Turtle Conservation
Celebrating Seven Years of Hicatee Awareness Month
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we are waiting for. We are the change we seek.” Barack Obama Hicatee Awareness Month was born out of a need – as are many things. The Hicatee turtle was on the brink of extinction. Belize…
Read MoreFinding Hope Amidst the Loss
A memory that is deeply lodged inside my brain – me, at the age of ten, navigating a trail behind my house winding through the lush broadleaf forests to the purpose of my being, the Belize River. A river that is deep and wide, created by two rivers colliding into one another. My heart pounds…
Read MoreThe Importance of Involving Local Communities in Conservation
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 intricate relationship between…
Read MoreMeet the BFREE Staff of the HCRC and Hicatee Awareness Month
Jaren Serano returns to BFREE as Dermatemys Program Coordinator
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…
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: Mile 47, George Price…
Read MoreRe-wilding Hicatee into Belize’s rivers
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…
Read MoreMeet Robynn Phillips
BFREE’s New Engagement and Communications Coordinator Hi! My name is Robynn Phillips. I’ve recently joined BFREE on a contract basis as the Engagement and Communications Coordinator. My role is primarily to manage activities associated with BFREE’s annual awareness campaign for Hicatee Awareness Month. I am from one of the coastal communities in Southern Belize about…
Read MoreIntroducing BFREE’s Newest Fellow, Barney Hall
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…
Read MoreThird Hicatee Conservation Forum and Workshop
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…
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