INTRODUCTION The genus, Chamaedorea (locally referred to as xate) is the largest palm genus in Central America (Henderson et al. 1995) with an estimated 75% of the species being threatened. In Belize, there are 12 reported species, including the three most favored species in the floral industry (Chamaedorea elegans, C. ernesti-augustii and C. oblongata) and […]

Visiting QCC in London The Queens Commonwealth Canopy (QCC) has been heralded as one of those unique endeavors championed by the Queen of England aimed at bringing together the family of Commonwealth nations to protect their forest resources. For Belize, the Chiquibul National Park was accepted as part of the QCC initiative. Since its acceptance, […]

Bald Hills Under Threat The Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve (MPRFR) was first declared a protected area in 1944. By 1977, the reserve was comprised of 127,203 acres. The latest known gazette, SI 43 of 2012 puts the acreage of MPRFR at 106,457.60 acres. The Bald Hills, located on the eastern edge, is characterized by […]

MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIR The non-governmental work that FCD does is, truly, a labor of love. Its mandate is the protection and conservation of 5.5% of our country’s landmass. As one may imagine, this is not a very easy task. What is even more incredible, is the fact that FCD expends most of its […]

Taiwan Ambassador Visits Chiquibul A helicopter had not landed at Las Cuevas Research Station in many years. That changed in September when the Taiwanese Ambassador to Belize, Mr. Charles Liu and his staff, accompanied by the Commander of the Belize Defence Force, General David Jones visited the research station, located in the heart of the […]