Posts by bfreebz
Belize’s Mud Turtles
Belize is lucky to be home to both mud and musk turtles belonging to the Kinosternidae family. In science, a family is a group of related species that share similar traits. These traits can include their habitat or diet. The shared characteristics among these species indicate their close relationship, just like how family members at…
Read MoreBFREE Staff Adventure 2024!
In recognition of a successful field season, fifteen BFREE and Crioco staff members participated in an exciting two-day trip. We chartered a bus, so that we could slowly wind our way along two of Belize’s beautiful highways – the Hummingbird and the Coastal. We took our time as we searched for waterfalls, animals, caves, farms, delicious…
Read MoreMy Encounters with the Birds of BFREE!
The 1,153 acre BFREE Reserve where I work is a haven for diverse species of birds and my many encounters with them have always been memorable ones. Being in the heart of the jungle has provided me with many opportunities such as witnessing a spectacle display of birds in flight, birds feeding, bird dances, and…
Read MoreStudent Advocate Workshops for Earth Day
As part of Earth Day festivities, Heather Barrett, Deputy Director, and Jaren Serano, Dermatemys Program Coordinator with the support of Wildlife Education Fellow, Samih Young, delivered workshops at Sacred Heart Junior College and University of Belize. Over 60 students in Natural Resource Management and Biology as well as four educators participated in the workshops held…
Read MoreWelcome Dr. Rob Klinger, BFREE Conservation and Science Director
When Heather asked me to write something describing how I got back to BFREE, I had an internal reaction that was akin to someone asking me to have a root canal. Whether it’s rational or not, I really dislike autobiographical stuff. Making myself do something even as mundane as updating a CV is a major…
Read MoreIntroducing Samih Young – BFREE Wildlife Education Fellow
By Samih Young and Heather Barrett This month, Samih Young joined the team and is taking on a brand new role within the BFREE Science and Education Fellowship Program. She joins as the Wildlife Education Fellow and will be collaborating on outreach programming and communications while also supporting work taking place at the Hicatee Conservation…
Read MoreDisney Conservation Hero – Thomas Pop
BFREE and our international partner in turtle conservation, Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA), are extremely proud to announce that Thomas Pop, manager of the Hicatee Conservation and Research Center was chosen as a Disney Conservation Hero. Tom has been recognized for over twelve years of tireless efforts to conserve the critically endangered Central American River Turtle,…
Read MoreHow does Motus work? Part II in a five-part series
For over 50 years, traditional Radio-telemetry has been the cornerstone of tracking migratory studies. This is very useful to track movements of small animals with high temporal and spatial precision. But it also has its limitations because some of these former radio-telemetries may be quite impossible to use on tiny insects, animals or birds, because…
Read MoreOn the horizon – a new multi-purpose building at BFREE
Imagine sitting comfortably in a hammock overlooking the BFREE garden while enjoying a freshly brewed cup of heirloom hot chocolate. The cacao was grown onsite in the cacao agroforestry farms. You are on the second story screened-in porch of a new building at BFREE – the Commons. Situated in the exact location as the old…
Read MoreHicatee Awareness Month Outreach Programs
The start of this October marked the beginning of the 7th annual Hicatee Awareness Month campaign. Kicking off this initiative, Barney Hall and I embarked on a journey to the western part of Belize, focusing our efforts on regions notorious for the harvesting of Hicatee turtles for consumption. Our initial step involved seeking permission from…
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