Kenrick — A Conversation with Kenrick Mark Coleman Features Melvin Arevalo
The Kenrick Mark Coleman Foundation
Kenrick — A Conversation with Kenrick Mark Coleman Features Melvin Arevalo
1. Tell us a little about yourself.
Hi! My name is Melvin Arevalo. I live in a tiny village in the western part of Belize. I am 34 years old. My hobbies include outdoor fun activities.
I come from a very large humble family and every day was fun and laughter at home! Even if there was nothing on the table, we were in peace. My parents are my heroes. They are farmers who came from Guatemala about 40 years ago. They were finding a better life for us.
My education tenure was not successful due to my parents very minimal income, but that never brought me down. I kept doing my best. I started to work when I was only 18 years old so that I could have money to pay for my education. I didn’t went to university but went to an institute to learn a trade.
I had vested interest in tourism and I am happy to have chosen this trade. Since I was growing up, my best attractions were colorful birds.
2. You are a vibrant, dedicated and caring Tour Guide and Ornithologist in Belize. What do you believe is important in this your role?
The important role in my career is to share the best quality information to our tourists, so that they can go back happy, very well informed and willing to come back to Belize.
When I am delivering my presentation, I always think before I speak. I will always share a professional and special presentation.
3. Tell us more about your Tour Guide career (Little History)? Can you describe the training/classes? Why did you choose to venture into this? What are the experiences like?
My tour guide career has been fun! It takes tons of dedication, passion and most importantly, it is to be ambassador, which means that you are the first impression of the country or company you work for. Thus, I have the responsibility of making our customers happy.
For me, this job is nonstop learning! Every day you learn from someone — friends, family members or colleagues.
I started tour guide training when I was 20 years old from a very special mentor. After his special, professional training sessions, I decided to study tour guiding officially. I told my parents that I wanted to go and study at an organization called CCET, a very well known institute for teaching very special productive trades.
When I was almost 21 years old, I finally saved enough money to register and commence the program.
The program enrolled for 8 months. The sessions included history and culture of Belize, conservation, protected areas and history of the Mayas. There were 2 weeks of practical sessions — these motivated me to love this job.
The first day of my practical I spotted my first pair of scarlet macaw which was the best time of my life. Since that day, I fell in love with my job and I don’t think I will ever give up. (…and that’s the reason I ventured into this career!)
The experiences of a tour guide is part fun, part nervous, part impatient. I think the most important feature is that you are always a leader and you have the responsibility to ensure all goes well with your clients.
4. What is Ornithology? Why is Ornithology important in Belize? Describe your best moments as an Ornithologist?.
An Ornithologist is a person who study about birds from eggs, parts of the bird, feeding, foraging, behavior, molting, migration, etc… An ornithologist also film birds, write books and teach about birds.
In my case, people call me an ornithologist but I don’t consider myself one. It requires a lot more studies. I need to study abroad to be certified as an ornithologist. I consider myself an advance birder.
Ornithology is very important in Belize because as a birder we could teach and bring awareness to our young people, friends and family members about conservation, protecting our environment especially birds, wildlife, etc…
Birds are great climate indicators, pest controllers, snake feeders and other things that humans don’t like.
I believe the most important is that ornithology is a great job for making a living, especially here in Belize that we have so much species of birds that live and migrate here.
5. What are the challenges of your career? Opportunities?
The challenges I have is missing out (sometimes) on family members special events because working in tourism, there is no special day off. But that’s okay because you could celebrate on another day!
The opportunities include meeting many special people, who become good friends at the end of every presentation. They even invite me to visit them and I have actually taken up the offer sometimes. I am very fortunate to build camaraderie, gain knowledge and visit other places.
6. What’s a classic day like as a Belizean Tour Guide (share a short story of visiting a tourism site)? Most demanding scenarios?
A very special day for me would be visiting spectacular national reserves, for example — Cockscomb Jaguar Preserve. It’s my favorite because there are diverse opportunities. You can hike about 2 hours in beautiful rainforest and ending underneath an 80ft waterfalls. It’s fun and refreshing, climbing mountains to see breathtaking views, spotting wildlife tracks of jaguars, deer and wild boars, and hearing the howler monkeys.
You can also enjoy amazing melodic sounds of very exotic colorful birds from the drumming of woodpeckers to the buzzing of hummingbirds. It is believed that there is a record of over 300 species of birds which are residents, endemic or migratory. I personally and highly recommend this tour for everyone from hikers, birdwatchers, tubers, campers or night hikers.
7. You were recently nominated for an international award. Amazing! What is the purpose of the award? Did you win? Have you won any other awards locally?
Wow!!! I am very proud to have been nominated for this international unsung hero award. It’s a blessing to see my name on this international platform. I feel speechless.
I didn’t win but I feel like a special winner because I represented my beautiful country. Millions of people all over the world will get to know about Belize.
The purpose of this award is to find intelligent, professional, passionate and very hard working guides all over the world and to show appreciation for their dedication. They are looking for guides who work in very small remote areas and to reward them for their hard work in making tourists very happy.
The only awards I have won locally has been in sports marathons. Annually, I participate in a marathon (End of the World Marathon) and I have always run for conservation, for protecting our endangered animals and birds.
I have been so lucky to win either first, second or third place which makes me proud because I am doing it for a worthy cause. I consider myself an environmental friendly athlete.
8. What critical suggestions do you have for the Belize Tour Guide Association, the Belize Tourism Board and the Belize Tourism Industry Association?
My critical suggestions are:
1. I suggest BTB focus tour guide training on both theory and practical (but more practical) especially bird watching and Mayan sites
2. They need to have strict rules for tour guide dress code
3. They need to advocate for the paving of roads that leads to tourist attractions
4. I have seen that they focus on one location. I will appreciate if they balance, share their marketing
5. We need more eco-friendly tourists
6. A better marketing campaign for Belize is highly recommend
7. BTB needs to get more involved with the tour guides or the associations
8. Interact more with the locals and get to know their dreams
9. In one of my recent articles, I stated: ‘It is important to realize that majority of Belize’s younger populations continue to be very mediocre as it relates to becoming holistically educated and cultured, personally and professionally.’ What’s your perspective on this?
We have to realize that our education system cannot be compared with other countries’ high standards of excellence. Our income does not fit our dreams sometimes. Our parents struggle and I believe teachers deserve more pay so that they can place more emphasis in educating children. Most youth today don’t have the opportunities to excel in their studies and that’s the reason they are not well educated and cultured.
10. What three words do you have to say to young Belizeans?
Get an EDUCATION
Always display PROFESSIONALISM
Become ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
