To all: My name is Norman Greenhawk. I am the herpetologist and volunteer coordinator for Tropic Ventures Research and Education Foundation, an organization that manages Las Casas de la Selva, a 1,000 acre sustainable forestry project and nature preserve in the mountains of Patillas, Puerto Rico. I am beginning a new outreach campaign to contact various colleges and universities that I feel might be interested in forming a professional relationship to provide us with volunteers at our project. I'm hoping that a post here on Ecolog will help me in contacting individuals and organizations that are interested in having a volunteer experience in the forests of Puerto Rico. A bit about the ongoing mission at Las Casas de la Selva:
At the beginning of the 20th century, the island of Puerto Rico was almost entirely deforested- various sources estimate that only 7-10% of Puerto Rico's virgin tropical forests were left. Thanks in part to "Operation Bootstrap" in the 50s and 60s, many people left their rural land for life in the city, and as a result, succession began and the forests are coming back. Today it is estimated that 57% of Puerto Rico is forested, making the island one of the best examples of reforestation in the world. However, economically speaking, if the island was a US State instead of a territory, it would be the poorest in the Union. There are few job opportunities. In addition, the island currently imports between 80 and 100 million dollars worth of timber from the US and Brazil each year. The idea behind out project is that, if properly managed, these second growth forests can provide ecologically sustainable resources (timber) that will also provide economic advantages to land owners in rural areas. In short, we are trying to demonstrate that it is possible to use these second-growth forests to generate income via timber extraction (which, in turn, can take pressure off cutting virgin forests) in a manner that does not have long-term environmental impacts while helping to strengthen the economy of the island. To ensure our methods are, indeed, sustainable, we have different individuals conducting research at any given time. I have been with the project for three years, and have been researching the reptiles and amphibians of the forest. I'm delighted that our preserve areas provide habitat for two endangered species of frogs. To obtain help with that research, we have partnered with Earthwatch- http://www.earthwatch.org/exped/nelson.html . However, we also host volunteers who come to help out in all areas- trail design, construction, tree planting, organic gardening, etc. In the past, we have hosted groups from Appalachain State University, Eckerd College and Fryeburg Academy, as well as individual volunteers looking to help out. If you think you might be interested in volunteers, please feel free to contact me and I will forward you our Volunteer Handbook. It explains everything you need to know about volunteering for our organization. I didn't attach it simply because it is a rather large document, and I didn't want to overload everyone's inboxes. Sincerely, Norman Greenhawk
