Thank you for choosing to donate to BFREE!

Due to our remoteness and the harsh tropical climate, obtaining and maintaining supplies can be a great challenge for BFREE staff. Please use this guide as a reference point for up-to-date needs at the BFREE Research Station. We can provide a letter acknowledging the dollar value of your donation at the time it is received. 

If you are visiting BFREE in person, please consider making a littler extra room in your bag when packing for your trip to bring any small donations you can carry such as batteries, headlamps, books or first aid supplies such as antihistamines, pain-relievers, antibiotic ointment, anti-itch creams, and band-aids.

If you are not visiting the BFREE Research Station in person and would like to donate any of the below items, please contact BFREE directly at: contact@bfreebz.org

ELECTRONICS: 

One of the many challenges BFREE faces operating in a tropical climate is the harsh impacts the weather has on our electronics. The BFREE staff heavily depend on access to electronics such as lap tops, cameras and GPS units to properly support our many ongoing activities and research endeavors. However, the extreme humidity and harsh rainforest climate causes these electronics to fail in a relatively short amount of time. We would greatly benefit from any donation of new or gently used electronics and supplies. 

Current needs consist of: 

1. Batteries – AA and AAA batteries are a necessity at BFREE and are especially important in headlamps when our staff lead groups on night hikes. Unfortunately, batteries purchased in Belize are generally knock-off brands that don’t last through more than a few uses.
2. Headlamps – Headlamps are essential to functioning at night at BFREE. Preferred headlamps are ones with a strong beam as well as with rechargeable batteries or that are able to be charged with a USB. Black Diamond and Petzel make great rechargeable lights with strong beams. 
3. Laptops – New or Refurbished laptops to be used for email, photo upload and storage as well as word processing are greatly appreciated. Laptops with Microsoft Office already loaded is ideal.
4. Digital Point and Shoot Cameras – Cameras have one of the shortest lifespans in tropical settings yet are one of the most important tools used. New or gently used point and shoot digital cameras are needed to document wildlife, people, research activities and are used by BFREE Rangers when encountering illegal activity on the property. Digital cameras that are waterproof and have rechargeable batteries are ideal. Some of the best brands we have used are Olympus Cybershot, Panasonic Lumix, and Nikon Coolpix. 
5. Digital SLR Camera – New or gently used Digital SLR cameras with a good zoom lens is needed for avian techs to document birds while completing bird surveys around BFREE. 
6. Solar Lights – There is no electricity available for our Rangers when they patrol our boundary line and camp at their Observation Post. Solar lights are very useful for our Park Rangers to use while patrolling at night to eliminate the need of continuously replacing batteries in headlamps. 

BOOKS: 

BFREE’s library is moving to a new location at the Cacao Discovery Center. With more space and a designated room; it is an exciting time to both replace bug-eaten, humidity drenched books and expand with additional resources.  We are interested in materials that help student, researchers, and staff better understand the habitat, wildlife and other aspects of tropical living. We would greatly appreciate any addition to our library.

Possible book and resource topics might include:

1. Field Guides for the tropics (birds, mammals, insects, reptiles, plants, fish, etc)
2. Laminated ID cards specific to the region
3. Belize Travel Guides
4. World Atlas and Maps (book form)
5. Tropical Ecology
6. Rainforest conservation
7. Agroforestry
8. Captive husbandry of reptiles (turtles in particulars)
9. Protected Areas
10. Watershed Ecology

VEHICLES: 

The BFREE Research Station is located off of a 10km/6 mile unpaved dirt road. The entrance road requires a lot of maintenance and diligent care to remain passable by our 4×4 truck. 

1. Tractor – A tractor with a front end loader would be of great assistant in maintaining the entrance road. 
2. Utility ATV – ATV’s are used by our Park Rangers to patrol the BFREE property as well as to transport gear around the field station’s 1,153 acres. 

ABOUT BFREE:

BFREE is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and conservation of the Maya Mountains Massif. BFREE’s mission is “to conserve the biodiversity and cultural heritage of Belize.” As the only field station in this biologically significant area, BFREE seeks to achieve its mission by successfully integrating scientific research, environmental education and conservation, while also enhancing sustainable development and providing alternative livelihoods for local community members. We can provide a letter acknowledging the dollar value of your donation at the time it is received. 

Lime Caye is an exciting destination and snorkeling here is probably one of the most adventurous parts of your journey. While every student going to Lime Caye looks forward to the snorkeling, the little island has so much more to offer. Your days at Lime Caye are going to be full of adventure, wild life and so many memories.

Lime Caye is located within the Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve, a nationally protected marine reserve established in 1996. The island  is amongst the southern most group of islands in the Belize Barrier Reef which is the second longest barrier reef in the entire world.

As your day at Lime Caye begins you will eat breakfast, probably fry jacks, creole bread, or Johnny cake,  which are all local favorites. From there you’ll get ready to snorkel and adventure the waters near Lime Caye. Be sure to lather up with some environmentally friendly sunscreen before you hop in to the water to avoid burns and hurting the reef. On your first snorkel the Marine staff will fit you for the gear they have provided and give a tutorial about how to use it. Don’t be worried if you’re not a strong swimmer or have never snorkeled before, the buoyant snorkel vest will keep you floating and the staff is always near by if you have any questions or concerns. While you’re snorkeling you will come across many marine organisms you may not recognize. Feel free to ask the staff what they are and any other questions you have about them. Like the student pictured to the left, you may have just come across a Sea Cucumber! Before touching any wildlife make sure to ask your guide if it is okay, they know which ones you can touch and how you should handle them. Touching some of the animals or coral could hurt you or the wildlife so this is extremely important. Your snorkel trip will last anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour, then it’s time to head back to shore, dry off, and get ready for some island activities.

Lime Caye has plenty of entertainment for during the snorkeling breaks. Whether you are playing volleyball, journaling, preparing your project if you have one, exploring the island, having a hermit crab race or just relaxing on the beach, the time will fly by and soon it will be lunch time! For lunch you can usually expect tortillas, beans, rice and steamed veggies. If your group goes fishing, fresh seafood caught by you will also be served. These foods are all Belizean favorites and are staples to their meals at home. After lunch you’ll have a little bit more of down time and then it’s time to hop back in the Caribbean Sea!

Depending on how long each snorkel trip is, you may go snorkel for a third time or you may head over to Hunting Caye. Hunting Caye is an adjacent Caye where the Belize Fisheries Department and the Belizean Coast Guard will give a presentation. The presentation will be all about how they control illegal fishing, the laws of the marine reserve, and some of the wildlife you may have encountered. If a marine biologist is also at the presentation you’ll likely learn about the lion fish, the coral reef, and any project they are working on at the time. Feel free to ask them questions, they love to talk about Belize and give the students as much information as possible.

Once the presentation is over you’ll head back to Lime Caye to grab some dinner and relax for the night. You can expect food similar to lunch, a stew, or a new recipe if Ms. Sandra is feeling creative. Many students like to take a little nap in a hammock while they watch the sunset from the beach. Once you start to get tired, which will probably be early after such an adventurous day, you can grab a shower and head off to bed. While staying at Lime Caye you will be sleeping in a dorm like building, each room has two bunk beds prepared for you when you arrive. If you dare to be different, some students will stay in a tent or even sleep in a hammock.

Whether you are at Lime Caye for a night or for three nights you are guaranteed to have an adventurous story to tell about the locals, the animals and plants you saw in the sea, or even the hermit crab races. The island is calling you, get ready to answer.