Introducing Kimberly Cadiz, BFREE’s newest Wildlife Education Fellow

BFREE is excited to introduce our newest Wildlife Education Fellow, Kimberly Cadiz, who joined the BFREE family earlier this month. Read more about her journey to BFREE below: 

I was born and raised in Belize city. Throughout my childhood I have always been interested in science, especially science of the natural world. That's why in high school and college, I decided to major in biology. When I arrived at St. Johns College Junior College (SJCJC) and majored in biology, I fell in love with one core subject, environmental science. That’s where all my curiosity and passion was ignited for environmental conservation. My teacher at the time was the moderator for the SJCJC group called the “GECO club,” which is a funny acronym for Group for the Environment Conservation and Outreach. That's where I was first introduced to outreach and environmental activities that included a range of activities, like hosting campus cleanups and Christmas drives in neighboring schools. 

At first, I decided to major in biology because I wanted to study medicine. I was weighing the benefits of practical versus passion, with passion being environmental conservation and wildlife work. One day, I stumbled on an advertisement on Instagram which read “Community Conservation Leadership Workshop” and I thought to myself how great of an opportunity this could be for me, to clear my mind and make a decision of what I want to do in my professional career.

Coming to BFREE for those five days was truly magical. I met some of the most amazing people and learned so much about watershed awareness and Hicatee conservation. I was unaware of the challenges facing the Hicatee, either because I lived in the city, where I don’t really see these turtles, or was just oblivious to this issue. But I knew I wanted to share what I learned with my peers. There were many people who were just as oblivious as I was about the Hicatee, and wherever and with whoever I sat and chatted with, I made sure to throw in a little of what I learned on my trip.

When I found out that there was an open position as a Wildlife Education Fellow I knew that I wanted to apply and become a part of the team at BFREE.  When I was here for those short 5 days it was like I went through a portal and entered a wonderland so rich in nature and biodiversity, I wanted to share that with everyone, my experience and knowledge. I believe knowledge is power and if we share our message everywhere, there will be more people willing to stand up and make a difference.

I'm enjoying my time as a Wildlife Education Fellow, working with the team to implement outreach activities to educate people about wildlife and why it's so important to conserve what we have before it's too late.