Staff from the Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) along with Hon. Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management paid a courtesy visit to the Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE) on March 29, 2021. While in Punta Gorda Town, TIDE’s Executive Director, Celia Mahung, TIDE’s Board of Directors Chairperson, Gabriel Roches, and PACT’s Executive Director, Nayari Diaz-Perez, signed a partnership agreement for the third year of a Conservation Investment Agreement between the two organizations that commenced in 2019. 
The agreement supports TIDE’s continued co-management of Payne’s Creek National Park and the Port Honduras Marine Reserve; builds capacity for sustainable financing, and provides income diversification opportunities in buffer communities. After an overview of the project highlights and accomplishments so far, the delegation went by boat to Payne’s Creek National Park where they toured the facility and observed Yellow-headed parrots. 
The Ministry supports PACT in its mandate and it was important for Minister Habet to spend time experiencing the partnership between PACT and TIDE. It was Minister Habet’s first visit to that part of the protected area, and he commented “We believe that protecting the biodiversity is a nature based approach to our future development…What is important about the work that TIDE is doing is that not only are they looking at protection and conservation, they have a very strong component on communities.”
PACT’s Executive Director believes that high impact investments will give a large conservation return on investment. For the duration of this investment, she has seen where TIDE has improved its management effectiveness of protected areas, and through community development work, maximized benefits to communities from natural resources conservation. TIDE’s Executive Director, Celia Mahung reiterated that the organization plays a key role in resource protection for Belizeans and visitors and thanked PACT for its ongoing support and Minister Habet for his visit to Payne’s Creek.
 on March 29, 2021.){kind=link}