The Three Lagoons Sustainability Program (TLSP) is a community-based, non-profit initiative founded in 2017 by Edgar Deleon to promote environmental awareness and sustainable living across northern Belize. What began as an effort to educate tour guides about Belize’s rich subtropical ecosystems has grown into a grassroots movement focused on protecting some of the country’s most vital natural resources.

Belize’s forests and wetlands serve as critical natural “capital,” filtering pollutants, absorbing carbon, and producing oxygen that helps regulate the global climate. However, increasing pressure from commercial development has threatened riparian and littoral forests, as well as beaches and shoals - particularly within the protected “66 Feet Reserve,” which must remain open and undeveloped for public and environmental benefit.

TLSP concentrates its efforts around three key lagoons - Laguna Seca, Cocos, and Progresso - spanning the Corozal and Orange Walk districts. These lagoons form an important ecological reserve, supporting diverse wildlife and providing essential resources to surrounding communities.

Through hands-on conservation, education, and reforestation, TLSP is working to preserve these ecosystems while empowering local communities to become stewards of their environment.

Rotary Area of Focus
Environment

Location
Corozal and Orange Walk Districts, Belize

What We’re Delivering:

• Bi-weekly community cleanups to remove waste from villages and lagoon ecosystems
• Eco-Guardians youth education program promoting environmental stewardship
• Reforestation efforts including mangrove and mahogany seedling propagation and planting
• Protection and restoration of shoreline and forest ecosystems
• Community engagement in sustainable environmental practices

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Belize’s natural ecosystems are not only beautiful - they are essential to the country’s environmental health, economy, and way of life. When forests are degraded and shorelines polluted, the impacts are felt across communities, from reduced biodiversity to increased vulnerability to climate change.

The Three Lagoons Sustainability Program addresses these challenges at the grassroots level. By organizing regular cleanups, restoring critical habitats, and educating the next generation through its Eco-Guardians program, TLSP is creating lasting change from within the community.

Volunteers - many of them youth - are actively engaged in protecting their environment, collecting waste, propagating seedlings, and replanting forests. These efforts help stabilize shorelines, restore ecosystems, and build a culture of environmental responsibility.

With continued support, TLSP can expand its reach, increase the frequency and scale of its initiatives, and ensure that Belize’s lagoons, forests, and coastal ecosystems are preserved for generations to come.