The Programme for Belize is the first project undertaken by the World Land Trust

World Land Trust

The World Land Trust is a UK-based nonprofit environmental organization established in 1989. Its primary aims are to ensure conservation of plants, animals and natural communities in areas at risk...

, in 1989. The goal of the project was to purchase and protect tropical rainforest

Tropical rainforest

A tropical rainforest is an ecosystem type that occurs roughly within the latitudes 28 degrees north or south of the equator . This ecosystem experiences high average temperatures and a significant amount of rainfall...

s in Belize

Belize

Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...

 to save them from exploitation like over-logging. The project (and also the Trust) was initiated by a fundraiser held in the London Butterfly House

London Butterfly House

The London Butterfly House was a visitor attraction in Brentford, Middlesex, England where the public could view butterflies, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and arachnids....

 in May 1989. The famous naturalists Gerald Durrell

Gerald Durrell

Gerald "Gerry" Malcolm Durrell, OBE was a naturalist, zookeeper, conservationist, author and television presenter...

 and his wife Lee Durrell were instrumental in raising funds, and also visited Belize in 1989 to help with in-situ conservation

In-situ conservation

In-situ conservation is on-site conservation or the conservation of genetic resources in natural populations of plant or animal species, such as forest genetic resources in natural populations of tree species...

efforts there. By 1996, more than 250000 acres (1,011.7 km²) of land had been purchased and protected, and the project was brought to a successful completion. The World Land Trust the project Friends of Belize for fundraising to help cover costs of continuing protection of the purchased lands, as well as to aid in in-situ conservation efforts. Friends of Belize is an ongoing project.