Programs |winter Programs | BELIZE

Program Details

Location: Belize City, Belize

Dates: Winter 2027: January 20—March 4, 2027
Winter 2028: January 19—March 2, 2028

Applications: Accepted on a rolling admission basis

Accommodations: Primarily camping or rural lodge

Credits: 15 quarter credits or 10 semester credits

Language: English instruction

Courses: Environmental Wildlands Studies, Environmental Field Survey, Wildlands Environment and Culture

Prerequisites: One college course in environmental studies, environmental science, ecology or similar. 18 years of age.
Minimum 2.5 GPA

Belize Winter 2027
$    150    Application Fee
$ 7,750    Program Fee
$ 4,950    In-Country Logistics Fee
$ 1,100    Estimated Airfare and Mandatory Travel Insurance
$  400    Estimated Food and Personal Spending

$14,350  Total Estimated Cost
Winter 2027: Program fees due by November 1, 2026  

Belize Winter 2028
$    150    Application Fee
$ 8,600    Program Fee
$ 5,050    In-Country Logistics Fee
$ 1,100    Estimated Airfare and Mandatory Travel Insurance
$  400    Estimated Food and Personal Spending

$15,300  Total Estimated Cost
Winter 2028: Program fees due by November 1, 2027 

Belize, a country just slightly larger than New Jersey, supports an impressive number of ecosystems and species. As part of the Mesoamerican Biodiversity Hotspot, Belize is home to thousands of species. Unique wildlife such as Baird's tapirs, jaguars, scarlet macaws, black howler monkeys, and Morelet's crocodiles seek refuge among Belize's diverse habitats, while sea turtles, manatees, and colorful fish make their home among the Belize Barrier Reef, a 190-mile-long stretch of the second-largest coral reef system in the world!

Traversing the country from "ridge to reef," students will explore biodiversity across Belize's terrestrial, coastal, and marine ecosystems. These environments serve as a living laboratory as our team conducts wildlife transects and practices ecological research and monitoring techniques. Although program sites vary by year, students on the Belize program can expect to camp and hike in wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, and protected areas as they learn about tropical ecology, wildlife, and coral reef systems. Program highlights include completing BioBlitz surveys at Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, sampling macroinvertebrates in the Sibun River, and monitoring sea turtle nests and seagrass beds along the coast; spotting unique birds and learning about avian conservation at Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary; observing howler monkeys at the Community Baboon Sanctuary while seeing how community engagement and conservation intersect; spending time at Las Cuevas Research Station, immersed in the Selva Maya, the largest tropical rainforest in Mesoamerica and part of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor; learning about fire ecology and sustainable forestry while hiking through pine forests in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve; snorkeling at Tobacco Caye while studying coral ecology and reef restoration; visiting cultural sites such as Caracol, the largest Maya ruin in Belize; and engaging with the blended cultures of modern-day Belize while developing respect for their histories, customs, daily activities, and the challenges of living in this region.

By the end of the program, students will have a strong foundation in tropical ecology and in-depth knowledge of Belize's extraordinarily rich ecological and cultural diversity. They will have developed the ability to apply scientific field methods and observation across a variety of conservation contexts and assess the effectiveness of resource management strategies in Belize's protected natural areas. Through this lens, students will carry forward a deep understanding of the importance and complexities of the human dimensions of wildlife stewardship.

Stories From the Field

Elizabeth Brazil

Belize 2025 Alumni

“To tell just one story from my Wildlands experience feels nearly impossible; each day was its own adventure. One night we headed to the beach to monitor endangered Hawksbill turtles. After several hours, many miles, and tumbling into the waves, I finally witnessed one of the most breathtaking sights: an adult Hawksbill nesting her eggs. It’s a remarkable event to be able to witness, and being there in that moment filled me with immense gratitude. Another evening, the Creole locals taught us how to play drums and dance the Sambai, a traditional Creole dance. We laughed, danced to music, and ended the night swimming in the glowing bioluminescent water. An experience I’ll never forget. 

We swam in waterfalls, snorkeled through mangroves and crystal-blue Caribbean waters, and explored a sacred Mayan offering cave (complete with ancient human teeth and handmade pots thousands of years old). We canoed and kayaked along lush, meandering rivers; listened to fascinating stories from Indigenous locals around the campfire; and relaxed in hammocks between adventures.

We attended lectures on the beach (sometimes even while chilling in the water), backpacked beneath a vibrant canopy alive with howler monkeys and birds, and learned from brilliant environmentalists. We climbed to the tops of ancient Mayan ruins, hiked through dense broadleaf forests at night, and watched the jungle come alive around us. We surveyed crocodiles and alligators under the stars, hand-fed bats and watched manatees glide by.

Beyond the adventures, the people we met and connections we built were truly extraordinary. Every single day left me in awe of the world around me and deeply grateful for all that I was able to see and learn.”

Watch the Belize Video

Program Photo Gallery

Daniel Couceiro

LEAD INSTRUCTOR

PhD Candidate in Education and Learning Sciences, Wageningen University

Daniel is a conservation biologist and ecologist focused on the connection that humans hold with the land, and how this sense of place and territory can be leveraged to motivate environmental stewardship. Daniel has worked in the Peruvian Amazon as the manager of the Wired Amazon Project, a citizen-science research initiative that investigates jaguar populations, Brazil nut trees phenology and discovers new species of insects.  He became a National Geographic Explorer and Rufford Grantee in 2020 with the creation of a conservation education program in Colombia oriented towards the engagement of the youth of rural communities in wildlife protection. Living half the year in Bulgaria and the second half in Colombia, Daniel works as a consultant for different conservation projects. Daniel leads our Belize and New Zealand Programs.

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