Short biography:

As a person growing up with a respect and love for nature, I am a self taught naturalist. Born and raised in the United States, I have lived in Rio Dulce since 2005. With my instantanious passion and love for this area and its people upon getting here, I began this website to both collect and document the incredible places and things I have discovered. Then with this format I can share what I am learning about the area with others and possibly give you a reason to help preserve this as well. Maybe this poem I wrote will help you relate to my reasoning, it is called "The Scars of Abuse", hopefully you will understand the depth of my intentions and passion here as a wakeup call.

After studying the flora and fauna of the area and getting more enamored each time I learned more, I began doing tours of the area to share the amazing things I was discovering. I have conducted tours for the Nature Conservancy, Scientists from the Metropolitan Museum of Natural History in New York, archeologists, entomologists, ethnobotanists, bat scientists, biology scientists/professors, bird specialists, and many other amazing people. Unfortunately I no longer personally conduct tours.

I've never asked people to sign a guest book for any recommendations but was recently was asked for referrals as I've always done pretty well via word of mouth. I guess it's time I start. Until then you can do a search of my name on the Revue Magazine website and you can find mention of me by Dr. Nicholas Helmuth who I had the opportunity to share things around here, or you can search my name in the Rio Dulce Chisme Vindicator and find numerous articles I have written about them as well as article revues of tours I have provided to other boaters.

I couldn't be more excited about a group of archeologists that I introduced to some things in this area who made some major discoveries about unspoiled Mayan ruins here in the Lago Izabal area and are planning to develop and preserve them. In any case, I have been fortunate enough in establishing a reputation for providing a fun and educational tours. It will take three lifetimes or better to become an expert on all the plant, animal, insect species as well as the history of the area, but I am working on it and loving every minute of it! Being in this area has also gifted me with meeting and befriending many people who are experts in their fields of research, and learning from them as well as showing them things they have been searching for.

After growing up with a construction background through the 60's and 70's I soon followed my passion of the arts and conducted drawing classes for a number years. My portfolio somehow landed me a career in the film industry where I did conceptual art and became a propmaker. I loved the challenges and working with so many other talented people but the hours and stress can be grueling. By always having a wander lust, when I was invited to visit the area and had the opportunity to do so, it took no time to fall in love with the area and realize there was an other opportunity here where my skills and abilities could make a positive difference. I immediately returned to the U.S. and liquidated to come down here and be a small part of trying to do what I could to educate people about the rapidly vanishing rainforest and share the incredible fasacination and beauty of it. It can not be denied that there has been a major adjustment in lifestyles and adopting to cultural differences, but I would not change it for the world. I have decided to become "One" with sweating and itching, and have come to the realization that I am NOT the top of the food chain! For that reason it became important to learn the precautions and treatment of local incidents that may happen by traveling around in the jungle. I have had extensive training in emergency medical treatment for just this purpose. Also because I was given the nickname "Gringo Loco Guia" because as you can see from the pictures, I love to catch and release the local animals to show you a closer look at the animals here. I may as well tell you that this does not always go without incidents although I should add none of the animals I have captured have ever been harmed except one fer-de-lance. If you want the specific stories, you will just have to go on tour with me!

In Closing: I hope that everyone that visits the area here has the opportunity to REALLY see it the way I have and pass that experience on to others while this wonder lasts. The reality of this terrain disappearing completely within this lifetime is not propoganda, it is real and can be told by residents that have witnessed a decrease of about 90% of its wildlife over the past 30 years. My hopes are to share these experiences with others for the rest of my remaining years. Money is an unfortunate part of our existence, but I am not here for that specific reason. If I wanted money, I could return to the film industry. I just want to show all visitors an unforgettable experience in and around this area and realize why I moved here. All tours are flexible to cater to the clients of each individual trip, sometimes something becomes avalaible in the middle of a tour that we may decide to do as well. If I can not provide a specific service, I can locate someone who can for you. It is important for me to know in advance of any special needs that you may have to best accomodate that on your trip. Hope to see you soon, and welcome to the Rio Dulce area! This is kind of irrelevant, but another of my passions are the arts as I am an artist. To learn probably more than you want to know go here to see. In my spare time I also like to build websites the old fashion way on the notepad of my computer as this site has been done. If you are interested in a website please click here.