Educator
Introducing New Hospitality Staff at BFREE
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…
Read MoreCongratulations Drs. James Rotenberg and Vibeke Olson on your retirement!
Congratulations to long-time BFREE supporters, field course leaders, researchers, and adventurers, Drs. Jamie Rotenberg and Vibeke Olson on their recent retirement from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Extraordinary husband and wife team, Jamie and Vibeke, have been visiting BFREE for nearly two decades as professors bringing field courses, as researchers, with their graduate students,…
Read MoreEducational materials shared with young Belizeans across the country!
By Ms. Ornella Cadle, Hicatee Awareness Month Committee Coordinator Each October, BFREE ambassadors and partners visit schools to present on Hicatee Awareness Month. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, outreach looked a bit different this year. While traveling to various schools for outreach wasn’t a safe option, we wanted to ensure the incredible resources still reached…
Read MoreIntroducing Jonathan Dubon, BFREE Science & Education Fellow
BFREE is pleased to introduce our newest Science & Education Fellow, Jonathan Dubon. Jonathan grew up in Independence Village about 20 miles east of BFREE and has known from an early age that he wanted a career that would include his passions for field experience and outdoor adventures. This passion grows from visiting his Grandma’s farm near Punta Gorda…
Read MoreUn-Belizeable Land Snails Activity
Land snails in Belize can be found in a variety of habitats. They are important food for many birds that live in Belize including currasow, crested guan, and other larger birds. Coatis and other mammals also eat land snails. Biodiversity: The health of an ecosystem can be determined by the different kinds of land snails…
Read MoreBringing BFREE to You!
Read a full update from BFREE on the latest during COVID-19 here: https://mailchi.mp/225f4bd263bf/bringingbfreetoyou-2447813 For most of us who remain home, trying our best to flatten the curve, cabin fever can set in quick. Many of you have reached out daydreaming about swimming in the Bladen River or hiking the BFREE boundary line. In response, we…
Read MoreKicking off the Field Season
The beginning of the year means the start of a brand new field season for BFREE. Kutztown University helped kick-off 2020 with an incredible group of 15 students and two instructors ready to embark on a two-week adventure in Belize. The group arrived on New Year’s Eve and spent the evening with Ernesto and Aurora Saqui in Maya Center…
Read MoreRanger Training at BFREE
The new year started off on the right foot with a workshop for BFREE park rangers in Basic Navigation Skills. Dr. Rob Klinger, BFREE Board Member and Ecologist, spent a morning teaching concepts and methods associated with navigation using compasses. Because BFREE park rangers are required to patrol all areas within the 1,153 acre privately…
Read MoreDesigning a Chocolate Bar Package: Semester-long Project with UNCW
As an organization whose mission includes a strong focus on education, we are always excited for opportunities to collaborate with high school and university classes in semester-long projects. Last fall, we were privileged to work with a class of aspiring graphic designers at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, ART 360. Led by Ned Irvine,…
Read MoreBirds, Chocolate, Forests, and Allegheny College
Allegheny College students pose for a photo at BFREE during the Birds, Chocolate, Forest Field Course in May 2019. Written By, Beth Choate, Ph.D.Associate Professor, Environmental Science and SustainabilityAllegheny College BFREE’s Birds, Chocolate and Forests course provided students with a real life example of the complexities of conservation within the rainforests of southern Belize. Through…
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