🎉 Celebrating 15 Years of UB-ERI: Research, Partnership, and Impact 🎉

This year, the University of Belize Environmental Research Institute (UB-ERI) proudly celebrates 15 years of advancing environmental research, conservation action, and scientific leadership in Belize. Since its founding in 2010, UB-ERI has become a national hub for applied environmental science, working across ecosystems, sectors, and borders to sustain Belize’s natural heritage.

We pay special tribute to our founders, Dr. Leandra Cho-Ricketts, Dr. Elma Kay, Julissa Lopez, and Ian Sangster, whose vision and determination established the foundation on which UB-ERI continues to thrive. We also celebrate the contributions of our many alumni, past and present staff, interns, students, and Steering Committee members, the UB-ERI family, whose collective efforts have shaped the institute’s success and resilience over the past 15 years.

From the beginning, the University of Belize has played a critical role in supporting UB-ERI’s mission, providing the institutional foundation that has enabled the institute to grow, adapt, and serve as a trusted research unit both nationally and internationally.

In the last 15 years, UB-ERI has invested over BZD $12.5 million in areas of mentorship, teaching, training, research, and monitoring, produced more than 50 peer-reviewed papers, 6 book chapters, 25+ technical reports and conservation plans, and developed 7 long-term monitoring datasets. This work has been grounded in collaboration, with UB-ERI engaging over 30 communities across Belize through participatory research, environmental education, and joint planning initiatives that support locally driven conservation and climate resilience.

Our monitoring programs, with our partners, have produced some of the most robust environmental datasets in Belize, including:

• 9 years of continuous bird monitoring across 6 banding stations, with over 6,150 birds banded

• 15 years of coral reef monitoring at 29 sites around Turneffe Atoll, informing reef health and marine management

• 42 mangrove field sites, contributing to Belize’s understanding of blue carbon ecosystems

• Over a decade of jaguar research, with data from 270 camera trap stations, covering 127,000+ hectares, more than 5% of Belize

At our 15-year anniversary celebration, we recognised all the partners and funders who make this work possible. Partnership awards were presented to key collaborators, the Belize Fisheries Department, Belize Forest Department, CATIE, the Belize Fund for a Sustainable Future, the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute, and the GEF Small Grants Programme, in appreciation of their sustained support and impact.

The contributions of all our partners have been instrumental in enabling UB-ERI to deliver high-impact, evidence-based research for Belize. We were proud to be joined by representatives from over 20 national and international partner organisations, reflecting the depth and diversity of support for UB-ERI’s work. These included organisations such as Boston University, Friends for Conservation and Development, MARAlliance, the Ministry of Blue Economy and Marine Conservation, the National Biodiversity Office, The Nature Conservancy, TASA, and TIDE, among many others. Their presence highlighted the spirit of collaboration that continues to drive environmental research, policy, and action in Belize.

We also took time to celebrate the contributions of our current UB-ERI staff and the dedication of University of Belize students and interns, with special recognition for those who have gone above and beyond in supporting our field and research programs.

UB-ERI’s story is one of collaboration, commitment, and belief in the power of science to inform change. We look forward to the next chapter, working with our partners to continue shaping a sustainable and biodiverse future for Belize.

We are grateful to Bowen & Bowen for their generous support with refreshments, and to Wings and Feathers for their kind contribution of event furnishings, both of which helped make the anniversary celebration possible.