BFREE Protection Program

Protection Program

BFREE park rangers patrol the 1,153-acre property and its boundaries 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In addition to their critical patrol of the property, BFREE Protection Program Rangers document wildlife and weather patterns as part of our long-term monitoring initiatives.

Rangers collect data on large mammals and large birds using camera trapping technology. Weather data has been collected since 1995 and continues both in hand-written form and via Hoboware weather stations situated throughout the property.

Further Details

The Threat

An area of rainforest directly next to an area that's been burned for farmland.

BFREE sits at the edge of wild areas being actively deforested for agriculture, threatening the surrounding protected areas of the Bladen Nature Reserve, Maya Mountain Forest Reserve, and the Deep River Forest Reserve.

The Need

A toucan at the Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education

The dynamic 1,153 acres of privately protected land at BFREE, along with the surrounding protected areas, are a wealth of biodiversity and an incredible opportunity for, education, exploration, and conservation.

The Action Taken

A BFREE Protection Program staff member holds a camera he is setting up in the Rainforest

Beyond research-based duties, Rangers at BFREE monitor and protect the growing line of deforestation threatening the surrounding ecosystems through agricultural development and unsustainable practices.

Areas of land protected

Days of the year BFREE rangers are on duty

Trail cameras in place to document wildlife

Hours a day rangers are on patrol

Being a Ranger at BFREE

How long has BFREE had full-time Rangers monitoring the land?

The current protection program was re-established in 2014 with Head Ranger, Sipriano Canti, leading the charge. Since that time, a ranger team has been hired, the boundary line has been clearly demarcated, observation posts have been constructed and an interior trail system has been created for safe movement throughout the property.

What do Park Rangers do at BFREE?

BFREE Park Rangers are always on the move. They patrol the entire property on a daily basis to ensure that it is safe from threats like poaching, fire, and other natural disasters. They monitor the plant and wildlife population of the reserve. They are in charge of the safety and security of BFREE staff and guests. They also lead jungle hikes for guests and collaborate on research projects with visiting scholars.

How do you train to become a Ranger?

Rangers at BFREE follow a strict ranger protocol established specifically for the property. Most have received on-the-job training at BFREE or in past work as Belize Defense Force officers and police.

Rangers Stations

A BFREE Protection Program ranger station on stilts with a screen covered first floor and a white building with green strips on the second.

Ranger Station 1

OP1 is a two-story wooden ranger station strategically located on the eastern boundary of BFREE’s privately protected area. It serves as the primary facility for the protection program and houses the BFREE team of rangers while they conduct patrols and ensure the property and everything within it is protected and secured.

A short-term ranger station at BFREE featuring an a-frame thatch roof open-air space with cut log seats.

Ranger Station 2

OP2 is a thatch structure strategically located along the western boundary line of BFREE, adjacent to the Bladen River. The facility is used by the rangers to monitor the river for possible incursions from poachers.

BFREE Protection Program wooden ranger station featuring a wooden a-frame building on stilts in the rainforest

Ranger Station 3

Built in 2024, this newest base is used by BFREE rangers for monitoring the interior of the property, including BFREE’s cacao agroforestry program.

Canti Cam

Head Ranger, Sipriano Canti, manages a collection of trail cameras through BFREE offering a unique view of the rainforest during the day and night! Subscribe to our youtube for more.