A mighty Guanacaste tree (Enterolobium cyclocarpum)
Little did I know back in Grade 9 that the first small seeds of one of my greatest passions were being planted. No pun intended, but from all the way back then, a secret passion that I was not even aware of was growing. That passion would eventually become trees.
As a kid, my main obsession was reptiles and amphibians, and it still is today. But without trees, forests, jungles, and intact natural habitats, those incredible creatures simply cannot survive. Trees are the foundation of everything I care about in nature.
In the late 1980s, my best friend in Grades 9 and 10 was a guy named Phil, and one day he became obsessed with trees. Everywhere we went, he would quiz me on tree identification. Constantly pointing out the differences between leaves and tree bark, and this and that. At the time, I’ll admit he drove me nuts.
Looking back now, I realize he was planting seeds.
Another memory that stands out happened in 1998 near my farm in Belize. A Royal Palm tree was cut down in the jungle for building material. I remember feeling physically sick watching it fall, because of the massive hole it tore into the forest canopy, knocking other trees down with it. That moment stayed with me.
A few years later, a baby mahogany tree was planted on the farm. The people living there at the time were excited. I was largely indifferent to the experience. I didn’t realize then that this was another seedling moment in what would eventually become a long-term vision, even a legacy.
Mohgany trees showing seed pods
The Great Mahogany
The mahogany tree is arguably the most important tree in Belize’s history. From the 1770s through the 1950s, mahogany was heavily harvested and exported to Great Britain. It was exploited relentlessly and never replanted.
In 2003, big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) was listed under Appendix II of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). The wood is prized for its rich colour, workability, and remarkable stability—it doesn’t swell or split easily.
All Mahogany trees
The Birth of a Dream
Meanwhile, that lone mahogany tree on the farm kept growing. Eventually, it began dropping seed pods. Other people living there collected the seeds, planted them in nursery bags, and raised seedlings. Some were planted locally, others given away or sold.
In 2014, I realized my legacy vision was to start a tree farm focused on raising seedlings for rainforest and jungle reforestation in Belize. Mahogany would be both my inspiration and my focus.
In 2018, I began researching seriously and visited Ya’axché Conservation Trust in southern Belize to gain guidance and direction on how to do this properly.
It all starts with a seed
A Mohgany seed
The Importance of Trees
I genuinely believe trees solve most (but not all) of the planet’s problems.
Trees:
- Produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide, helping regulate the climate
• Improve air quality by filtering pollutants and dust
• Provide shade, reducing heat and lowering energy use
• Prevent soil erosion and improve soil health
• Support wildlife by providing habitat, food, and shelter
• Regulate water cycles by reducing runoff and flooding
• Store carbon, helping mitigate climate change
• Improve human mental health and well-being
• Enhance landscapes and increase property value
• Provide resources such as fruit, timber, medicine, and fuel
• Reduce noise pollution by acting as natural sound barriers
• Support biodiversity and ecosystem stability
Sometimes it feels like we complicate this unnecessarily. Planting trees isn’t rocket science; it’s just common sense backed by science.
Trees provide food for the Black Howler Monkey and her young
Recent History
On November 25, 2021, I arrived at my farm in Belize by bicycle after riding from Canada, finally committing to living here full-time. By June 2022, I began building a 1,000-square-foot shade cloth greenhouse. Alongside that, I started raising seedlings – mostly fruit trees for personal use.
Living here, however, came with serious challenges. Without going into the long version, those hardships took a toll. While I completed the greenhouse, I also became disillusioned, and my passion for large-scale reforestation faded for a time.
In November 2023, another Canadian moved onto the farm and began using the greenhouse. To support that project, I started and mostly completed an additional 1,600-square-foot shade cloth greenhouse.
By October 2024, something shifted. My attitudes started to change, and the tree-farming dream resurfaced. In December 2025, the other Canadian left the farm, and throughout that time, my renewed passion to raise Mahogany tree seedlings has been growing.
I built this 1,000 square foot shade cloth greenhouse to raise seedlings
Current Situation
The greenhouse is now cleaned up and active again. I’m planting seeds and raising a mix of rainforest and fruit tree species, including citrus, jackfruit, avocado, ziricote, cashew, Malay apple, custard apple, rain tree, golden shower, provision tree, and soursop. Toward the end of 2025, I planted roughly 300 mahogany seeds.
My greenhouse is slowly filling up with seedlings
Recently germinated Mahogany seedlings
I’m close to finishing the 1,600-square-foot greenhouse expansion. I’ve also connected with a local conservation office about potential collaboration and begun writing SEO-optimized tree content for my website.
For the first time in a while, I feel genuinely hopeful.
2026 feels like a new chapter.
Breadfruit trees (Artocarpus altilis) have such beautiful bark
