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Dear Friends around the planet,
You may have noticed that all of our newsletters commence with news of accomplishments and ongoing work or research at Las Casas de la Selva, but without the presences of the 'Bosquer@s' -the forest people, (the permanent and everchanging team of local and worldwide volunteers here at the project)- there would be no news.
Meet some of the Bosquer@s currently at Las Casas.
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| L-R: Briony Plant, Alei Alejandro, Steve Day, Patty Boyko, Goyo Dansenburg, Hector Melendez. |
Steve: “Living and learning in the rainforest.”
Las Casas de la Selva gives me many valuable experiences. Meeting different people on a continual basis is very exciting and keeps things interesting and diverse. Studying forest management and learning about the trees themselves is very satisfying. Falling asleep to the sound of the coquis every night is just one of the benefits here.”
Patty: “Las Casas is a beautiful fit for me!”
This is an opportunity to live with the forest and to learn from it. All my interests meet here. Environmental science, sustainable living, community development, experimenting with natural building, (bamboo at the moment), and learning more about rainforest plants and their traditional uses. I want to share knowledge, create, and bake cakes!
Goyo:
“Living in touch with nature.”
Learning about self and group dynamics, working with my hands and getting into now. I have found myself in Puerto Rico traveling in search of sail, magic, and agriculture. A community is alive in the Selva gathered around a fire in the night, or under an eclipsing moon, sharing music, song, laugh, and insight. |
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HOT OFF THE PRESS:
Tropic Ventures sustainable forestry featured in
The Journal of American Woodturners. Spring 2008.
Article by environmental advocate Brad Whitman.
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THINNING ASSESSMENT OF MAHOGANY PLANTATION
Peter Weaver, Research Forester, from the International Institute of Tropical Forestry in Puerto Rico & Constance Carpenter, Sustainable Forests Coordinator, USDA Forest Service, walked the Mahogany plantations with 3t, Andrés and Steve to discuss thinning ideas & techniques.
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Tropic Ventures
Rainforest Enrichment
and Sustainable Forestry Project is registered under the Auxiliary Forest Program of Puerto Rico, and is a demonstration project for those interested in the sustainable management and preservation of tropical rainforest land. |
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The crew at Las Casas surprised Pete with a birthday cake and a small ausubo bowl turned by Andrés. |
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1st EXPERIMENTAL THINNING OF MAHOGANY @ Las Casas |
On 26th March 2008, 19 mahogany trees were thinned in an experimental study in a quarter acre plot with a total of 50 mahogany trees.
According to our data, the Mahogany trees are increasing in DBH (diameter at breast height) by an average of 0.6cm per year and height growth rate of approximately half a meter per year. The idea was to selectively liberate the trees chosen as future timber trees and to take out trees with poor form/growth, or damage, or in cases were the canopies were impacting. There is an adjacent control plot which will not be thinned and we will assess the impact of this thinning over the next few years. Team: Andrés, Steve, 3t |
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ARTISAN CULTURE & SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY |
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Maria Lopez and Anarda Justiniano organized two groups of Puerto Rican artisans to visit Las Casas. The artisans walked in the forest plantations with Andrés Rúa who talked about our sustainable forestry practice, harvesting and hauling techniques, and current thinning experiments. Following a gourmet lunch and a digital presentation, a turning workshop by Andrés ensured that the artists fell in love with the Blue Mahoe and some purchased wood for their own projects. |
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We encourage artisan groups, especially artists working with wood, to contact us to organize a day trip.
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ASSESSMENT OF TROPIC VENTURES LAND FOR POTENTIAL PARROT RELEASE PROGRAM
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The Puerto Rican parrot (Amazona vittata), endemic
to the island of Puerto Rico, is one of the 10 most endangered birds in the world. This emerald-green parrot is one of nine native species of Amazon parrots found in the West Indies, and the only extant native parrot in the United States.
Photo: U.S Fish and Wildlife Service
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During the first week of March we hosted a team from US Fish and Wildlife and Department of Natural Resources of Puerto Rico. They are evaluating the land to see if it will be suitable for the release of the Puerto Rican Parrots that have been raised in captivity. This very rare and endangered bird is restricted to a small area of the Caribbean National Forest, the El Yunque Rainforest. Here the Puerto Rican Parrot Recovery Program (PRPRP) of the US Fish and Wildlife Service is working to bring these birds back from the edge of extinction. The data we have gathered over the last several years will help to establish if we have tree species and biodiversity suitable for the birds. The team established transects in three different areas, two in the Icaco Area and one in tabonuco forest, 15 minutes away from the homestead. Along with raptor observations, they looked specifically for native trees that provide food and cavities for the nests of the parrots. We will hear more from them in the future. This was the first step and the whole team were fascinated with the beauty of this land and the health of the forest. |
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Puerto Rican Parrot Recovery Program Team
From L-R:
Wilfredo Abreu, Omar Monsegur, Jose Sustache, Ivan Llerandi, Thomas White, 3t Vakil, Andrés Rúa. |
COFFEE @ Las Casas |
In January, 3t and Andrés visited Edrick Marrero, agronomist at the Adjuntas Agricultural Extension Station to procure coffee seedlings for Las Casas.
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75 seedlings of Tipica and 75 of Catuai, varieties of Coffea Arabica, returned to the project and plantings have already begun.
We will experiment with different varieties.
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THE BEE PROJECT 2008 ‘Don’t worry Bee Keeping’
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In March, Alei Miguel Alejandro and Briony Plant attended the first class of a 16 week course at the Apiculture School in Hatillo, taught by Modesto Matías, maestro bee-man, who has worked with bees all his life.
"We are exploring the production of honey as an enterprise, and apitherapy, the medicinal use of all bee products, including honey, bee-pollen, beeswax, propolis, royal jelly, and bee venom."
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Photo: Jon Sullivan, (pdphoto.org) |
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WEATHER STATION |
We have recently upgraded our data collection, with a wireless Weather Station. Data collection is ongoing:
1) Rain data, 2) Wind data, direction, speed, 3) Solar radiation, 4) Barometric Pressure, 5) Humidity %. Thanks to the support of the Earthwatch Institute. Andrés Rúa is the Weatherman, so don’t hesitate to email & ask specific and technical questions!
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ECKERD COLLEGE |
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We just loved having the Eckerd College group here for 8 days! Road work, drainage and erosion control were high on the list of priorities, along with coffee planting, and with 11 enthusiastic students from St. Petersberg, Florida, much was accomplished. Steps were established on the bank to the river on the Ethnobotanical Trail, clearing of the pool, and rearranging of rocks for seats, creating a very pleasant river experience. A few hours were also spent helping out Santtos, master stone sculptor/artist in Guavate who has just come through several months of illness. |
Palmweaving with 3t
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Other activities:
Greenhouse building with Raul,
Salsa class with Alei, Yoga classes with Briony, Jewellery class with Ivonne. |
Eckerd College-Coffee planting with Andrés |
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DEBBIE JACOBS' WILD WOMEN GROUP!
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Debbie Jacobs, Explorations in Travel, brought a bunch of wonderful women to Las Casas for a day and night, packed with activities. A forest walk/talk with 3t, a jewellery class with Sharon, a salsa class with Alei, a tostone making class in the kitchen with Andrés, and a full-on Puerto Rican feast for dinner. Thank you ladies for all your great support and enthusiasm. |
GET CREATIVE in and around the Homestead |
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Three hours, five people and bamboo...
...our first geodesic dome...
a prototype for ourselves. |
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Patty & Goyo, built a new compost area and started experimenting with bamboo for structures.
New trailer
designed and built by Andrés.
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Andrés Rua has been a prolific bowl turner and is using a variety of local woods to stun us all.
$70.00 each. Support his enterprise by buying one!
Woods L-R: Ausubo, (Manilkara bidentata), Caimitillo, (Micropholis chrysophylloides),Cedro hembra, (Cedrela odorata)
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HOME-GROWN SUSTAINABLE HARDWOOD |
Earrings in Blue Mahoe. $15.00
Artist: Angel Luis Martinez
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All about Blue Mahoe
New products made from Blue Mahoe
Exquisite
Pens
Other forest products |
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GROWING YOUR OWN! |
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Keep in touch and come visit!
Big Tree Hugs... 3t & Andrés
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See more of 3t's latest painting...
Eye On The Rainforest # 18, Detail.
3.9' x 1.5'
Medium: Acrylic and Color Pencil on Canvas ©March 2008
Soon to be shown at the Green Leaf Gallery,
Santa Fe,
New Mexico |
2008 New and continuing research objectives
1) To examine the effectiveness of thinning techniques in our current plantings of Mahoe and Mahogany.
2) To evaluate commercially valuable crops that can be grown in conjunction with the line planted mahogany, starting with Artemisia annua and Coffea Arabica in 2008.
3) To evaluate populations of the lizards of the genus Anolis at Las Casas del la Selva and monitor the effect of habitat disturbance due to line planting and tree thinning activites.
4) To evaluate the availability and abundance of non-timber forest products that are of economic importance on the property, commencing with vines which are a source for fiber used in weaving and handicrafts. (in collaboration with Pedro Acevedo-Rodriguez, author of "Vines & Climbing Plants of Puerto Rico & the Virgin Islands").
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| The Eye On the Rainforest Image Albums
Artisans at Las Casas de la Selva Feb 08 (34 images)
Peter Weaver in the Mahogany plantation (24 images)
Vines & Climbing plants of Las Casas de la Selva, Patillas, Puerto Rico (30 images)
Ferns of Las Casas de la Selva, Patillas, Peurto Rico (38 images) |
BIG THANK YOU!
Earthwatch,
Seeds of Change, Maria Lunderius, Emma Reuss & Eckerd College students, Greg Dugan, Sally Silverstone, Raul Rosado, Ivonne Reveron, John Utter, Mark Nelson, Matt Cohen, Kelly Chinners Reiss, Brad Whitman, Andrés & Juanita, Carola Bell, James Malone, Santtos and Chila, Magali and André Sanfiorenzo, Magha Bhayali, Peter Weaver, Frank Wadsworth, Luis Francisco Baerga, Frente Ambiental, Javier Torres, Maria Benedetti, Rafael Benet, Debbie Jacobs, Colin Brown, Mr. & Mrs. Vakil, Binaifer Motashaw, Mr. & Mrs. Plant, Modesto Matías, Mario, R. Maldonado & Company, Alan Scott Koenig, Gay Van Horn, Maria Suarez, Bob Allen.
Come be a volunteer!
Photo Credits: 3t Vakil, Andrés Rúa, Emma Reuss, Alan Scott Koenig |
WishList :
Craftsman 30 pc. Router Bit Set
Craftsman Professional 5 in. 2.7 amp Random Orbit Sander w/ Cyclonic Dust/Air Separator
Heavy-Duty 12" (305mm) Double-Bevel Compound Miter Saw - DW716
DeWalt 25 pc. Black Oxide Drill Bit Set
Radial-arm saw, wood-chipper, a two-person Canoe or kayak, woodworking power tools, or hand tools,
Pruning tools, Forestry Equipment, and Safety Gear, Lathe, 16" DrumSanding Machine, Carving tools,
Soil-Tiller,
Woodworkers/Artists who want to come, stay, and make items from Blue Mahoe,
your used Movies/Documentaries on DVD,
and Festive (Xmas) Lights (always appreciated!).
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www.eyeontherainforest.org
Tropic Ventures Education & Research Foundation appreciates your support!
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