In the fall of 2006, Mr. Leonard Seagren and his new wife, Diane McCormack Seagren (DMS), were streaming up the mangrove-lined Moho River in the southern part of Belize. They were each taken by the serene beauty of the idyllic experience.

 

Holding hands, they simultaneously whispered into each other's ear "How would you like to own a piece of this?"

 

Well, the next day Mr. Nana Mensah, their guide for that day, and their guide today, began showing them properties. A year and a half later they owned 30 acres of jungle on the south side of the Moho River opposite Boom Creek in Toledo District.

 

Across the river and accessible only by boat, which was their personal choice, they pitched a tent, and their life was changed. They built a 24 x 24 thatched roof jungle home. King size bed, solar electricity, gas cook stove, compost toilet, river water shower, potable rain water collector. With a glass of One Barrel Rum mixed with tree harvested lime juice added to rain water, and a Cuban cigar, Mr. Seagren would watch Miss Diane cool off along the banks of the Moho. It was heaven on earth.

 

Then, on Palm Sunday 2010, Diane moved on to heaven above!

 

In the fall of 2010, the DMS Research Center began. In the spirit of sharing, the dormitory was prepared, their jungle home became a dining and conference center, and college and university students began their research of life in the jungle.

 

Today, the Rainforest Academy, a subset of the Belize Organic Family Farming (BOFF) organization, has been established to utilize the DMS Research Center for demonstrating the value of tropical organic farming techniques, including native Mayan techniques, that can be used by farmers to increase their productivity, especially in the midst of the impacts of climate change, around the world.

 

Welcome Aboard!