Conservation & Preservation Study Abroad Programs in Belize

Toucan Education Programs (TOUCAN) is a social enterprise that collaborates with mission-driven colleges and universities to create custom, faculty-directed education abroad programs. We offer ethical, experiential, and intercultural learning opportunities that align with institutional goals of service, global awareness, and community engagement. As an active member of The Forum on Education Abroad, TOUCAN ensures that each program meets the Standards of Good Practice, prioritizing safe, ethical, and sustainable outcomes for all involved. Our dedicated team works closely with faculty directors and administrators, allowing educators to focus on academic content and student mentorship while we manage all logistical aspects for smooth program operation. Belize serves as an ideal "living laboratory," offering rich cultural diversity for impactful experiential and intercultural learning. Faculty can utilize Toucan’s Intercultural Learning Co-Curriculum (ILC) to enhance students' intercultural development. TOUCAN is committed to faculty success through community-engaged learning and rigorous adherence to best practices in health, safety, and security.

Earth Expeditions (EE) are Miami University study abroad courses designed for people looking for inspiring professional development opportunities while earning graduate credit. All courses engage with grassroots conservation and sustainability programs making a difference in Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. Our planned 2026 EE sites are the Amazon, Australia, Baja, Belize, Borneo, Brazil, Costa Rica, Galápagos, India, Kenya, Mongolia, Namibia, Paraguay, and Thailand. Awarding seven graduate credit hours (5 credits for the Summer Term + 2 credits for the Fall Semester), EE courses are hybrid and combine direct global study experiences with engagement in a web-based online learning community. Summer field courses typically run from mid-May through mid-August, with pre-course work beginning in April. The international field “in-country” portion of each class generally lasts 9-10 days. The 2-credit-hour follow-on fall semester course, “Inquiry & Action,” is entirely online and typically runs from late August to mid-December. This component is optional for students taking an EE course for stand-alone graduate credit outside the master’s program.

Snorkel the second largest barrier reef on the planet, off the coast of the diverse Central American nation of Belize, on this two-week field expedition. You’ll study the ecology and conservation of fish, the water-cleaning role of sponges, the sensitivity of corals to global climate change, and how reefs differ from ecosystems on land. Then, you’ll put your knowledge into practice on a remote Caribbean island – at the Glover’s Reef Research Station – in the middle of a world-class marine reserve. On the Coral Reef Ecology course you’ll submerge yourself in oceanography, marine biology, and marine conservation in a blended format. Begin with three weeks of online instruction, then embark on a life-changing marine science expedition to Belize, where you will conduct a research project of your own design, accompanied by experienced marine biologists.

This program provides an exciting opportunity to assist the Ya’axché Conservation Trust and work with Belize’s indigenous communities to preserve the Maya Golden Landscape. Operating out of field research camps, students will work alongside Ya’axché rangers and scientists conducting long-term ecological monitoring and habitat restoration efforts. Round River operates in the Maya Golden Landscape of southern Belize, an ancient socio-ecological system that harbors many of the region’s iconic species such as jaguar and Harpy Eagle. Ya’axché co-manages three protected areas, including Bladen Nature Reserve, one of the wildest forest tracts in Mesoamerica, Maya Mountain North Forest Reserve, and Golden Stream Corridor Preserve. Students will support Ya’axché with diverse conservation initiatives, from scientific research and monitoring to agroforestry production to environmental education in local Mayan communities. Join us in Belize to significantly contribute to conservation efforts in improving jaguar/human conflict, sustainable agroforestry as a buffer zone near core protected areas, and taste authentic Mayan chocolate.