Vol 1 Iss 2 May/June/July/Aug 2005 For best printing results set Page Orientation to 'landscape'

Dear Friends…

The months of May, June, and July 2005 have seen another amazing season at Las Casas de la Selva, where over 150 people have passed through the environs of the project, and with dedication, trees have been surveyed, coquis have been counted, identified and studied, trees have been planted, gardens have been tended, road maintenance and erosion control have been ongoing, drainage implemented, and the biggest project at Las Casas this season has been the construction of a roofed building known as El Teatro, under the gentle leadership of Gregg Dugan. The building will be used for all kinds of events, conferences, and workshops.

Earthwatch
Since 2001, Earthwatch volunteers have arrived at Las Casas de la Selva to partake in the surveying of trees as part of our sustainable forestry research program. The information obtained from this study will help to create a future planting program including thinning of some of the planted tree areas and the replanting of areas that have been severely damaged, usually due to hurricanes.

Once again we were happy to host two great international Earthwatch Summer teams.
Both groups helped us to remeasure our new experimental planting plots, remeasured some of our mahogany and blue mahoe plots and set up new frog transects for our future frog studies. Thanks to everyone for all your hard work ! We know it takes a great deal of stamina and patience to carry out this field survey work and we could not do it without you. We were happy to welcome Project Exploration, led by Conor Barnes as part of the second Earthwatch visit, 9 young ladies, aged 14-17 took part in the tree surveys and frog study.

Check out the Frog Study on the website for information of this research under the guidance of Patricia Burrowes and Rafael Joglar of the University of Puerto Rico.

Global Works
This year we hosted three groups from Globalworks at Las Casas. These groups consisting of about 25 young people from all over the United States and their youth leaders, come to Las Casas to help with building projects and learn about the rainforest.

Global Works strives to provide rewarding community service and adventure travel programs for high school students, which foster personal growth and promote social and cultural awareness.

Their mission at Las Casas was to build a large roofed structure to be used for activities and events at the project, and through some heavy rainy days, the mission was accomplished. During their stay, the project benefited from an enormous amount of work in the areas of erosion control, drainage, road maintenance, landscaping and planting. All that partook in the bamboo plantings will be happy to know that the majority have survived! Everyone got to visit the island on various activities, including diving. We would like to say a big thank you to all the participants for a highly successful venture, and also to the marvellous staff of Global Works, Brian, Claire, Jason, Katy, Kris, & Joel.

The project was a challenging one and everyone worked really hard so that we could complete it . Thank you Global works - future groups who use the space will be very grateful for all your hard work. A Slide show showing the Globalworks mission is available on a Cd. Contact 3t

Windsor Mountain
This year we also hosted a group from Windsor Mountain, from New Hampshire, led by Blake, Elicka, and Sirena. Windsor Mountain International seeks to provide educational student travel experiences that open minds, foster personal growth, and help students respond to cultural, social, and environmental challenges as responsible citizens of the world. This group helped with our construction project, planted 65 cacao trees in the Icaco Valley, and joined with a local environmental group, led by Andrés Rúa, Gloria-Maria Ortiz and Anita Pagan, to help clean up a beach in Patillas. This was an extremely successful day activity which made frontpage news in the local environmental newspaper, El Nuevo Impacto. We hope to participate in more local activities like this in the future, as part of a Mountains to the Mangroves clean-up effort.

Explorations in Travel
Debbie Jacobs, the founder of Explorations in Travel, has been organizing and leading women's travel adventures for over 20 years. This year she arrived at Las Casas with 15 students for a day and night in the rainforest. More at www.exploretravel.com

People at Las Casas de la Selva this season

Gregg Dugan, long-time volunteer staff member at Las Casas, oversaw the construction of El Teatro with the help of over 100 volunteers this summer 2005. Don Gregorio's many roles at the project include forest ranger for the Icaco Valley Project, and Director of Patillas-based media company Two Birds Productions

Molly Robertson returned for several weeks and assisted Sierra in all aspects of the Earthwatch Team Management, as well as putting her irrepressible energy and spirit into whatever needed doing.

Joe Sarquilla, from Santa Barbara, CA volunteered his time for 6 weeks at the project, working with the Earthwatch volunteers, and assisting 3t in the workshop, processing blue mahoe for shipments.

Raul Rosado, organic gardener has been living at Las Casas since early 2005, and has provided his time and skills in all areas of the project. Raul has provided us with many of the herbs and vegetables we are now using. Contact

Omar Collazo, artist and sculptor has now moved into the homestead at the top of the road and created an atelier for his sculpting and for apprenticeship artist programs. Omar has recently visited Mexico to study Earth House Buildings. He plans to work on some prototypes here at Las Casas in the near future. Contact
Thanks to Omar, Raul and Andres for helping 3t install the new river pump in May.

Andrés Rúa, from Marin, Patillas, is currently living at Las Casas. A talented guitarist and composer, guitar and bongo maker, geek and electrician, Andrés has upgraded many of the electrical systems around the homestead. He wired up lights in Bano Azul, the shower block built earlier this year, and has also electrified El Teatro, providing lights and a power source. Andrés has completely reorganized the workshop and fixed up all the machines, to create an efficient working environment. Andrés has been instigating the clean-up of Lake Patillas, with a view to long-term ecological maintenance of the area, and organized a local beach clean-up with our participation and a team of volunteers from Windsor Mountain Association. Contact

Sustainable Forestry Project
Blue Mahoe, Hibiscus elatus
Anyone who has visited the project in the last year will have seen some of the gorgeous Mahoe wood that came from a thinning project last year..


Andrés Rúa is accepting commissions for beautiful hand-made mahoe bongos.
Visit the Exotic Blue Mahoe Page
Contact 3t for more information, or to purchase wood.

Las Casas de la Selva would like to graciously thank everyone
who has helped the project in various ways, this season.

Santtos Torres and Chila for their thoughtful gifts of food and for organizing a donation of zinc roofing and materials for El Teatro. We could not have raised the roof without you! Santos, extraordinary artist, stone and rock sculptor, among many other talents, thank you for the generosity you have shown towards us. We appreciate you very much.

Fabio Galzignato, for the very generous donation of the zinc roofing for El Teatro.

José Hernandez Castrodad, for transporting the zinc roofing to us.

Freddy Dempster, Systems Engineer for Global Ecotechnics, Santa Fe, NM, for all his remote help on the technics and electrics at Las Casas.

Marie Harding, President of Tropic Ventures, and the Manager of Synergia Ranch, Center for Innovation, in Santa Fe, NM, for donating a wonderful camera that most of the pictures that you see in this newsletter were taken with.

Andres & Juanita, from Marin Bajo, Patillas, for their breadfruit, avocadoes, eggs, bananas, and homecooked food, and Andres’ work on our tractor.

Maria Benedetti, Las Vegas, Cayey, gave an ecological tour to a group of Earthwatchers. Maria Benedetti, is the author of "Earth and Spirit: Medicinal Plants & Healing Lore from Puerto Rico".

Gloria Marie Ortiz, Lamboglia, Patillas. A local visual artist, teacher, writer and poet who prepares articles with young people for the Puertorican newspaper, El Nuevo Impacto, and has featured Las Casas De La Selva, Rainforest Enrichment Project, and covered the recent Patillas Beach clean-up, with local people in association with Las Casas and Windsor Mountain Youth Group.

Evie King, LA, US, artist, performer, comedienne, from LA, visited for ten days.

Anita Pagan, Barrio Bajos, Patillas, President of Comite Pro-desarrollo Comunitario de Bajo e Lamboglia, works with the local community in areas of establishing recyling stations and helping families in need, the development of social & cultural activities, and is involved with the restoration of the local ecology, clean up and maintenance of the mangrove beaches and villages of Patillas. Anita is a great tour guide and is always keen to show anyone the real Puerto Rico. She is a treasure trove of information, and has manatees swimming in her backyard! Contact

Javier Rojas & Carmello Torres, Sonadora, Patillas

Jose Carlos Resto @ LM Waste Disposal, Monte Verde, Arroyo.

Ivan Ramirez, Express Freight, San Juan

Junior Bus Line and staff, Patillas

Ramoncito, Guavate

Surfers del Sur, Patillas

Kirlin Partners, Seattle, Washington

Diane Tropoli, Earthwatch. Thank you for your invaluable advice and support regarding continuing successful Earthwatch programs at the project.

SAWMILL FOR SALE
Bought in 1988, and in good condition, our 128 Mobile Dimension Hydrostatic Saw is up for sale.
Email 3t for more details.

Always happy to receive your news and any comments on the website. All newsletters are in the Archive
big hugs... Sierra and 3t
ssilverstone1@cs.com
3t@synergeticpress.com

Photo Credits: Andrés Rúa, 3t Vakil, Diane Tropoli, Gloria Marie Ortiz
Thank you for sending and sharing with us your images from your stay at Las Casas de la Selva.


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