About

Cabins

Three private cabins are nestled comfortably in the forests and though very private is centrally located. Each cabin is furnished with two handcrafted hardwood beds, a desk and chair, and a hammock. Solar power allows the use of a fan, light, and equipment charging. They are also outfitted with a colorful hand-painted Mexican ceramic sink, beautiful hardwood floors, screened walls, and skylights. Nearby are a two-stall composting bathroom and a hot/cold shower.

Bunkhouse

The Bunkhouse is an elevated building that sleeps 24 people in bunk beds in four separate rooms. It is serviced by a rainwater collection system that feeds two sinks and two showers, and it has a four-stall composting bathroom 10m away. Visitors are provided with pillows, linens and blankets.

Kitchen

This round 40’ diameter, 30’ high thatch roof building is the center of BFREE life. Sitting on a slope overlooking the garden, this building is where meals are prepared and consumed and serves the center of social life at BFREE.

Cacao Discovery Center

With over 15 acres of organic, shade-grown cacao growing at BFREE, the Cacao Discovery Center is the central location for post harvest processing including fermentation and drying. . Housed inside is the Chocolate Lab for experimentation with manufacturing chocolate, from tree to bar.

Rainforest Science Laboratory

The 20’ X 20’ laboratory is self-contained fully functional facility having bench space with dissecting and compound microscopes with CCD cameras, and a collection of both lab and field equipment.

Hicatee Conservation & Research Center

The Hicatee Conservation and Research Center (HCRC) consists of two large breeding ponds and one rearing pond and associated infrastructure to support the captive breeding program for the critically endangered species, Dermatemys mawii. The facility is the only kind in the world dedicated to researching the reproductive biology and nesting ecology of this rare and charismatic species. The goal is that captive hatched turtles will restock depleted wild populations, and create new populations to ensure the species has healthy populations into the future.

Classroom & Library

Completed in 2018, the classroom is a dedicated space for field courses and researchers to work. The classroom is also used for meetings, forums, and workshops. The Dora Weyer Natural History Library has a collection of tropical forest, plant ecology, Belizean natural, history, herpetology, and many other resource materials and books. Additionally, field guides to the local flora and fauna, local and national topographic, soils, and vegetation maps, research expedition reports, audio recordings of local bird, mammal and frog sounds, laminated herbarium specimens and much more.

The Cool Spot

This 30-foot diameter round thatch structure contains hammocks and picnic tables in located adjacent to the garden. It is an ideal place to rest, read, and socialize. The Cool Spot gift shop is open in the evening to purchase souvenirs and cold beverages.

Bruce Cullerton Memorial Observation Tower

Located about a ½ mile from the kitchen the tower is a 112’ foot galvanized steel observation tower. It’s the perfect place to witness the forest come alive at sunrise, observe and photograph wildlife, conduct research, or just take in a sunset over the Maya Mountains.

The Office

A small 2-story wooden structure with a thatch roof is located 30 m south of the kitchen. The building has a fixed phone system and a modem with wireless internet. The 145-ft. communications tower provides the elevation necessary for the fixed cellular antennae to pick up an adequate signal for both telephone and internet year-round.

Solar Panels

Installed in 2017, the 7.4 kw photovoltaic system is centrally located and provides enough solar power to operate the entire field station.

The Chocolate Lab

The Chocolate Lab is an experimental chocolate manufacturing facility equipped with a drum roaster, cracker, winnowing machine, melansures, tempering machine, refrigeration, and AC. A variety of molds are used to produce delicious organic fine flavor chocolate and chocolate products for use in the dining facility and enjoyed by visitors.

Composting Toilet

Custom designed and constructed at BFREE, a number of composting toilets are located throughout the compound. Using no water and with only one moving part (the toilet seat) this environmentally friendly take on the age-old challenge of what to do with human waste conserves water and produces compost for use in the orchards at BFREE.

Opservational Post 1

OP1 1 is a two-story wooden ranger station situated on the eastern boundary of BFREE’s privately protected area. It serves as the central facility for the protection program and houses the BFREE team of rangers while they conduct patrols and ensure the property and everything within it is protected and secured.

The Bladen River

The Bladen River is the first sign you have reached the BFREE Field Station. Visitors to BFREE enjoy recreational use of the Bladen River and spend time swimming, exploring, canoeing, and simply enjoying the breathtaking view.

Who We Are

Mission

Location

Vision

Conservation

Our Staff

Our Board

Jacob Marlin

Gentry Mander, JD

James Rotenberg, PhD

Robert Klinger, PhD

Peter Esselman, PhD

Our Facilities