Heather Barrett is Deputy Director for the BFREE Field Station and Privately Protected Area located in southern Belize. She received an M.A. from the University of Florida and worked in the nonprofit sector prior to joining the BFREE team. As one of BFREE’s primary administrators since 2011, Heather has been deeply involved with the TSA and BFREE collaboration to save the critically endangered Hicatee turtle, Dermatemys mawii.
Heather manages all of BFREE’s educational programs and much of her energy is dedicated to empowering future conservation leaders through work training, outreach and professional development opportunities. To that end, she has developed the BFREE Science and Education Fellowship Program which is a competitive, two-year work training program for young, motivated Belizeans aspiring to work in the field of conservation.
With the help of an amazing team, she designed and launched a countrywide campaign in 2017 to #savethehicatee which continues to gain traction each October during Hicatee Awareness Month and has expanded to include all nine freshwater and inland turtles of Belize.