BFREE Blog
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By Jaren Serano During my first stint at BFREE, I had the privilege of witnessing the positive impact that organizations like this have on land conservation, wildlife protection, and the conservation efforts among the local communities in Belize. When I joined as BFREE’s first Science and Education Fellow in 2017, I was immediately drawn to…
By Mark Canti The astonishing characteristics of sundews are unbelievable to me. During two research trips with Dr. Rob Naczi of NY Botanical Garden, I learned a lot about plants, especially sedges. I was introduced to carnivorous plants and found them fascinating. I was shocked to learn that while walking around, we have been stepping…
By Roxanna Chen BFREE in collaboration with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) facilitated a cacao research project at the BFREE’s Field Station in May 2023. The primary objective of the collaboration was to co-design and enhance post-harvest practices and methods for Criollo Cacao which is intercropped and shade-grown in several experimental plots within the…
by Mark Canti Last month, I participated in a research expedition to understand biogeography and documentation of sedges in Belize and to fill in gaps that previous botanists have left unexplored and unidentified. My role throughout this research was to help navigate, locate, and identify existing, new, or unusual sedges, but most importantly to learn…
We are pleased to introduce BFREE’s newest staff member, Advanced Cacao Fellow, Roxanna Chen. Roxanna will spend the next year and a half investigating and determining best post-harvest processing of the criollo cacao at BFREE as well as characterizing the different varieties. She will also get training from experts and become BFREEs chocolate lab technician.…
By Dr. Robert Naczi and Heather Barrett Through his research to document the diversity and conservation status of Belizean sedges, Dr. Robert Naczi of New York Botanical Garden recently discovered a species of beaksedge previously unknown to science. In Belize, the Sedge Family (Cyperaceae) is one of the five largest (most species-rich) plant families. Beaksedges…
Two new faces greet BFREE visitors in 2023. We are happy to introduce Pedro Witz, Office and Hospitality Coordinator, and Mario Teul, Tour Guide and Educator. (Header photo of Mario Teul with students from Kutztown University by Chris Habeck.) Pedro Witz Pedro Witz was born in Puerto Barrios Guatemala in 1987. Shortly after, his parents migrated…
by Michael Rogers This March, BFREE proudly joined as a collaborator in the International Motus Network! Motus, which is Latin for the word ‘movement,’ is the future in migratory ecology studies. Scientists throughout the world are now afixing tiny radio transmitters to their species of interest, be at a thrush, warbler, or even a bat…
By Barney Hall, Wildlife Fellow Dermatemys mawii (Hicatee) hatchlings at the Hicatee Conservation and Research Center (HCRC) are frequently caught during a tour in order to give visitors a hands-on experience and a unique opportunity to hold such a rare turtle. With that being said, each time Tom catches a turtle he quickly analyzes the…
For over two years, Head Park Ranger, Sipriano Canti, has managed a BFREE research project to document wildlife movements throughout the reserve. At all times, he has eight to twelve Panthera wildlife cameras strategically located to capture patterns and activities of mammals and sometimes birds. Canti has decades of experience with documenting wildlife using these…
Mailing Address
BFREE Field Station
PO Box 129
Punta Gorda
Belize, Central America
Phone
011.501.621.6685
Email
contact@bfreebz.org
US for BFREE is a Florida non-profit,
tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.
Mailing Address
BFREE Field Station
PO Box 129
Punta Gorda
Belize, Central America
Phone
011.501.621.6685
Email
contact@bfreebz.org
US for BFREE is a Florida non-profit,
tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.