BFREE Blog

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The Review Of Cacao Explorations and Germplasm Movements

By bfreebz | November 13, 2022 |

by the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund (HCP) The Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund (HCP) has partnered with Dr. Lambert A. Motilal to create a comprehensive evaluation of all cacao-growing countries around the world. The Review Of Cacao Explorations and Germplasm Movements is a 300-page review is comprised with riveting information regarding the history, genetics, flavor profiles,…

The Science of Fine Chocolate

By bfreebz | November 13, 2022 |

by Jacob Marlin The flavor attributes of chocolate, especially fine flavor chocolate, is determined by numerous factors: 1. Genetics of the cacao, 2. The farming practices implemented, 3. The location, biophysical features, and climactic conditions of where it is grown (also called terrior), 4. The time of harvest, 5. Fermentation protocols, 6. Drying methods, and…

From Bean to Bar: BFREE’s cacao program bears fruit

By bfreebz | November 13, 2022 |

Over the past three years, BFREE has been doing research and experimentation to develop a model for farming the BFREE Criollo cacao, under its for-profit – Crioco Cacao, LLC. The goal is to create healthy and productive trees that yield cacao beans that are ultimately made into some of the world’s best Heirloom Fine Flavor…

Billboards installed across Belize share a very important message, Save the Hicatee.

By bfreebz | October 20, 2022 |

By Robynn Phillips, BFREE Engagement and Communications Coordinator BFREE, our committed partnering organizations and this year’s Hicatee Awareness Month Planning Committee are excited to announce that two (2) billboards have been strategically installed along Belize’s Western Highway.  The billboards were printed and installed by Big Signs Belize at the following locations: The billboard design was…

Re-wilding Hicatee into Belize’s rivers

By bfreebz | September 30, 2022 |

BFREE, with the help of our dedicated partners, implemented three (3) separate Hicatee turtle release events for 2022. The first release event was conducted on the 1st of April 2022 when fifty-five (55) juveniles and hatchlings were released into a river in north central Belize. The release was done by BFREE’s Tom Pop and Jonathan…

Pollination and Paternity Testing

By bfreebz | July 28, 2022 |

By Holly Brabazon Would you believe that small biting midges are cacao’s main pollinator? They’re only about the size of a pin head, and they don’t fly very well either, but with how small cacao flowers are, and how they’re shaped, cacao has to rely on the tiny midge to pollinate its flowers. Unfortunately, midges…

Introducing BFREE’s Newest Fellow, Barney Hall

By bfreebz | July 25, 2022 |

We are proud to introduce BFREE’s newest addition, Barney Hall. Barney has joined the BFREE Science and Education Fellowship Program as the third Wildlife Fellow since it was established in 2017. The Fellows Program is a two-year immersive training opportunity for recent Belizean junior college graduates who exhibit leadership potential combined with a clear interest…

Third Hicatee Conservation Forum and Workshop

By bfreebz | July 21, 2022 |

Developing a Conservation, Management, and Action Plan for the Central American River Turtle, Dermatemys mawii, in Belize Co-hosted by Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education (BFREE), the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA), Zoo New England (ZNE), and the Belize Fisheries Department, the Third Hicatee Conservation Forum and Workshop was held online via a Zoom webinar…

Freshwater and Terrestrial Turtle Survey – Year Two

By bfreebz | July 14, 2022 |

by Eric Munscher This year, we, members of the TSA – North American Freshwater Turtle Research Group (NAFTRG), had a team of ten people fly down to trap turtles on the BFREE private reserve in southern Belize. If you have never been to Belize, I highly recommend it. The country is beautiful and the people…

Genetic Analysis of Dermatemys mawii

By bfreebz | July 12, 2022 |

BFREE’s second Hicatee (Central American River Turtle) Health Assessment of 2022 took place on July 5 and 6. These dates were much earlier than normal because there was an opportunity to conduct a much-needed genetics study. Dr. Natalia Gallego Garcia traveled from Colombia to collect the samples that will be used for genetic analysis. With…

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.