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Earlier this month, Probe International‘s Gráinne Ryder spent two weeks in the area of Belize that will be flooded by the Canadian-backed Chalillo dam. During her stay, Gráinne visited the upper Macal and Raspaculo rivers accompanied by Sharon Matola, the award-winning director of the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Centre, and Greg Sho, an expert on local wildlife and Maya ruins. Both Sharon and Greg will appear in an upcoming National Geographic documentary about Belize, "Paradise in Peril." We will let you know when the program is scheduled for telecast closer to the date.

Gráinne also met with residents along the lower Macal River who will be affected by the dam. During an interview at a local radio station in San Ignacio – which would be inundated by water if the dam were ever to break – host Lewis Garcia relayed public fears about the dam’s environmental impacts. Lewis said all local government officials are in favour of the $30-million project because of the short-term jobs and revenue the immediate area will potentially benefit from.

Gráinne’s other media appearances included a guest spot on a two-hour phone-in radio show on Love FM; a guest spot on a popular morning show broadcast by FM 2000; a guest spot on a prime-time television current affairs program; and interviews with the Mexican newspaper El Tiempo and Belize’s The Reporter.

Local wildlife in return made an appearance for Gráinne . . . Gráinne saw Belize’s national animal, the tapir, gorging on figs by a river at night. She saw Morelet’s crocodiles basking on riverside rocks, iguana, seven various sightings of scarlet macaw, and numerous exotic bird species – not to mention Maya ruins more than one thousand years old.

(Top) Gr inne beside an ancient Maya ruin, similar in appearance to the ruins that will be inundated by Belize’s Chalillo dam. (Centre) Belize Zoo’s Sharon Matola with canoe in hand on the upper Macal River.(Bottom) Belize wildlife expert Greg Sho.