• Crocodile

    Monitoring Belize's Crocodiles

    The survival of both the Morelet's crocodile and the American crocodile in Belize is threatened because of the development of their wetland habitat. We are collecting data on the growth and distribution of these species as part of a long-term monitoring project.

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  • Community-based Wild Cat Conservation

    Our camera trap program captures photos of all five of Belize's elusive wild cats: the jaguar, puma, ocelot, jaguarundi, and margay. Photos and tracks help us determine how the cats use habitats including human-dominated areas such as farms and ranches.

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  • Researching the Endangered Hicatee

    The hicatee (Central American river turtle) has been overharvested to the point of near extinction from the rivers throughout its range. We are starting a long-term hicatee research and monitoring program in the New River Lagoon and surrounding areas.

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  • Outreach through Naturalist Activities

    We welcome visitors to join us for a variety of educational naturalist activities including ancient Maya ruins tours, Maya medicine trails, nature walks, and night walks.

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Mission

Lamanai Field Research Center (LFRC) is a non-profit organization established in 1992 to promote sustainable utilization of Belize’s natural and cultural resources for the benefit of the Belizean people, through research in the Lamanai area, and through national education and ecotourism opportunities.

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Lamanai

Lamanai is an ancient Maya center in Northern Belize that was continuously occupied for almost three millennia. The area has more than 700 Maya structures and the largest inland body of fresh water in Belize, the New River Lagoon. Lamanai’s wide variety of habitats in a small area promotes species diversity, as seen by its healthy populations of several endangered animals and nearly 400 species of birds.