University of Belize
(TOUR4152) Protected Areas Management
Assignment 2: Non-Governmental Organizations:
Dr. Vincent Palacio
Rony Espinosa
March 17, 2020
Hill Bank Field Station, home of the Morelet Crocodile and Yellow- Headed Parrot. Hill Bank
Field Station was established in 1995 and is one of two facilities located on the Rio Bravo
Conservation and Management Area (RBCMA),with the same initiative of sustainable forestry
management, controlled eco-tourism, and interactive research as the Rio Bravo region and the La
Milpa site. Hill Bank originally served as a Mahogany logging camp for British buccaneers and
African slaves in the 18th century. After the trees were extracted from the forest, they hit the
water, were chained together, and floated downstream to Belize City for processing. During the
1950’s, Hill Bank catered to approximately 400 men, women, and children—all active in the
logging business. By the 1970’s, over 7,000 trees were extracted annually. The village was
slowly abandoned thereafter due to a dwindling Mahogany population.
Today, the logging industry has crashed, but the forest lives on under the protection of
