Some passions arrive suddenly. Others take decades to reveal themselves.
Looking back, I can see that my connection to trees and forests was developing long before I understood it. The moments that shaped this passion were small at the time – a friend teaching me about leaves and bark, the loss of a jungle tree, and the planting of a young Mahogany tree on my farm in Belize.
This excerpt from my upcoming memoir explores the quiet beginnings of a connection that would eventually become central to the life I’m trying to build.
Back in Grade 9, I had no idea that the first seeds of one of my greatest passions were already being planted. No pun intended – but even then, something was quietly taking root.
As a kid, my obsession was reptiles and amphibians. It still is. But without trees, without forests, jungles, and intact habitats, those creatures simply cannot survive. Over time, I came to understand that 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. At some point, he became obsessed with trees. Everywhere we went, he quizzed me on the identification of leaves, bark, and growth patterns. Constantly pointing things out. At the time, I’ll admit, he drove me nuts.
Looking back now, I realize he was planting seeds.
Another moment stands out more sharply.
In 1998, near my farm in Belize, a Royal Palm was cut down in the jungle for building material. I remember feeling physically sick as it fell. The damage wasn’t just the loss of one tree – it was the massive hole it tore into the canopy, pulling other trees down with it. That moment stayed with me.
A few years later, a baby Mahogany tree was planted on the farm. Everyone at the time was excited. I was largely indifferent. I didn’t recognize it as anything meaningful.
I see now that it was another seeding moment, one I wouldn’t understand until much later.
Follow the journey from passion to purpose
The story of my life in Belize has always been connected to the natural world. Subscribe to receive future memoir excerpts, stories from the jungle, and updates about my journey.
