Photo: The Belize Natural History and Archive is located on the Cemetery Road in Santa Elena, Cayo
by Orlando Pulido (freelance writer)
SANTA ELENA, Cayo District, Sun. Jan. 21, 2024
A soft opening of the Belize Natural History and Archive Museum was held on Saturday night in Cayo on Cemetery Road in Santa Elena, with standing room only.
The center will be managed by Dr. Stephen Zitzer and Magdalena Lesso. The building will provide public access to preserved native Belizean species. All specimens were acquired with an annual permit granted by the Belize Forestry Department. More than 52 taxidermy-preserved birds were on exhibit at the opening.
“Museums are vibrant community hubs that bring people together … serve as a center of education and public outreach,” said Mayor Earl Trapp, Jr., in his opening remarks.
According to Mayor Trapp, the museum will in time have a profound influence on our society.
Retired U.S. nurse Barbara Flowers told us, “I stand in awe when I look at these …”
Taxidermy is the art of preserving an animal’s body by mounting or stuffing, for the purpose of display or study. The word “taxidermy” describes the process of preserving the animal, but the word is also used to describe the product, which are called taxidermy mounts or referred to simply as “taxidermy.” The practice of taxidermy has been around for centuries and is used to create lifelike representations of animals. A taxidermist is a person who practices taxidermy and is aided by familiarity with anatomy, sculpture, painting, and tanning. The art of preparing and preserving the skins of animals, and stuffing and mounting them in life-like work has been taken up by Dr. Stephen Zitzer for almost half a century.
Samples of birds from Belize, which were formerly capable of flight, have in the past been featured in exhibits at the San Ignacio-based House of Culture. The Birds of Belize & the Art of Taxidermy Exhibit was the product of one and a half years of work by Dr. Stephen Zitzer. This time, Dr. Zitzer is using his skills for an educational purpose, such as highlighting the importance of birds in biodiversity and their role in the local ecology.
Dr. Stephen Zitzer explained to Amandala that the Belize Bird Rescue and Forestry Department have been supplying him with birds that were killed because of collisions with vehicles. He explained that steps towards the preservation of the birds must be taken some two to three hours after the birds have died, as they will start to decompose or be eaten by insects.
“Currently, Belize, the Jewel, is a wonderful place for birds to breed … so let’s protect them and not just randomly shoot them,” said Dr. Zitzer, who holds a PhD in Plant Physiology.
“One of my main goals is to pass on the skills as a taxidermist to Belizeans who are interested,” he further mentioned.
Dr. Stephen Zitzer has documented the presence of about 600 bird species in Belize. Most of these birds migrate from North America during the winter.