians who have threatened to burn it down.

That has placed the challenges that FCD faces in perspective, and with the need for more boots on the ground, the NGO is trying to harness public concern to raise funds.

The Protected Areas Conservation Trust is doing its part: it has earmarked a 600 thousand dollar grant for FCD.

You might look at that figure and decide that with that much money, the FCD isn't strapped for cash, and therefore doesn't need that much support for their telethon. Yesterday, the executive director told us persons would be misled if they believe that this grant alone helps to manage the park. According to him, the grant allows for maintenance of the status quo, not an expansion in the magnitude that the organization needs:

Raphael Manzanero - Executive Director FDC

"Our business plan from 2008 it spells out for the Chiquibul to have a 8 man team. it required 1.3 million dollars annually to run the Chiquibul forest and that was just 4 years ago. That was only speaking of 8 rangers in place because there are many other things that happen. There is machinery, there is fuel and other infrastructure in place. Each on of those CP are not just standing alone you have to be able to give them service. With this PACT grant though, it has a whole set of objectives. One of they key objectives was for us to be financially sustainable. Now no NGO, any where, even here in Belize with the Belize Audubon having a lot of tourists going to the national monument, even for that, they're not self sustained; In other words they have to go out to fundraise. So for us, technically we have to fundraise externally. So the PACT grant only comes to accommodate other programmes. It will subsidise for 4 ranges however, but that is just to keep the slate which we have, which is 6 of them, including the PACT manager. Those funds from PACT will cover 4 and we will still have a deficiency for subsidising for the other 3. Now the telethon is to move it move it to 24 rangers where we will be able to cover the ground. I mentioned about the CPs they will require of presence and I mention about the other areas that are already in place. So even 24 is just the minimum."

The telethon takes place this Saturday in the Memorial Park, and all donations will be welcomed. It will be aired live on all media.

As part of the 1.19 million dollars in project grants from pact, $36 thousand will be given to the Steadfast Tourism and Conservation Association (STACA), and another $59 thousand will go to the Rio Blanco Mayan Association (RBMA), all in the small grants.

In the medium Grants Southern Environmental Association (SEA) will receive 183 thousand dollars. Apart from the FCD receiving that 600 thousand dollars, they are joined in the large grants category with Ya'axche Conservation Trust, which will receive 316 thousand dollars.