Aguacate Lagoon is a
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
and private
reserve
Reserve or reserves may refer to:
Places
* Reserve, Kansas, a US city
* Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish
* Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County
* Reserve, New Mexico, a US vi ...
located in Western
Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...
, near the
Mennonite
Mennonites are groups of Anabaptist Christian church communities of denominations. The name is derived from the founder of the movement, Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland. Through his writings about Reformed Christianity during the Radic ...
community
Spanish Lookout
Spanish Lookout is a settlement in the Cayo District of Belize in Central America. According to the 2010 census, Spanish Lookout had a population of 2,253 people in 482 households. Spanish Lookout is a community of Mennonites.
The Mennonite commu ...
. The Lagoon is an herbaceous swamp with permanent waterlogged vegetation. The estimated terrain elevation above sea level is 96 metres. The reserve is approximately 284 acres.
History
In 1958 the
Mennonites were the first group of people to move and settle around the Spanish Lookout area from the Northern part of Mexico. They settled as farmers. In the 1960s, agriculture made strides at Spanish Lookout. "Aguacate" is Spanish for
avocado
The avocado (''Persea americana'') is a medium-sized, evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae). It is native to the Americas and was first domesticated by Mesoamerican tribes more than 5,000 years ago. Then as now it was prized for i ...
, and there are countless avocado trees located at the reserve; it is believed that is how the lagoon got its name. The area was officially declared a private reserve is 1987 and it is managed by the Aguacate Park officials.
See also
*
Community Baboon Sanctuary
Community Baboon Sanctuary is a protected area in Belize. It was established in 1985 to help address the threats of agriculture, logging and hunting of the black howler monkey ('baboon') and to educate locals and visitors about the importance of ...
*
Río Bravo Conservation and Management Area
*
Conservation in Belize
Since declaring independence in 1981, Belize has enacted many environmental protection laws aimed at the preservation of the country's natural and cultural heritage, as well as its wealth of natural resources. These acts have established a number ...
References
{{reflist
External links
Aguacate Adventures
Lakes of Central America
Geography of Belize
Cayo District