Belize Raptor Research Institute

History

The Belize Raptor Research Institute is a non-profit organization started in 2008 by Ryan Phillips, Raptor Biologist, in response to the many threats and lack of information on Neotropical raptor species. The Neotropics holds one of the least understood of all the raptor communities across the globe with basic natural history information lacking for most species.

With Belize having a human population of less than 350,000 and being nearly 50% protected through National Parks, Nature Reserves, Conservation Areas, Forest Reserves and Wildlife Sanctuaries it is an ideal location to establish a raptor conservation organization.

BRRI is based in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve in the Cayo District on 15 acres where a facility will be constructed by 2015 for researchers and visitors. Currently, BRRI is studying all three hawk-eagle species, the rare Solitary Eagle and the Stygian Owl, along with the raptor migration through Belize. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Mission

BRRI helps protect neotropical raptors in the northern Central America region through the sound science approach. We strive to learn about raptors in the wild through extensive field research, while educating the local and international public about raptor conservation.

Goals

Better understand neotropical raptors through sound science, so better management decisions can be made
Provide education outreach throughout Belize and the region
Train future conservationists and raptor biologists in field research techniques
Provide volunteer and internship opportunities for national and international students
Partner up with local and international conservation groups
Help protect raptors in the wild through education and research

Meet Our Board of Directors

Flavien Daguise, President

Flavien is a hotel manager that has specialized in small eco-lodges in southern Africa. He originally started as a nature conservationist and “big five” wildlife guide in Africa. As a guide, Flavien worked in both private reserves and national parks assisting researchers in fieldwork with various species. Over time, the management of eco-lodges became his priority and he has worked with local staff in both the hospitality industry and ecological management. From 2007-2011, Flavien and his wife, Beverly, managed a small lodge in Belize called Hidden Valley Inn, where they merged conservation and tourism. Flavien is currently managing the Xanadu Island Resort in San Pedro, Belize, which is the first Green Globe Island Certified property in Belize.

Jan Meerman, Vice-President

Jan has a degree in Biology and Ecology and specializes in environmental, biodiversity and natural resource topics. He has been active in information analysis, strategic planning, project design and project evaluation in Belize, as well as other countries in Central America and the Caribbean. As an environmental specialist, he has performed several Environmental Impact Assessments and Natural Resource Inventories as well as produced numerous Management Plans. Jan has developed into one of the few GIS specialists in Belize that has contributed original datasets that are now publicly available. Important among these are: the Central American Ecosystems Map: Belize; the 2005 National Protected Areas Systems Analysis; Fire Risk Assessment; Survey of Land Degradation in Belize; and Land Use Change Detection (Deforestation) for Belize. All of these and other data are shared by means of a biodiversity clearinghouse http://www.biodiversity.bz, which was established and managed by Jan.

Richard Kuehn, Treasurer

Richard is a resident of northern California where he lives at The Sea Ranch, a planned community on the Pacific Ocean. A retired OB/GYN physician who now does volunteer work with hospice clients, Rich became interested in raptors and their protection through involvement with his local Audubon chapters. He’s served on the Board of Directors of both the Sequoia Audubon Society and the Mendocino Coast Audubon Society. He is a member and past Chair of The Sea Ranch California Coastal National Monument (CCNM) Stewardship Task Force, a project of Madrone Audubon Society, actively engaged in monitoring seabird species attempting to reproduce upon islands and rocks within the CCNM. Richard was recently appointed to the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council, where he serves as the Alternate Member-at-Large representing Marin and Sonoma Counties. He has traveled extensively throughout the world, having visited the Central American region, including Belize, multiple times during his sojourns to more than 125 countries.

Marta Curti, Secretary

Marta has worked in wildlife conservation and environmental education for the past fourteen years. She began her career working for the National Park Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Arizona, Alaska, and New Mexico. Currently, Marta is a field biologist for the The Peregrine Fund. She has been with this organization since 2000 and has worked on release projects for the Aplomado Falcon and the California Condor in the U.S., as well as numerous field projects outside of the U.S., including the Harpy Eagle Restoration Project, The Orange-breasted Falcon Project, and the Ridgway’s Hawk Project.

Jim Beveridge, Member

Jim was born in Scotland in 1942. He immigrated to Canada in 1965 where he worked as a registered plumber and first class diver for several years before moving south to Amazonas where he began working for a United States quarantine station. In 1972, Jim moved to Belize and worked for three dive operations as a dive guide before starting his own business in diving and underwater photography, which he later expanded to include all wildlife photography. He served on both the Reef Preservation and Half Moon Caye Committees and conducted research on endangered nesting sea turtles and manatees. Jim retired in 2002, but he continues to fulfill his passion for nature and conservation by serving on the BRRI Board of Directors and being a long-time member of the Belize Audubon Society.

Tony Garel, Member

Tony has had a lifetime interest in wildlife and conservation. Born in Jamaica, he moved to Belize in 1976 as a young boy and he soon became fascinated and well-educated about the flora and fauna of the region. In 1985, he began work at The Belize Zoo & Tropical Education Center and for the next 20 years served as curator and manager. Tony left his position at the Belize Zoo to follow his life-long passion for reptiles. He is currently the Director of the Belize Herpetarium & Aquarium Park and has served as President of the Sibun Watershed Association (SWA), the President of the Belize Alliance of Conservation NGO’s (BACONGO), and Vice Chair for the Board of Directors of the Belize Zoo & Tropical Education Center. He is also the author of the book “Field Guide to the Snakes of Belize” which was published in 1996. Tony continues to be one of the foremost experts on reptiles and amphibians in the country.

Roni Martinez, Member

Roni, a native of Belize, worked as a natural history guide at Blancaneaux Lodge in Belize from 2004 until 2009. It was there that he developed a passion for birds and other wildlife, as well as their conservation. In 2009, Roni became Blancaneaux’s first Conservation Officer. As a result of this position, he works along with many different researchers and conservation NGOs, who share the same vision. Currently, his work involves research and collaboration on several projects with species such as jaguars: birds, especially macaws and raptors: and bats. His work with other conservation organizations, such as serving on the Board of Directors of Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD), has been crucial in maintaining a proactive effort in conserving biodiversity and wildlife habitat in Belize.

Meet Our Executive Director

Ryan Phillips, Executive Director

Ryan is the Founder and Executive Director of the Belize Raptor Research Institute. The founding of BRRI represented the culmination of one of Ryan’s lifelong goals of creating a conservation organization. After graduating from the University of California at Davis in Wildlife, Conservation Biology and Fisheries with a specialization in Ornithology he moved to Belize to work for The Peregrine Fund on the Harpy Eagle Restoration Project. He spent extensive time in Central America and worked in Belize for three years, prior to starting BRRI. Ryan has been involved in many conservation projects and currently teaches in California at De Anza College in the Environmental Studies Department, as well as being the Co-Principal Investigator for the field projects of the Wildlife Corridor Technician Program.

ADVISORY BOARD

Marcus Canuto
William Clark
Knut Eisermann
Jack Eitniear
Allen Fish
H. Lee Jones
Lloyd Kiff
Sharon Matola
Steven McGhee
Trevor Roe
Neil Rogers
Russell Thorstrom
Ursula Valdez
Hernan Vargas