History

In 1989 Ken and Judy duPlooy moved to Belize and purchased land previously cleared for farming. Ken duPlooy wanted to “re-green” the the property and began planting “this and that” to add some colour and interest to the previous cattle pastures. Ken was 47 when he began this dabbling in landscaping, before which he had only ever managed to raise a rubber tree plant and five daughters. Since 5 out of 6 talked back he didn't think he'd spend more than a few months on the project. But...

Anyone familiar with gardening in the tropics knows that the growth rate of tropical plants can be quite stimulating to the novice. Ken was no exception. Heady with the variety of the flora and the fact that it grew by leaps and bounds, Ken was soon transformed into an amateur botanist.

In 1994 the duPlooys purchased the farm adjoining their property on the Macal River. This land had also been bulldozed for farming and the duPlooy's continued planting up their porperty to encourage the native birds and other fauna to return. Ken wasted no time in turning the vegetative wasteland into a giant field covered with sticks holding up horse feed sacks. His family was furious until they discovered that under each sack was a young plant being protected from the sunshine until ready for exposure to the elements. Ken valued plants for plants' sakes alongside tropical fruit trees of economical importance to Belize. The gardens grew out of appreciation for the birds and wildlife and captivation with the variety of wild and cultivated plants in need of research and conservation.

Within three years the Gardens had grown in such scope and popularity amongst local and international farmers, researchers, botanists and other botanic gardens that the Board of Trustees was established and registered Belize Botanic Gardens as a non-profit organization in 1997. Belize Botanic Gardens has been collecting, studying, cataloging and conserving plants ever since and remains the only Botanic Gardens within Belize.