Narciso Torres~Middle Aged

Narciso Torres is a master forest gardener.  He spent most of his childhood working with his father in the milpa-garden where he gained both knowledge and experience in farming.  Over the years his thirst for knowledge has not wavered.  He is generous with his wisdom and openly shares what he knows with anyone who will listen.  As a young man, Narciso was lucky enough to receive a primary education, which, at the time, was a privilege since importance was not placed on scholarship.

Narciso was able to fulfill his dream of becoming a forest gardener like his father before him.  He describes his passion for nature candidly, and the connection between him and his environment is unmistakable.

“My own experiences with plants have helped me understand my love for nature.  I am only here to see this resource thrive and prosper, not perish. Trees and herbs are very sophisticated and the extent of their usefulness is limitless. We need to leave places for the animals. We must continue to learn more about them.” 

Master gardener Torres believes that some of the ways in which his ancestors used plants have since been forgotten.  He feels that this dormant knowledge must be revived as well as mixed with the knowledge of other cultures in order to form a better understanding of the resources the world holds.

Using his witty sense of humor and his charisma, Narciso communicates his knowledge of the forest to the next generation of forest gardeners as President of the El Pilar Forest Garden Network and through his involvement at the Känan K’aax primary school garden. He also uses his vast knowledge of medicinal plants to help cure ailments in the community, saying:

“…sometimes most of the people don’t have the money to pay a doctor. So, what I do now is, people that want to get some help from me, I won’t charge them nothing. Unless they want to donate something, well, that come from their heart. I don’t say that this is the price for this. Sometimes I tell them I don’t want nothing until you see that you are better.”

Narciso, a proud father of 10, finds happiness in simplicity.  Communing with the vast forest that surrounds him, Narciso feels that he is richer than any celebrity could ever dream of being.  While this sentiment is typical of the forest gardeners, it may sound preposterous to those who do not lead his lifestyle.  For Narciso, keeping the traditions of his Yucatecan Maya ancestors comes as second nature.