-wildlife experts rate community a nature-tourism haven
ALIKI is a small farming community nestled on the eastern bank of the magnificent Essequibo River,  some 14 miles south of Parika. 
Founded in 1965, its first crop was corn.  Today, the major crops are bananas and eddoes. With 35 to 40 families living there, the population hovers around 350.
The envy of many other settlements, it is unique, beautiful and tranquil. To one side, the ever-rushing Essequibo River is a spectacle to behold.  At dawn and dust, magnificent natural art can be experienced; a testimony to God’s gift of creation.
Mangroves stand tall as vanguards against an elusive, stealthy flow that attempts to steal the land a little piece at a time.  Then the grassy plains span out in the distance, only stopping at the edge of the jungle.  This thick, defiant neighbour reigns over everything, daring anyone to enter and be awed.
With three different yet unique environments, the flora and fauna are diverse, exciting and breathtaking.
This quiet unassuming little community was recently host to the Ministry of Education’s Schools Welfare Day-camp that began on August 18 and ends tomorrow. 
Unlike other such activities held around Guyana, Aliki’s programme focused on the farming community and its relationship to the environment that sustains their lives and commercial endeavours.
For two weeks, the kids there embarked on adventures in beekeeping led by bee expert Mr. Linden Stewart. 
Using practical examples of forming, transferring and caring for a new hive, he kept the children fully involved in this new activity.  His video presentations were well received. 
Environmental Health and Sanitation, Herb and Wildlife Awareness made participants aware of how important their environment is to them. There were also regular sessions in Art and Craft, Literacy and Numeracy and Sport.
One of the key components of this innovative programme was conducted by the Guyana Amazon Tropical Birds Society (GATBS) from Georgetown.  A team consisting of Gajindra Naraine (Andy), Rhonda  Cornelius and Alain Van Veen found eager young minds hungry for knowledge. 
The kids learned how to catch, document and release birds.  The experience of safely handling and releasing birds helped them respect their environment, especially the animals.
According to Andy, Aliki has amazing potential for tourism, more particularly agro-tourism. “For the brief period we were there,” he said, “we documented 146 birds from 43 different families.  The three different types of habitats — River-Mangrove, Open Grassland-Plains and Forest — allow for a mixture of flora and fauna that is nothing less than a potpourri of nature’s magnificence.”
Remote and pristine, Aliki affords one easy access to all the species in its environs, and is an ideal training ground for guides in the tourism Industry. 
There, they can be trained in the art of interpreting Guyana’s wildlife and natural resources.  It could also be a perfect training centre (field station) for flora/fauna biologists.
His colleague, Rhonda, who is GATBS’ president, disclosed that they were now discussing Aliki and their future involvement there. 
“First, we want to help them to form a Wildlife Club. We will then explore options for funding, in order to carry out an extensive inventory of Wildlife in the area,” she said.
Parents were also targeted, as a number of sessions were conducted by Ms. Carol Melville, Chief Schools Welfare Officer, and Ms. Mercylene Moses, Senior Guidance and Counselling Officer of the Ministry of Education. 
This programme was a School’s Welfare one in collaboration with GOG/ILO TACKLE PROJECT.
In present-day Aliki, only two families remain that are direct descendants of the original cooperative founded by Frederick Richmond and his companion, Nathan Williams, who saw the enormous potential of such an organization and tried to realize it. It is now left to the younger generation to ensure that the founders did not toil in vain.