Week 3 in Hopkins Belize
As we approach our last week in Belize, it is crunch time for the Citizen Science team. After a refreshing three-day weekend, it’s time for us to gear up and prepare for interviews while wrapping up our data collections. Here’s some insight into how our week has gone so far…
For the long weekend, our team chose between visiting Placencia for some relaxation and snorkeling, or the rainforest of San Ignacio to tour ancient Maya ruins.
Once we met back in Hopkins, the debris and flood teams hit the ground running and reached major milestones in their data collection process. The fieldwork was very enriching for both teams because we were able to learn so much about Hopkins Village. The flood team collected over 1,000 data entries in one day, while the debris team finished up their data collection in record time. With data collection finished, now it’s time to focus on interviews.
Some food team members celebrating after completing their data collection
Throughout the rest of the week the flood and debris teams have been interviewing with various community members in an effort to get their perspectives on trash and natural debris, as well as flood vulnerability. The preliminary interview process included producing qualitative interview questions and designing participatory GIS applications. In designing these questions and applications, the teams worked collaboratively to troubleshoot any technical issues.
Some debris team members after completing their data collection
After the surveys for the interviews were refined, the teams could begin seeking participants. We are excited to continue speaking with community members throughout this interview process.
Concurrently, the debris and flood team worked with the education team in the library to create lesson plans and activities to teach the village youth about our research. The flood team discussed emergency preparedness with the youth and created an ideal emergency flooding kit. Then the flood team worked with the youth to further their understanding of how flooding works and how to read topographic maps. The debris team brought out the quadrats used in data collection and let the kids find trash hotspots around the courtyard. They recorded the types of trash and natural debris found inside the quadrat and mapped them, before picking up plastic and disposing of them in the recycling receptacle.
Flood team discussing flood emergency preparedness with students
Our time is winding down in Belize, and we are approaching the end of our on-the-ground data collection. This Saturday, we are excited to present the findings and experiences we’ve had to the community of Hopkins at a celebration in the center of the village. Sadly, this will be our final day in Belize, as we leave Sunday morning to continue the analysis of our data back in Orlando, Florida, at the University of Central Florida.
Written by: Cameron Zhen, Laurel Sparks, & Valerie Melendez