Solar Panel Upgrades!

Solar Panel Upgrades!

Thanks to everyone who donated to our Solar campaign this summer! We have completed the successful installation of the new equipment, located between the Commons building and the garden. The great folks at Pro Solar Engineering helped us design an updated and upgraded system to meet our needs. They acquired all the components along with…

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CrioCo Wild Chocolate Shop

CrioCo Wild Chocolate Shop

Announcing – CrioCo Opens Wild Chocolate Shop in Placencia, Belize A Farm-to-Bonbon Celebration of Craft, Community, and Conservation CrioCo is proud to announce the December 2025 opening of its Wild Chocolate Shop on the Tipsy Strip along the main sidewalk in Placencia, Belize, inviting locals and visitors into a farm-to-bonbon chocolate experience grounded in craftsmanship,…

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Army Ants and Birds

Army Ants and Birds

There are more than 150 species of army ants in the Neotropics and they forage in large swarms on the forest floor. The ants flush out cryptic arthropods and other small vertebrates that attempt to escape the swarm. During an army ant swarm, it is common to observe flocks of different bird species and other…

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Snake Identification and Safety Workshop for Silk Grass Farms

Snake Identification and Safety Workshop for Silk Grass Farms

By Heston Castillo On February 25, 2026, Jacob Marlin of BFREE facilitated a Snake Identification, Handling, Safety and Transport Workshop for senior staff at Silk Grass Farms. Due to my interest and growing experience with reptiles, I had the honor of participating in the workshop as the assistant facilitator. Heston Castillo is featured on the…

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BFREE Staff Adventure 2024!

In recognition of a successful field season, fifteen BFREE and Crioco staff members participated in an exciting two-day trip. We chartered a bus, so that we could slowly wind our way along two of Belize’s beautiful highways – the Hummingbird and the Coastal.  We  took our time as we searched for waterfalls, animals, caves, farms, delicious…

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Saying 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…

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BFREE Wildlife & Conservation Status Directory

BFREE Program Manager, Tyler Sanville, used data created by visiting and resident biologists to develop a complete list of the known organisms with the exception of snails, insects, and butterflies documented to date in the BFREE Reserve, along with their IUCN Status and Population Trend. Known species found on the BFREE Privately Protected Area include…

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Autumn Dietrich Completes 10-week Internship at BFREE

BFREE internship opportunities have returned since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. After more than two years of not hosting interns, Autumn Dietrich is welcomed with open arms to BFREE for a 10-week program from January to March 2022. Autumn is no stranger to BFREE. She first visited on a Field Course as an undergrad with…

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Documentarians visit BFREE

Professional photographers, videographers, and documentarians Jorge Silva Rivera and Carlos Miguel Herrera traveled from Chiapas, Mexico, to BFREE for 10-days in February 2022. Working with Zamia Media, the pair set out to document the people, facilities, wildlife, and natural beauty of BFREE. Zamia Media will then use the images and videos captured during their time to…

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Cacao Fellow, Mark Canti Illustrates Passion for Wildlife

BFREE Cacao Fellow, Mark Canti, continues to shine in various disciplines at BFREE. In his first year of the two-year Cacao Fellowship program, Mark has proven to be talented in cacao grafting and data collection. Though his focus is primarily on cacao, Mark has expressed that his interests are more than just agroforestry and that…

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