Project Life
Volunteer Work in Belize

Volunteers will be involved in a wide variety of practical conservation activities in tropical forest and coastal lagoon environments – research, education and reserve maintenance tasks. The reserve maintenance tasks include: trail and boundary maintenance, conducting fish and crocodile surveys, camera trapping mammals, assessing jaguar populations, working on construction tasks, assisting and/or running environmental field courses for local children, and assisting local communities with sustainable development projects. Many of the activities are based in the Fireburn Reserve and associated Balam Na Reserve, in Belize’s north-eastern Biological Corridor. At times there is also the need for people willing to take on the task of caring for orphaned manatees.

Belize Audubon Society:

The Belize Audubon Society manages nine of Belize’s national parks on behalf of the Belize Government. Each park has a park director, an assistant park director and a team of wardens. Participants will be involved in practical conservation of these national parks, working as part of a team with local wardens. Much of the work involves maintaining trails and other site maintenance activities, with supervision and on-the-job training.

The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary contains the best of Belize’s inland natural wonders into a single national protected area – waterfalls and rivers, mountains and streams, tropical forests, jaguars, scarlet macaws and other wildlife. It is the largest of the national protected areas managed by Belize Audubon Society, set in the Maya Mountains and cloaked in tropical forest. Volunteers are involved in patrolling the sanctuary and assisting with the trail maintenance (including the Victoria Peak trail to the highest peak in Belize). Volunteer accommodation in the sanctuary is in a warden's hut on site, sharing with other GVI volunteers and the night warden. It is very basic with cold running water, showers and laundry in a bucket, yet there is solar electricity in the visitor kitchen (which is equipped with a stove and refrigerator).

The Half Moon Caye Natural Monument/Blue Hole Natural Monument is located on a quintessentially tropical coral island, which contains beautiful coconut trees and coral sand, and has a reef teaming with fish just offshore and Belize’s biggest nesting colony of Red Footed Boobies. Here at the Half Moon Caye, located on Belize’s furthest Atoll, volunteers will help with the maintenance of this part of the World Heritage Site and with the protection of the Blue Hole, a world famous dive site. Tasks include trail maintenance, and assisting with patrols. Volunteer accommodation is in a warden's house on site, which you will share with other GVI volunteers and the wardens. The accommodation is very basic, having cold running water, showers, and laundry in a bucket, yet the house is equipped with stove and refrigerator.

Institute of Archaeology:

The Institute of Archaeology is responsible for the management of all Ancient Maya sites within Belize. The Maya flourished in northern Middle America for more than a thousand years (approximately 500BC to 1000AD), leaving their mark in the ancient sites that are scattered throughout the region. These sites in Belize are now being protected and managed for ecotourism. Volunteers will be based at one of two major archaeological sites and get involved in the practical conservation of archaeological reserves in Belize, working as part of a team of local wardens to maintain trails and help with other site maintenance and project activities.

Caracol Archaeological Reserve is the largest site in Belize, and also one of the largest in the Mayan world. Located on a remote rainforest plateau in the west of the country, it covers a core area of 15 square miles and has a central temple rising 145 feet above the jungle floor. Parrots fly overhead, Red-eyed Treefrogs have taken up residence in the Mayan water reservoirs, and the calls of Yucatan Black Howler Monkeys echo amongst the trees and across the Mayan plazas. Here volunteer accommodation is in double rooms in the administration building on-site, shared with other GVI Volunteers. It is very basic with cold running water, showers and laundry in a bucket. Wardens and volunteers share all cooking and kitchen chores.

Lamanai Archaeological Reserve, located on New River Lagoon, contains one of Belize’s most popular archaeological sites, Lamanai. The reserve encompasses spectacular Maya structures, and rich wildlife in the surrounding forest and adjacent lagoon. Volunteers will be able to see numerous species, including howler monkeys, crocodiles and a broad array of birds. Volunteer accommodation is in a warden hut on site, shared with other GVI volunteers. It is basic, having cold running water, showers and laundry in a bucket. Wardens and volunteers share all cooking and kitchen chores.