Belize Big Cats and Primates Research

Belize is a very beautiful and diverse country. It makes you think a lot about One Health and how to be mindful of the needs of the local communities and the wildlife. We learned a lot about jaguars, howler and spider monkeys and how they are affected by natural disasters and humans.

I love that I was able to experience and immerse my self into a new culture. During this experience we stayed in different villages in Belize, and I felt that I was able to get and authentic perspective. I love eating the different flavors of food they had down there.

The best part of this trip was meeting like-minded individuals! The team at TEC made my trip wonderful, providing for me despite my diet restrictions. Our program leader also made the trip so comfortable and fun! Thank you

This trip was absolutely amazing! Everyone we worked with was incredible, informative, passionate, fun, and inspiring. All of the planned activities were so fun (my favs being snorkeling ang hiking at Cockscomb)! I learned valuable skills about animal research which I know is going to make me a better vet in the future! I could go on and on but overall this trip made me realize that I want to include wildlife conservation in my career path which I think says a lot within itself. I also think it made me a better person overall - I am so much more conscious on how my choices affect the environment (and therefore animals and humans). The course work is relevant and taught in a way that is easy to understand and engaging. I did not feel like I was taking an actual class (which was good for me since I went after I graduated and the last thing I wanted was to sit in a lecture). I would go back in a heartbeat :)

Last summer I had several surgeries and thought I might not be able to walk again. Only 3 short months after finishing physical therapy, I was on this trip, hiking, swimming, and walking around the Belize Zoo. Dr. Hartwell, Raj, and Ray were a few of the many people who poured into us and made Belize feel like home! The curriculum was amazing and I learned more in my two weeks than I thought I ever would on these animals! You'll learn a lot and form friendships that will last a lifetime!

I had an amazing trip this summer- each day was well balanced, I think, so that we learned tons and also got to enjoy the culture and more adventurous activities as well. The people leading the program and our guest speakers all week were truly amazing, they always made us feel welcome. I learned so much and I’m so thankful for the opportunity to explore the beautiful country and learn about conservation for two weeks.

I am so glad I picked this program as it was one of the best experiences of my life. I have been around the globe, but Belize by far has been one of my favorite locations, from the scenery to the culture and people. Dr. Hartwell, Ray, Raj, and everyone on the trip made me feel incredibly welcome in a place I had never been before. I gained hands-on experience that I will take with me in my future career and learned much more than I had imagined. I arrived in Belize unsure of what to expect, and left with an unforgettable experience and lifelong friends.

I can honestly say that I have never had an experience like this one and probably will never have anything come close to it again. This trip was my first time traveling outside of the United States and the staff with Loop Abroad made it incredibly easy and smooth to get to where I needed to be. I was able to get some incredible hands on experience and was fully immersed into what field research looks like day to day. Dr. Kayla, Ray and Raj made it so much fun and inclusive throughout our short two weeks. Aside from the amazing animal experience, hands on learning, valuable knowledge and incredible country I got to explore, I made friends for life with everyone involved in the program. As a pre-veterinary student this trip was extremely valuable as I was able to realize that conservation is a path that is intriguing and possible for me to go down. If someone were to ask me if they should go on this abroad program, I would tell them a thousand times yes.