Belize’s flora and fauna is just another reason why Beyond Touring wants you to become involved with this extraordinary country.

Belize’s people, its wildlife, and its geography is marked by astounding diversity that includes:

1) upland ecosystems - Mountain Pine Ridge, broadleaf forest

2) lowland ecosystems - broadleaf forests, savannas, riverine systems, freshwater wetlands, and coastal and marine systems

This incredible biodiversity offers numerous opportunities for marvelous natural history encounters that include seeing some of the:

1) over 540 species of birds

2) over 130 species of mammals

3) over 3,000 species of vascular plants

Belize stands out from other Central American, and for that matter South American, countries because it is protecting 60% of its tropical forests including the 157,066 acres Belize Audubon protects, and the 260,000 acres that Program for Belize protects which constitutes 4% of Belize’s land mass.

Below are links to people and organizations that are making a difference in Belize.  These sites will also provide you with more information on the flora, fauna, and geography of Belize.

Belize Audubon (BAS):

http://www.belizeaudubon.org/

BAS is a non-profit, non-governmental, membership organization dedicated to the promotion of the sustainable use and preservation of our natural resources in order to maintain a balance between people and the environment.

Program for Belize:

http://www.pfbelize.org/

The Programme for Belize (PFB) is a Belizean, non-profit organization, established in 1988, to promote the conservation of the natural heritage of Belize and to promote wise use of its natural resources. The Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area (RBCMA) is its flagship project where Programme for Belize demonstrates the practical application of its principles.

Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center:

http://www.belizezoo.org/

This zoo was created because of orphaned animals from the making of documentary films about tropical forests. This is not your typical zoo creation story, nor is Sharon Matola, the driving force behind it.  Sharon and her staff have made the zoo the most visited destination in all of Belize! Beyond Touring supports the zoo because it has wonderful educational programs and is making a real difference in Belize. 

Green Hills Butterfly Ranch and Botanic Garden

http://www.belizex.com/green_hills.htm

Green Hills offers tours of their butterfly ranch and botanic garden, the experience is educational based and is also research orientated. The main flight area makes it possible to study interactions between different butterfly species while smaller breeding units make it possible to study individual species.   In addition, there is ongoing research in other areas not necessarily directly related to butterflies. Both Jan Meerman and Tineke Boomsma are well known in Belize for their environmental, taxonomic and ecological studies and much attention is devoted to conservation activities.