Environmental Research
Silk Grass Farms is dedicated to research, education, and lifelong learning. Silk Grass Farms directly supports research and stewardship of the Silk Grass Wildlife Preserve, a 24,500-acre, first-growth rainforest permanently protected as a Belizean non-profit organization.
We regularly share stories and updates about environmental research partnerships and projects at the preserve — to stay in the loop, please join our mailing list!
Great House Field Station
In 2023, we renovated and repurposed the previous owner’s residence to be the Great House Field Station, providing research facilities and accommodations for our partners in conservation and environmental research. Through their ability to immerse themselves in research directly adjacent to the preserve, these researchers are making ground-breaking discoveries and assessing the preserve’s health, biodiversity, and carbon-offset potential, while helping us develop sustainable rainforest management and regenerative agriculture strategies.
“Exploration in remote areas is very tiring. At the end of the day, you still have to process your material and have a good rest so that the following day you can be active again. The fact that we had this field station, internet access, and the facilities was a huge help.”
— Luis Peña, Biologist, Wild Earth Allies Conservation Fellow
Our Research Partners + Current Projects
Wild Earth Allies: Cataloguing Belizean Trees
Wild Earth Allies botanist Steven Brewer, Ph.D., and biologist Luis Peña, a conservation fellow with Wild Earth Allies in Belize, are conducting a comprehensive inventory of Belizean tree species. In addition to collecting specimens and photos for enhancing the Belize National Herbarium as a resource for future Belizean botanists, the “Trees of Belize” research project will describe in detail the biodiversity of the tree canopy within the boundaries of the Silk Grass Wildlife Preserve to inform future management planning.
“The goal of this work is to improve the management of Belize’s extremely valuable, diverse forests — which are globally important. A huge thank you Silk Grass Farms. This is what partnership really looks like.”
Adam Henson
Wild Earth Allies
Conservation Director
ClimeCo: Decarbonization Projects
ClimeCo strategy consultants are assisting in the development of two innovative carbon projects at Silk Grass Farms: forest protection and biochar production. These projects will work to advance conservation and nature-based solutions that decarbonize our planet while bringing new value to natural assets at the farm.
Stroud Water Research Center: Water Quality Analysis
The Stroud Water Research team is conducting a comprehensive evaluation of water quality of the many streams and rivers within the farm and preserve to ensure Silk Grass Farms’ agricultural production processes have no negative impacts on our water systems. Their project includes the examination of biological, physical, and chemical characteristics of over 15 stream sites during the wet and dry seasons of 2024, as well as the installation and maintenance of automated sampling devices to monitor water volume, temperature, and electrical conductivity of selected sites.
“We are excited to explore this new region. As the first team to systematically measure and document the properties of these streams and their inhabitants, we recognize the unique opportunity provided by Silk Grass Farms’ leadership.”
Diana Oviedo Vargas, Ph.D
Stroud Water Research Center
Assistant Research Scientist, Principal Investigator
If you’re a conservationist, science-based organization, or academic institution dedicated to rainforest research and education, let’s talk!