Balam Jungle occupies an important biogeographic position both within Belize, and within Mesoamerica, being the confluence of several major ecological regions – North American, South American and Antillean – evidenced in the different elements that make up the land. The position of the property, along with the heterogeneity of the habitats and protection from major human impacts, leads to this area being one of the most species-diverse in the region.

The rich resources found on BJE make the property an internationally recognized biodiversity “hotspot” that includes all three ecosystems prioritized by IUCN in the Mesoamerican region:  Freshwater, Coastal and Marine, and Broadleaf Forest.

BJE is host to some of the tallest and densest broadleaf hardwood forests in Belize; a shelter for the highest biodiversity levels in Mesoamerica, if not the world. With a projected 260 bird species present within the Estates, the property has one of the highest concentrations of bird species anywhere in the world. The lagoons and savannah with intermittent littoral and mangrove forests that compose over 15 miles of coastal waterways are recognized as an assemblage of habitats crucial in maintaining the health and integrity of Belize’s Great Barrier Reef, and is home to a vast array of marine population.  This includes the endangered manatees that use our coastal waters as a primary part of their migratory route.  It is an understandable fact that our coastal land is designated a priority coastal area under the regional Mesoamerican Biological Reef Programme.