It is the cool of the morning and Marcario Pau strolls to the nursery area of the garden where much of his magic begins. Brushing aside clinging dew, he carefully examines each plant, snipping off dead leaves, checking if they need water, monitoring their progress.
“They are growing nicely! They are happy!” he exclaims.
Of course they are. As Hamanasi’s head gardener, plants seem to adhere to his ministering. It is no wonder as Mr. Macario, as he is known, has been working with plants since he was a boy.
The Citrus Industry
Born in 1967, in San Antonio Village in Belize’s Toledo District, Mr. Macario attended primary school until age 14. As his parents did not have enough money to send him to high school, he joined his father working in agriculture. His father had a large farm and some coconut trees. Everything they ate, including rice, corn and beans, was grown on the farm. At age 16 he moved to Silk Grass in the Stann Creek District to work on a citrus farm. The managers saw his potential and he quickly moved up the industry ladder. Soon, he was promoted to be a supervisor for the harvest team.
I just love plants! It has been a part of me since I was a child.
Macario Pau
Eventually, Mr. Macario worked in Pomona Village in the Cayo District under the tutelage of the citrus factory’s chief mechanic. He was the storeroom keeper, where he worked with and stored all the tools for the machine and mechanic shops. During this time he learned a lot about tools and how to use them properly. The company also allowed him to work with small engines. For four years, he studied and gained experience in the field of small engine mechanics.
For another five years, he worked for a larger citrus Farm at La Demacracia in the Cayo District. First starting as a timekeeper, he quickly became the Secondary Farm Manager. In addition to being responsible for payroll, he also was in charge of the ramps where the trucks would come and pick up the citrus and take it to the factory. He was directly responsible for 160 people at the farm.
Homecoming
But home life called. Mr. Marcario longed to be with his family. And the citrus industry was declining due to diseases that affected the trees. Eventually, he bought land on the edge of the Jaguar Preserve in the village of Maya Center where his family lived. He longed to be with the love of his life, Santana Pau whom he met over 27 years ago. Together, they have 4 boys and 2 girls, the oldest is a daughter, age 27 and the youngest is a boy, age 13.
I was blown away by how quickly Mr. Macario transformed and regenerated bare land.
Launce Roberts, Hamanasi General Manager
When he came to Maya center, his family had a landscaping company called Maya Pride. Mr. Marcario joined the family business and grew the company. Soon they had landscaping contracts in Hopkins, Placencia, Dangriga and all over Southern Belize. One day business was slow and Mr. Macario accepted a small contract with Hamanasi to dig a soak-away by the laundry. It was only a three day job, but the maintenance manager was so impressed with the outcome he said he would see if he could offer him full time work at Hamanasi.
The Hamanasi Family
Two weeks later Mr. Marcario became part of the Hamanasi family. He was hired to start landscaping Hamanasi’s recently purchased and denuded property. Immediately, he moved all the fertile soil and plants to that side of Hamanasi and got to work. Hamanasi’s management was extremely impressed with what he had accomplished in just one week.
“I was blown away by how quickly Mr. Macario transformed and regenerated bare land,” exclaimed Launce Roberts, Hamanasi General Manager. “Soon, the new treehouses we were building were surrounded by lush green trees and flowering plants!”
As before, Mr. Macario quickly became a leader and now leads a team as Hamanasi’s head gardener in charge of all landscaping and the organic garden. His many years of experience and expertise are combined and utilized with beautiful results.
When asked what was his favorite part of the job, Mr. Marcario responded that it is dealing with the plants, from planting to taking care of them to even relocating them.
“I just love plants! It has been a part of me since I was a child,” explained Mr. Macario.
My ancestors were here even before Columbus. Being a Mayan makes me proud, as this is the land of my people.
Macario Pau
One of Mr. Marcario’s biggest challenges was learning how to work with the sandy coastal soils. All of his experience had been working with fertile soils in the mountains. He had to come up with creative ideas to allow the plants to grow including changing the soil and working with the environment instead of against it. For example, adding rich organic matter from Hamanasi’s compost has boosted plant growth.
A Well Rounded Gentleman
Based on Mr. Macario’s work experience it is clear that he is a well rounded gardener. What is fascinating is that he also is a well rounded individual. In his spare time, he loves to read — any book will do. He is passionate about his culture and heritage. He studied archaeology with professors from the University of New Hampshire while they excavated Maya sites. He guided them to the ruins, helped excavate areas and assisted in mapping. He even helped with satellite imaging. For a period, he was called every 6 months to help the archaeologists for roughly a month at a time.
When asked what he would like the guests to know, Mr. Marcario responded,
“I want them to know my culture and ethic group, which is Mayan. My ancestors were here even before Columbus. Being a Mayan makes me proud, as this is the land of my people.”
Final Thoughts
Since Mr. Macario gained responsibility for the entire grounds, his most rewarding part is seeing how the property has changed for the better since he arrived. He has redesigned the gardens making them lush, orderly and beautiful. He is proud of the fact that the coastal forest is thriving, especially the property that only four years ago was completely deforested. Today, five treehouses are hidden amidst his plantings.
When you visit Hamanasi, we hope that you will get to know Mr. Marcario and admire the lush greenery he nurtures. In the meantime, he will continue his plant whispering!
