Explore the Reef with Nora and Friends

Colouring & Activity Book

Title of Text:Explore the Reef with Nora and Friends

Colouring & Activity Book

Author:Marceluz Geban

Contributor:Anna D. Hoare

Khaidia MossiahLosita Lee

Illustration: Glen Bradley

Photographs:Front Cover Turtle: Ed Hoffman

Back Cover: Dirk Francisco

Editor:Anna D. Hoare

Design and Layout:Marceluz Geban

Olivia Carballo- Avilez

Cover:Olivia Carballo-Avilez

Review Team:Anna D. HoareAmanda Acosta

Losita LeeFelicia Leal

Publication Date: July 2009

Project Funding Agency:The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organization

PREFACE

The Belize Audubon Society (BAS) has been promoting conservation

through various ways including sustainable local tourism activities at

Half Moon Caye and Blue Hole Natural Monuments a project funded by

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and UNESCO. Through this project

BAS with the support of TNC & UNESCO was able to produce a

colouring and activity book entitled “Explore the Reef with Hora and

Friends” that promotes the importance of the coral reef ecosystem

and sea turtles in Belize. We hope that you enjoy reading

and colouring this book as you learn ways in which you can help protect

turtle and conserve the coral reef ecosystem.

ABOUT BELIZE AUDUBON

SOCIETY

The Belize Audubon Society (BAS) was established in February of 1969. BAS is non-

governmental membership organization dedicated to the sustainable management of

Belize's natural resources through leadership and strategic partnership with

stakeholders in order to create a balance between people and the environment.

BAS is committed to the conservation of Belize's natural resources. Since its

formation the Society has been Belize's foremost environmental organization

protecting Belize's precious natural resources while educating the public about

their value and sustainable use. BAS has grown from an all-volunteer organization

with 55 charter members to a Society of over 1,700 members with a staff of more

than 40 dedicated professionals and a fourteen member Board of Directors.

BAS helped in creating Belize's first protected area at Half Moon Caye. Over

time that number has grown to nine, under an agreement with the Government of

Belize, BAS currently cares for nine protected areas, covering 192,000 acres on

behalf of the people and Government of Belize. It is a challenging responsibility

but the rewards are great. These protected areas include:

· Half Moon Caye Natural Monument (HMCNM), World Heritage Site (Est.

1982)

· Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary, Ramsar Site (Est. 1984)

· Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Jaguar Reserve (Est. 1986)

· Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve (Est. 1986)

· Guanacaste National Park (Est. 1990)

· St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park (Est. 1994)

· Victoria Peak Natural Monument (Est. 1998)

· Blue Hole Natural Monument, World Heritage Site (Est. 1999)

· Actun Tunichil Mucknal Natural Monument (Est. 2004)

BAS is proud of our important work in conserving these protected areas. In

addition BAS is involved in advocacy, environmental education, community outreach,

biodiversity conservation and research programmes all working in tandem to secure

the future of Belize's natural resources and to ensure a healthy environment for

healthy living while preserving our heritage for future generations.

Half Moon Caye and

Blue Hole Natural

Monuments

Half Moon Caye and Blue Hole Natural Monuments are protected areas located within the

Lighthouse Reef system. They have high biological importance, unique geological formation

and some of the heathiest in Belize. Half Moon Caye and Blue Hole Natural Monuments,

both designated as Natural Monuments under the National Parks System Act (1981), are

managed through a co-management agreement between Belize Audubon Society and the

Protected Areas Office of the Forest Department of the Government of Belize.

These sites are considered a unique part of our Belizean heritage with a long history and

culture of use. Regionally and globally its importance is recognized through its designation

World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996 as two of the seven protected sites under the

Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System.

Half Moon Caye Natural Monument (HMCNM) is approximately 9700 acres of both

terrestrial and marine ecosystem. HMCNM was first declared a protected area in 1928

as a crown reserve primarily for the protection of the large nesting colony of white phase

red-footed boobies and magnificent frigate bird.

The unique Blue Hole Natural Monument (BHNM) is approximately 1,023 acre of marine

ecosystem. BHNM, has a unique geological formation, found within the sinkhole. This

spectacular site has attracted divers worldwide.

Importance of Half Moon Caye & Blue Hole Natural Monuments:

o Protection of the large nesting colony of white phase red-footed boobies and

magnificent frigate bird.

o Nesting site for the Loggerhead, Hawksbill and Green Sea turtles.

o Site for fish spawning aggregation.

o High coral and fish life density and diversity.

o ProvideS two conservation management areas within one of the most pristine reef

areas remaining in the Mesoamerican and Caribbean reef system.

My NAME is:____________________

I Live in:_______________________

My school is:_________________

Hi Kids! I am Hora, a Hawksbill

sea turtle and i live in the sea.

Come join me, Coco and Lucia in

exploring the Reef and its marine

creatures.

Look at the colorful

sea garden; it looks

so alive.

They are alive! Corals are

animals. They are built by

colonies of Polyps.

Brain Coral

That’s fascinating, but how

do they live?

Well, they can catch

small fishes and animals

by using the stinging cells

on their tentacle. They

“zap” them and digest them.

tentacles

Wow! That is so amazing. I always thought

they did not eat.

Did you know that the coral ecosystem is very

important to us sea turtles and other marine

creatures?

S O W G Q V K J E R F S

K W R R N U T R C S B U A E C L A M

A L A O O C T O P U S P A L G A E M E S

T D S U V Y I K R L T R A I C Y T X C

E R S P X E A S T A R V O L E W N E A

S R E E F S L J E Y R Z S O C O T M L

S R C R A B C H R S O W P U W O R E S L

C R O W N - O F - T H O R N S M N T O

J Y I F S H A R K S L G F P N C F Y P T A P

B A R R A C U D A Y V I A G H I S O A R U

X P G A N E M O N E F I S H E I S T M S C F Z

I E U T R I G G E R F I S H S S N H E J X H L I

F C R U S T A C E A N S E A C U C U M B E R E S

P U F F E R F I S H H A E A N G E L F I S H

S E A T U R T L E A N E M O N E S M A

C S I S E A H O R S E S Q U I D P

Algae

Anemonefish

Anemones

Angelfish

Barracuda

Coral

Crab

ecosystem

Eel

Fish

Grouper

Parrotfish

pufferfish

Rays

Reefs

Sea cucumber

Seahorse

Seaturtle

Sharks

Shrimp

Skates

Sponges

Starfish

The corals provide shelter and feeding grounds to us sea

turtles, fishes, shrimps, crabs and other small animals

that appear in a variety of shapes and colours.

It is amazing how the corals are so important to all

of us sea creatures.

_______________________________________

How do we as sea turtles help

the ecosystem to be healthy?

Well, we sea turtles are inhabitants of the

coral reef ecosystem. This means we live in

the ecosystem. The warm water of the

Barrier Reef is our home. We eat and prune

the sea grass on the sea floor and this keeps

the sea grass beds healthy. Indirectly we

help in the nutrients enrichment of the coral

reef ecosystem.

I do understand now! Everything

is really connected.

Hey! You said we Sea turtles! Are we

all the same?

No! We are not all the same.

There are three

types of sea turtles

that nest and hatch

in Belize.

The Green turtle,

Loggerhead turtle

and Hawksbill turtle.

Coco, you are a Green turtle! You are

called a Green Turtle because of your color.

Lucia, you are a Loggerhead Turtle.

You get your name because of your

heavy bulky head.

And I am a Hawkbill Turtle. I got my name

because my mouth resembles that of a Hawk’s

beak.

My,my! I never noticed that we

were different. I always thought

we were all the same species.

msycteseo _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

geassasr _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

ergne _ _ _ _ _

redlgoehag _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Sea turtles lay there eggs in the

____ ____ ____ ____

Unscramble the letters below to make the turtle words. Then rearrange

the letters in the circle spaces to write the answers to the puzzle below.

Scramble Sea Turtle

Have you noticed that we are the only

ones around? I have not seen any other

turtles around for days. How come?

Are we the only ones around, Hora?

We are not the only ones around, but

we are on the endangered list. This

means that there are not a lot of

us in the sea. So we must be protected.

Let me show you how we got here.

Step 1. Female turtle arrives to the

nesting beach of Half Moon Caye.

Step 2. Female turtle digs a hole in

the sand to lay her eggs.

Step 3. Sea turtle lays eggs in the sand

and then cover them.Step 4. Mother turtle leaves the nest

and return to the sea.

. .

Step 5. Baby turtle leaves the nest. Step 6. The baby turtle quickly crawls

out of the hole to reach the sea and

fight for survival..

Step 7.A young sea turtle begins a life journey in the sea.

___________________________________________________________________

Help the female Green Sea Turtle get through the maze and to the

beach area to nest.

Maze adopted from: akidsheart.com

Loggerhead Turtle Maze

Life Journey indeed. I cannot

believe all the wonders we enjoy

here in the sea

Thank you Hora for that wonderful

explanation of the Reef.

I hope other Living Things are out there

that care about the sea and the creatures

that live in it.

You can all help protect the sea

turtles of Belize by following these

rules:

Leaving the nest and eggs alone.

Not disturbing a nesting female.

Not hunting them for pets or food.

Putting garbage in its proper place.

Help Lucia, place these rules to match the correct picture

3._________________________ 4.________________________

1.________________________ 2._______________________

For more information onand Blue Hole Natural Monuments:

Belize Audubon Society 12 Fort StreetPO. Box 1001Belize CityBelize Central AmericaPhone: 223-5004, 223-4987Fax: 223-4985E-mail: education@belizeaudubon.orgWebsite: www.belizeaudubon.org

Half Moon Caye Copyright 2009Belize Audubon Society

Printed with funding from: