Education
The Importance of Involving Local Communities in Conservation
By Jaren Serano I vividly recall my first time on the Belize River, navigating a canoe while assisting in population surveys for a Hicatee assessment. Despite my Belizean upbringing, my familiarity was primarily inland, leaving the fishing communities’ way of life somewhat foreign to me. Engaging in river-based research marked my initial exposure to the…
Read MoreThe Fascinating Characteristics of Sundew
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…
Read MoreCollaborative Cacao Research Project
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…
Read MoreCacao Fellow Assists in Country-wide Sedge Survey
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…
Read MoreBillboards installed across Belize share a very important message, Save the Hicatee.
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…
Read MoreSaying goodbye to 55 Hicatee turtles
No, more like saying see you later! By Jonathan Dubon Watching your children grow up and eventually moving on may be hard for some, but it is something that takes place by nature. Although I am not talking about real children, it still feels the same when I release Hicatee turtles that I have helped…
Read MoreWorld Migratory Bird Day 2022
BFREE celebrated two important bird days on Saturday, May 14 – Global Big Day and World Migratory Bird Day. Global Big Day is an opportunity for citizen scientists to gather essential data about the birds in their area. While World Migratory Bird Day uses a different theme each year to draw attention to challenges migratory…
Read MoreCelebrating Earth Day
Students from Keene High School help plant cacao seeds.
Read MoreFrom Seeds to Trees
A couple of years ago, the Jobillo tree next to the house where I live at BFREE, began dropping flowers. The dry season was in full force, so it must have been around May when I noticed the first bunch of delicate, perfect, pale, white blooms. I collected a few out of curiosity and asked…
Read MoreMeet BFREE’s Newest Fellow, Mark Canti
A Little About MeI was born in a subtropical climate during the rainy season in my native village of Golden Stream. It is located along the main highway, a couple of miles south of the BFREE junction. I do not remember much of my childhood, but I sure remembered how much my parents loved, cared,…
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