Over the past several decades, conservationist Allison Ifield has been on a mission to protect the mangroves of Caye Caulker. Photo by Rachel Wilson, courtesy Cari-Bois Environmental News Network, used with permission. This story, which was done with the support of the Caribbean Climate Justice Journalism Fellowship, a joint venture between Climate Tracker and Open Society Foundations, was first published on Cari-Bois Environmental News Network. A version of the post appears below as part of a content-sharing agreement. By Marco Lopez On the Belizean island of Caye Caulker, Allison Ifield is affectionately called “Mangrove Mama” due to her connection with mangroves and her unrelenting determination to protect them. Born and raised in Canada, Ifield first visited Caye Caulker in the late 1990s and decided to relocate after developing a love for the area's natural heritage. As she learned more about the island and its mangrove ecosystems, Ifield became interested in not only educating others about them but also in volunteering to upkeep their beauty. In addition to becoming a tour guide, she would often randomly plant mangrove seedlings wherever she could, and care for them. While Ifield initially didn’t plan to start a mangrove restoration project, this all changed around 2018 when she saw mangroves on the island, including the ones she planted, being cleared: We came around the corner one day, and I saw some of the trees that I had planted 15 years before were cut down. I swore, ‘This is it, man, I’m gonna give up tour guiding [and go full time into mangrove restoration].’ Making this decision, Ifield committed to supporting mangrove restoration on the island and got support to start the Caye Caulker Strong Mangrove Project. Since then, this nature-based solution to protect the island’s mangroves and contribute to its climate resiliency has become a sense of duty to Ifield. After seeing the mangroves she planted being indiscriminately cut down, Ifield dedicated herself to their conservation and restoration. Photo by the Belize Mangrove Alliance, courtesy Cari-Bois Environmental News Network, used with permission. With the assistance of volunteers, Ifield has been able to plant hundreds of mangrove trees thus far on a private portion of beach leased by a resident in Caye Caulker. As her efforts have increased, news of Ifield’s work has also received more attention and she has seen support for her initiative grow: In 2020, I got the opportunity with the MAR Alliance and the Denver Foundation to do the Caye Caulker Strong Mangrove Project, which I originated. It was meant to employ people during the COVID-19 pandemic and also work with restoration. The project has also received support from local businesses. Through a partnership with the World Wildlife Fund and the PEW Charitable Trusts, Ifield has also served as a facilitator with the responsibility of teaching others the intricate techniques of mangrove planting. Over the past several years, Caye Caulker has seen an influx of developers who have constructed new resorts and hotels. In some cases, mangroves have been cleared to facilitate these development projects, but because mangroves provide many key ecosystem services, removing them can have ripple effects, making mangrove restoration work pivotal to Caye Caulker’s future. Ifield explained: We [Caye Caulker] are a high-impact weather event island. We have a lot of rain runoff because no one is collecting rain anymore, so there are no gutter systems, and everyone is cutting down their green, which used to suck up the water. We’re not only getting rain wash erosion, but we’re also getting high impact wave erosion on the other side because we’ve removed all our mangroves and continue to do it with impunity. Members of Caye Caulker Strong during a mangrove planting activity. Photo by Caye Caulker Strong, courtesy Cari-Bois Environmental News Network, used with permission. In Belize, a landowner must receive a permit from the Forest Department to remove or make any alteration to mangroves. Landowners are mandated to undergo an application review, cannot remove more than 50 percent of mangroves along the waterfront, and must erect a sign indicating approved mangrove “alteration” or “selective trimming” is in progress. Nadia Bood, Belize’s Senior Program Officer at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), said that these regulations aren’t effectively enforced: Much more can be done. The Forest Department has been issuing permits for mangrove clearance, but there are stipulations within the mangrove regulation that the land owner that gets that permit should follow.