Our Work

La Milpa Renovations © Herbert Haylock

The Belize Conservation Fund provides important financial support for conservation work in Belize. By supporting the Belize Conservation Fund, you will directly help the important conservation work of Belizean organizations with which Mass Audubon has partnered.

Programme for Belize (PfB)

Founded by Mass Audubon in 1988, Programme for Belize is an independent Belizean nonprofit organization with a mission to preserve and protect 262,000 acres of tropical forest in northern Belize called the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area (RBCMA). This vitally important area represents approximately 4 percent of Belize’s total land area. In terms of natural vegetation communities, the RBCMA is the most diverse protected area in Belize. It also contains one of the largest Mayan ruins in Belize.

PfB operates 2 facilities for visitors and researchers—La Milpa and Hill Bank Lodges. PfB is striving for financial self-sufficiency for this protected area over time through earned revenue from ecotourism and sustainable forestry.

Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE)

Mass Audubon partner TIDE protects the 160-square mile Port Honduras Marine Reserve and manages 60,000 acres of wildlife habitat including the Paynes Creek National Park for the government of Belize and protected lands it owns in southern Belize. The reserve is recognized for high biodiversity, with a robust belt of unaltered mangroves and sandy coasts that provide a critical link between terrestrial and marine environments.

Approximately 4,500 people live in adjacent communities, with additional fishing pressure stemming from poachers. The reserve encompasses estuarine near-shore communities and extends to protect fringing reefs and associated habitat that is unique to the country.

Certificate Program in Bird Ecology

Adapted from Mass Audubon Joppa Flats’ successful Birder’s Certificate Program and International Intern Program, the Certificate Program in Bird Ecology educates Latin American naturalist guides and teachers about the fundamentals of ornithology, leadership skills (especially for leading birders from North America), and bird conservation.

Each student receives an extensive program syllabus with detailed outlines for each of the program modules. This syllabus is intended to serve as a resource and reference for the students’ future development.