Mission Statement

Wild Roots Mission Statement

 

Wild Roots strives to integrate body, mind, and
spirit connections to the living planet we inhabit using cross-cultural travel,
play, and education. We create links in the chain that enhance global awareness
of healing, both for our planet and all living beings. We embrace ecological
impact in our travels, and do what we can to lessen our footprints and educate
others to do the same.

 

Wild
Roots endeavors in Belize, Guatemala, and California strive to:

 

• Support traditional
  crafts, music, dance, plant medicine, healers, and food for future
  generations.
• Create alliances
  within communities and local businesses where the people have their
  cultural pride and dedication to sustainable living in tact.
• Gather herbal
  knowledge from the elders of these Earth-based cultures and to proliferate
  this information in a respectful and beneficial way.
• Preserve medicinal
  rainforest plants.
• Educate people and
  businesses about sustainable and environmentally sound practices
  (permaculture, bio-remediation, seed savers exchange).
• Offer our clients
  an authentic experience in ecotourism that directly benefits the local
  people and the environment of Belize and Guatemala.

Upcoming Trip Itineraries

 

 

Belize and Tikal, Guatemala

April 9 – 19 
Itinerary

DAY 1  (Monday,
April 9)

Arrival. Welcome to Belize! We will transport you from the
airport to Belize City and have dinner there. We will sleep in Belize City.

 

DAY 2  
(April 10th)

Visit Ms. Barbara (82-year old herbalist) at her
booth in the Belize City Market.

Morning herb class with Reggie (includes tea and
breakfast)

Travel to Ms. Beatrice’s (herbalist) in Santa
Familia Village

Sleep in Ms. Beatrice’s home

 

DAY 3 
(April 11th)

Morning class with Ms. Beatrice

Lunch

Afternoon class on the 3 Sisters Medicine Trail with Don
Berto

Sleep at Ms. Beatrice’s home

 

DAY 4 
(April 12th)

Day trip to San Ignacio

Cahal Pech 
(Mayan site)

Lunch in San Ignacio

Evening class with Ms. Beatrice

Sleep at Ms. Beatrice’s home

 

DAY 5 
(April 13th)

Travel to El Remate, Guatemala

Visit the market in Santa Elena

Sleep in El Remate

 

DAY 6 
(April 14th)

Early morning – Go to Tikal

Go back to El Remate to sleep

 

 

DAY 7 (April 15th)

Travel from El Remate, Guatemala to Hopkins, Belize

We will stop at the Blue Hole for a refreshing swim.

Sleep by the Caribbean Sea in Hopkins, Belize

 

DAY 8 (April 16th)

Hopkins, Belize

Meet Ms. Valentina (herbalist and midwife)

 Palm basket making
demonstration

This afternoon you have options: You could relax on the
beach, rent a bike and explore the village, or charter a boat to the cayes (not
included in cost).

Garifuna Drumming in the evening

 

DAY 9 (April 17th)

Herbal medicine class with Aurora at Nuk Chel in
Maya Center (near Hopkins)

Lunch with Aurora

Hike in Cockscomb Wildlife Sanctuary

Back to Hopkins to sleep

 

DAY 10 (April 18th)

Hopkins

Cassava bread-making class – Quite a unique Garifuna
cultural experience!

This afternoon you have options: You could relax on the
beach, rent a bike and explore the village, or charter a boat to the cayes (not
included in cost).

Sleep in Hopkins

 

DAY 11 (April 19th)

Travel
back to Belize City to catch flights home.

Wild Roots Social/Environmental Action Projects

       Wild Roots is working to republish Ms. Barbara's book, Medicine Woman. Copies are expected to be delivered to her in April (for her to sell at her booth) and offered for sale through Wild Roots. All proceeds will go to covering publishing costs and supporting Ms. Barbara! Thanks to all of you who have donated to this project!

 

Wild Roots is establishing a native medicinal herb alliance between Belizean herbalists and farmers and Wild Roots to help promote sustainable herb harvesting and perservation. We are currently looking for parcels of rainforest land in Belize to purchase for preserving medicinal herbs.

 

SEED SAVERS  - Wild Roots is working with seed savers international and independently to bring heirloom and native seeds to farmers in Belize and Guatelama. Many farmers in Cental America have been sold genetically-altered seeds that DO NOT produce seed, thereby leaving them dependent on corporate seed companies! 

 

BOOK DONATIONS - Wild Roots has adopted the village of Hopkins and their primary school as a book donation center. We have donated over 300 books to the school and passed them out to local children and adults. We are excited to expand this project to include other villages.