The Ix Chel Tropical Research foundation began to hold
conferences for practitioners of natural healing in Belize;
from those conferences grew the Belize Association of
Traditional Healers. Dr. Rosita teaches herbal medicine at
the Belize College of Agriculture and holds seminars for
community health care volunteers and for nursing and
pharmacology at the University College of Belize. She has
written a children's book about medicinal plants. She is
dedicated to the preservation of the science and art of
traditional Mayan herbal healing for the benefit of the
people of Belize and the world.
In 1993, the Belizean government established the world's
first medicinal plant reserve. This 6,000 acre reserve,
dedicated to the preservation of potential lifesaving herbs,
is called the Terra Nova Medicinal Plant Reserve. Seedling
plants "rescued" from rainforest areas in danger of
destruction from development are sent to Terra Nova for
transplanting. The reserve is run by the Belize Association
of Traditional Healers.
The Panti Medicinal Trail
During one of their walks in the forest to gather herbs, Don
Eligio Panti showed Dr. Rosita all the medicinal plants that
were growing along the path. That path has been preserved,
and it has become one of the major attractions for tourists
who visit the Cayo District. Visitors to the Ix Chel Tropical
Research Center can walk along the trail, which has signs
in front of each medicinal tree and plant describing its
history and uses. Near the end of the walk, visitors can
view a recreation of Don Panti's home. A fee of $5 US is
charged for a self guided walk. A guided walk and
presentation costs $30, or $50 if given by Dr. Rosita
herself.
Dr. Rosita has also established Rainforest Remedies, a
cooperative enterprise that makes and markets herbal
remedies in liquid form, as well as dried herbs to be used to
make medicinal teas; the company shares its profits with its
employees and the traditional healing cooperative. These
remedies are derived from the plants that are "rescued"
before the bulldozers can get to them. They have colorful
names, such as "Traveler's Tonic" and "Belly Be Good."
These remedies are sold in most gift shops in Belize (the
"Jungle Salve" is especially useful for quick healing of
mosquito bites); and are also marketed overseas in the
Caribbean and in Europe. They can be ordered individually
by mail in the U.S., but federal labelling regulations and the
powerful A.M.A. lobby have so far blocked their
distribution to U.S. health food stores.
Also available at Ix Chel (as well as in many gift shops in
Belize and most bookstores in the U.S.) is Dr. Rosita's
recently published book: "Sastun--My Apprenticeship
with a Mayan Healer;" published by Harper, San
Francisco (ISBN 0-06-250255-7); and a paperback edition
of "Rainforest Remedies--One Hundred Healing Herbs
of Belize," by Rosita Arvigo and Michael Balick (ISBN
0-914955-13-6).
Ix Chel Farms and the Panti Trail is right next door to ChaaIx Chel Farms and the Don Eligio Panti Medicinal Trail
http://www.belize.com/ixchel.html (2 of 3) [5/17/2004 11:49:00 AM]