Troy-Trevon Mckalla shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Troy-Trevon, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
What makes me loose track of time and allows me to find myself again is working on the growth of my business Irie Fauna and engaging with my animals .Whether its through ,training, husbandry , or adding enrichment, observing how their minds work through problems ,and the impression they make on new visitors bring me the upmost joy. Currently I have started working with a new species all together ,taking on the new role as a Urban Falconer , possessing a Red-Shouldered Hawk for this season! It has been quite the journey working with this new personality on top of managing my venomous snake collection , along with many other reptiles from around the World . Caring for them ,never feels like work , its more like a family meeting . Im obsessed with cleanliness , beautification ,and organization , so the work area I share with the amazing creatures is key to keeping everyone safe , healthy , and stimulated . I will take care of animals for the rest of my conservation journey and I love to add on to my skills and learn new ways of making life easier for them in a World that is only getting harder to survive in .
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a Jamaican American Conservationist with high ambition of changing what is seen to be the norm in Herpetoculture , as well as Falconry at the moment . Many individuals with my background do not pursue a lifestyle or career in working with dangerous animals , let alone building an intimate relationship with them in effort to teach people that they really aren’t that bad. Ive built my life around the philosophy that “conservation is the state of harmony between man and nature” . Its not everyday you would find a young black man in a rastafarian colored mesh tank top , walking around with a hawk throughout the neighborhood , or teaching young children in workshops which snakes are native , dangerous , and how to simply respect nature with an baby alligator in front of them. I bring an energy around teaching and leadership as a role model for my community that is missing and dying slowly . I excite children by being a child with them , getting down and dirty with a little more experience under my belt . We are lacking true wildlife professionals that care about the message that are being taught to the next generation , and I embody a great , responsible , relatable role model , for all the Caribbean , Latin , minorities that make up the melting pot we have here in South Florida . Currently I am working on promoting my business “Irie Fauna” to more schools by starting after-school programs and providing educational presentations for all schools in Miami-Dade County . My team and I are rebranding our website and perfecting the business structure so that the parents , student, city officials , and community that makes up our Irie Family , are greeted with the highest quality of education and professionalism to inspire the next group of conservationist after me .
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I was a fresh mind , full of exploration , somewhere up in a tree , or looking in a crevice for anything I could find . I practically lived outside whether it was for sports or to look for animals because I love to sweat , and hear the trees make music as the wind blows . I still to this day sit outside at night to listen to the crickets and frogs orchestra , as a way to reflect on my day . Ive always been deeply passionate about what I love , so much so that crying out of frustration or excitement is something I completely accept about my self expression . Ive always been deeply emotional , however society doesnt have much grace for emotional men . Ive never had to put much effort into working hard because I am a energizer rabbit , If I love what I am doing it fuels me even more . Now that i am older I find that I have to channel my energy into so many sides of myself to find some type of balance , but everyday I am reminded that on Rome wasn’t built in a day and things that take time and nurturing to grow . Growing up Ive always been ambitious and a bit impatient with things that I want but Ive learned to allow room for magic to occur in life and that there is a divine timing that we have no control of . Now in my adulthood I lean into releasing control because that actually bring me freedom and leaves me open to life’s possibilities
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes several times. The first time I gave up on school and furthering my education in Biology is because I didn’t feel aligned with what I was learning vs what I was doing in real life . a part of me felt like I was failing myself and everyone that expected anything from me . That where I realized I was in school for the wrong reason . I wasn’t there because I was excited , I was there because ” thats what your supposed to do ‘ after high-school , and that worked out terribly . Now Im in a different space pursing school to deepen my knowledge in the conservation space because I actually have passions and problems I want to solve and dive deeper into for my own sake . this is not forced or coming from anywhere outside of myself , Im confident and intentional about the legacy I want to leave behind , and Im doing that by becoming everything I want to see in the world and more black , Caribbean wildlife professionals are at the top of that list . Prior to this realization , while in college I was accumulating hours for my professional wildlife license for animals I work with today , getting hands on experience in the field , rather than the books . I would literally leave class to clean Alligator ponds , teach about 15ft pythons , and end the day doing Venom extractions from Cobras . Who is doing homework after that ? Not me , I was already living my dream . Now that Im fulfilled Im going back to learn the science behind all the species Ive worked with
The second time I almost gave up was during an episode where I got my first apartment and tried to be an entrepreneur full-time after quitting a job that literally left me sleep deprived and lead to my first real depression . The weight of having to pay bills with no guaranteed income, while building a business at a young age was the scariest thing Ive ever done and yet the most rewarding . I got to see what I was really made of , and make mistakes that I learned from now . Even beyond business, I learn as an individual what I needed in terms of showing up for myself, and the self love required to reprogram my inner conscience to that I am no longer by biggest enemy by speaking from lack or self doubt. At the time, I seeked alot of external validation from my parents , partners , and mentors , when the whole time the energy was in me and always has been , I just needed more life experiences to exploit that inner knowing . So getting through that chapter has many me stronger in so many ways and opened my mind to more ways that I can grow not only as an individual but as a business owner ,student, friend , family member and role model . I had to face the darkest version of myself to become the light and inspiration of so many peoples lives .
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
One cultural value I cherish is collectivism . The power we all have together , as a unit , out competes any individual ! I grew up on the Jamaican Motto ” Out of many , one People” . So what that means for me no matter what you look like ,or where you are from , we all come together for one cause that is bigger than us . That is what Conservation is about , all of human kind coming together for a reason that bigger than us . One person alone cant save the World , but together we are unstoppable by creating new norms , that would benefit generations long after we are gone. This is bigger than I , its for the collective.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I am operating currently as if I have less time than 10 years because there is so many things Ive been initiating and working on but haven’t pushed through completion . So I would stop holding back and slowing down my progression in the areas of life that mean the most to me . It is to my detriment, and disservice to my community and the legacy I am creating , to not show up everyday like its my last days. Everyday we are closer to death and I dont want to go to the grave with any regrets that I didn’t do more , so there is always more to do , more to become , and more to learn . I would stop doing things I dont love because they aren’t feeding my life purpose . Procrastination is the top of that list !
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @Iriefauna
- Facebook: Troy Mckalla
- Youtube: Irie Fauna
- Other: Tiktok : Irie Fauna
Image Credits
Tia Bailey , Rod Deal , Woosler Delisfort
