Fundraising Campaign Launched to Protect Brandon Hill Cave on Utila

A major conservation fundraising campaign has officially launched to secure the permanent protection of Brandon Hill Cave, one of the most important wildlife and cultural heritage sites on Utila.

The cave is nationally recognized as a Site of Importance for the Conservation of Bats (SICOM) and serves as a critical roost for multiple bat species. It also supports endemic and critically endangered reptiles and invertebrates, making it one of the island’s most significant biodiversity hotspots. For more than a decade, the site has been central to biological research, environmental education, and community outreach on Utila.

Since 2012, conservation efforts led by Kanahau Wildlife Conservation Organization have helped document the ecological importance of the cave. This work resulted in Utila’s first published bat species list in 2021—now totaling 16 species—and contributed to the cave’s formal SICOM designation in 2022. However, while the designation formally recognizes the cave’s importance for bat conservation, it does not provide legal protection or prevent development.

The future of Brandon Hill Cave became uncertain after the property was listed for sale last year, raising serious concerns that housing development, disturbance, quarrying, or deforestation could permanently damage or destroy the site. What once appeared to be an impossible challenge has now become a realistic conservation opportunity.

With the support of Bat Conservation International and Rainforest Trust, a major fundraising campaign is now underway to purchase the land and ensure the cave’s permanent protection. Rainforest Trust has committed a matching fund of up to USD 200,000, meaning all donations made during the campaign will be doubled, significantly accelerating progress toward the conservation goal.

The aim of the fundraiser is to raise sufficient capital to secure the land purchase and privately designate Brandon Hill as a Protected Area, ensuring long-term conservation management of the site. A formal agreement will be established between local environmental NGOs and international conservation partners to guide responsible stewardship, research access, and site management into the future.

National authorities will also be involved to strengthen the cave’s legal protection. The Instituto de Conservación Forestal (ICF) will support the process toward the cave’s future designation as a Site of Importance for Wildlife, reinforcing its status within Honduras’ national protected areas framework. In addition, Brandon Hill Cave falls under the protection of the Instituto Hondureño de Antropología e Historia (IHAH) through the Law for the Protection of the Cultural Heritage of the Nation, recognizing the site’s cultural as well as ecological value.

As forests and wild habitats continue to disappear rapidly across Utila and the Bay Islands, this campaign represents a rare opportunity to push back against unchecked development and safeguard—permanently—a site of exceptional biodiversity and cultural significance.

Organizers are encouraging the public to support the effort by donating to or sharing the fundraiser widely. All funds raised will go directly toward the purchase and long-term protection of Brandon Hill Cave, securing its future for wildlife, research, education, and future generations.

The fundraiser is now live, and broad community support will be key to turning this landmark conservation effort into a lasting success for Utila.

Donate here: https://www.batcon.org/our-work/endangered-species-interventions/bhc/