Although the common green iguana (Iguana iguana) is not endangered, it is at risk in Belize and throughout the Caribbean due to its popularity both as a delicacy (they are eaten locally) and as an export to the pet trade. Large numbers of the iguanas that are collected and sold outside the country quickly die in the hands of well-intended owners, who through neglect or ignorance, fail to provide the animals with the proper diet or environment they need to survive in captivity.

In celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, a multidisciplinary team of conservationists, photojournalists, and new media specialists documented and explored the Belizean Barrier Reef Reserve System. Representatives from EarthWild International, University of California (Berkeley), Nationalgeographic.com, Belize Audubon, and the Wildlife Conservation Society examined universal challenges to conservation and sustainable development and celebrated successes in the preservation of our common natural heritage.

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