Our Team

We are YOU!

The diverse Heritage Education Network Belize team consists of dedicated experts with decades of experience in diverse disciplines as well as citizen researchers, activists and students. Above all the research and professional careers, we are everyday people with a deep love for culture binding us together.

We are dedicated to culture and heritage and finding solutions by looking at holistic approaches and always expanding our horizons.

Board of Directors

Sylvia Batty

Director, Archaeologist, Consultant

Sylvia was born in Pasadena California and was raised in Belize from a toddler. As a child, Sylvia was an avid reader and began volunteering on archaeological research projects in Belize at age 12. This passion would lead Sylva to earn a Bachelor's degree in Anthropology with a concentration in Archaeology from the Galen University in Belize.

Sylvia has been employed in the Research and Education Department of the Institute of Archaeology, at the National Institute for Culture and History (NICH) since 2012. This has allowed her opportunities to engage in the areas of Underwater Archaeology, Disaster Risk Reduction for Culture, Archaeology Education, and Collections Management.

Through her other NGO, Fajina Archaeology Outreach, Sylvia co-authored and distributed over 700 free copies of To the Mountain! the first tri-lingual (English, Spanish, and Yucatec Mayan) archaeologically inspired children’s book in Belize. Sylvia also organized the Succotz Archaeology and Culture Fair to create opportunities for culture and knowledge exchange between archaeologists and the communities in which they work.

Advisors & Collaborators

Our network includes various professionals and collaborators that help make HENB a resilient community.

Tia Merotto

Volunteer, Art Historian & Content Writer

Tia was born in London and spent most of her life in Washington, D.C. before returning to the United Kingdom to study Art History and English at the University of St Andrews. She plans to continue her education at a postgraduate level in the coming years.

Tia has always been drawn to stories. Like many others, this interest first took root in her childhood, but as the years have passed, she has grown to recognise the essential role it plays in contextualising her own life. She sees archaeo-anthropological study as an unraveling of the ultimate story; an unpacking of the underlying narratives that serve to unite and define the human species. In a world which places an increasing emphasis upon difference and division, she is fascinated by the discipline as a means of exploring our collective origins - who we are and where we come from - and the existing connections not only within specified cultural narratives, but across them.

As a writer and an illustrator for several online publications, Tia has channelled her creativity towards a wider aim: the celebration of cultural identity and the promotion of cross-cultural education and exchange. Her work explores topics including folk art, pre-Columbian cultures and the anthropology of art.

Khaila Gentle

Volunteer, Author & Content Writer

Khaila Gentle is a freelance content writer, author, and poet residing in Belize City, Belize. As a writer, one of her greatest passions is invoking a change, however small, in her readers be it through her articles or her Fantasy novels and short stories. Themes that can be found throughout her writing include BIPOC representation, mental health, self-care, and culture.

You can learn more about Khaila on her website at kgentlewrites.com

Madeleine Guerra

Volunteer, Content Writer

Madeleine has been passionate about encouraging social change in Belize from a young age. Having received a Master of Arts in Sustainable International Development, her academic and professional experiences in environmental studies, social justice, and alternative livelihoods allow her to bring vital perspectives to the conversations at HENB.

As a female entrepreneur, Madeleine has first hand experiences in understanding the importance and need for women's representation in business and wider social circles. Madeleine's hope is for Belizean women across all economic groups to garner support from society, access opportunities, and access the resources necessary to flourish, with the end goal of contributing to Belize and becoming stewards for the environment.

Nathaniel Castillo

Volunteer, Environmental Conservation & Water Quality Specialist

Nathaniel was born and raised in Belize. He is passionate about conservation, water quality and videography. Nathaniel completed his Bachelor's Degree at the University of Belize where he was pursuing a degree in Natural Resource Management. Furthermore, during his time at the University of Belize, Nathaniel saw the effects that humans had on the water supply. Through his Bachelor's research, he inventoried and assessed the water quality of groundwater within the City of Belmopan.

He has also participated in regional and national seminars in water resource management where he represented the University of Belize. Stopping at nothing, Nathaniel perused online certification for videography on his own. Nathaniel also worked in heritage management for two years during his time at the Institute of archaeology.

Leon Verne Garbutt, MSc

Volunteer

I was born and raised in the old capital of my country, Belize City, Belize. There, I did most of my educational studies in natural sciences, from early childhood education through  Junior College in 2009. I later ventured off to the Cayo District, where I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science at Galen University in 2012.

 After the completion of my bachelor studies, I entered the workforce and worked for a year and a half at Maya Island Air Limited as an assistant procurement manager,  responsible for performing administrative functions and day-to-day office activities. In October of 2013, I began working at the Belize Brewing Company Limited, where I was employed for almost five years as an Analytical/ Microbiological Laboratory Technician at the company’s water and wastewater treatment plants, with a primary focus on water quality testing and monitoring.  

In 2018, I was awarded a scholarship by the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) to pursue a Master’s degree in Environmental Sustainable Development at National Central University in Zhongli District, Taoyuan, Taiwan which I completed in 2020. My thesis research was focused on building awareness and promoting sustainable forest management within a key watershed in Belize. While pursuing my degree in Taiwan, I also worked as a part-time English, Science, and Math teacher.  

I’m a very passionate person and one of my passions has always been the protection and conservation of the natural environment. My love for the environment stemmed from my humble beginnings where I grew up in one of the more underdeveloped areas of the city where I was exposed to a mixture of an urban and rural lifestyle. This experience allowed me to see many of Belize’s wildlife in their natural habitat, these included Heron birds, crocodiles, iguanas, and armadillos to name a few. But over the years, I have witnessed the negative impacts that urban development in the area had on the biodiversity levels of these creatures,  and I felt I needed to do something about that.  One of the main reasons I returned to Belize is to positively contribute to the development and conservation of Belize’s environment.

Aley Villarreal

Volunteer, Archaeologist and Museum Professional

Aley Villarreal was born and raised in Maryland, where she completed her BA in Archaeology and Latin American Studies at the Johns Hopkins University. While she originally intended to study in Egypt, classes in Ancient American art made her fall in love with Maya history and art.

During her undergraduate career, she also worked at the JHU Archaeological Museum, where she assisted with the curation of their Central Mexican and Maya artefacts. Experiences in this museum setting, as well as seven years of excavation experience in Belize, have brought her to HENB. She hopes to work closely with the organization to spread the importance of Cultural Heritage and museum practices.

Aley is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Texas, San Antonio, where she researches Middle Preclassic Maya ceramics. Her work with the early ceramics of the Mopan River Valley, Belize, brought her to San Jose Succotz, Cayo. There, she collaborated with local potters from the village to learn traditional ceramic techniques. This collaboration solidified her interest in Cultural Heritage work and the importance of community outreach and collaboration.

Alexya Vida Pérez

Volunteer, Economist

Alexya was born and raised in Belize. She obtained a BA in Economics from John Carroll University, USA and an MSc in Development Studies from the University of Glasgow, UK. Alexya currently works in Economic, Cooperation and Trade Affairs. She has immense love for her country and hopes to contribute positively to its economic and social growth through Heritage Education Network Belize. She lives by the words: never forget where you came from and always know where you’re going!

Our Network