Wilber Martinez

“It’s my passion to protect wildlife and its habitat. Where I used to live in northern Belize, much of the forest has been cut down for sugar cane production. In central Belize there are still many forests that can be protected though they too are being threatened.”

Wilber’s career at Runaway Creek Nature Reserve began with the Birds Without Borders program for avian research, begun at the Reserve by Dr. Gil Boese. His responsibilities have grown to becoming National Coordinator for the Foundation for Wildlife Conservation, owner of Runaway Creek Nature Reserve.

While directing the program in Belize, Wilber is also pursuing his Phd in Biodiversity and Conservation. Under Wilber’s leadership, two tapirs have been successfully trapped and collared. This is a major accomplishment for supplying critical data needed to identify and protect habitat for the Baird’s tapir. “My favorite favorite part of my job is being out in the field doing research and collecting data used to design methodologies to conserve them. Runaway Creek is vital to the connection of critical areas in Belize. That’s where research comes in. We gather the necessary data to establish laws to conserve the habitat.”

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