Vol.1 Issue 3, July 2003

Greetings from
Las Casas de la Selva!

Thank you to everyone who has contributed their time and skills at the project, and thank you for keeping in touch with us. Your support is greatly valued.

Thanks to Cathy and Joe Carrasquillo, Site managers, for comfortably hosting all guests and visitors.

Earthwatchers

In June 2003, eight more Earthwatcher volunteers arrived at Las Casas de la Selva to continue with the research mission, and to adventure and enjoy the stunning rainforest environs of Las Casas.

Everyone picked up the skills necessary for data collection very quickly and in the all too brief time that they were there; more important data was gathered on the Mahoe plantations, and the Biodiversity plots were completed. 60 hardwood saplings were planted in two new experimental plots; each carefully measured and plotted on a map.

The trees planted were obtained from the Dept. of Natural Resources and included:

Moralón, (Cochlea pubescent),
Palo de Maria, (Calophyllum brasiliense), Cedro Hembra, (Cedrela odorata),
Capá Prieto (Cordila alliodora)
and a few Mahoganies (Swietenia Spp.) nurtured from seed by Molly.

The Earthwatchers were fortunate to be at Las Casas during the commencement of the first harvesting of Mahoe (Hibiscus elatus) that were planted 17 years ago.

In their spare time, all the Earthwatchers helped to carry topsoil to a bed in the retaining wall garden, which made the task short and lots of fun. The garden was later planted up with spinach and edible ginger.

Caribbean Urban Forestry Conference

3t put together an informative and colorful poster board, with brief descriptions and images of all the projects ongoing at Las Casas for display at a four day Biodiversity and Sustainability Conference at The Hilton in Ponce. Magali Sanfiorenzi and 3t spent a day at the conference to set up the board and to hear some of the speakers.

Initial Mahoe Harvest

Research into the sound ecological management of timber in tropical rainforest areas could make a valuable contribution to the future preservation of rainforest land and its species by demonstrating a method of sustainable use of the land for profit without destruction of the local ecology.

Mostly agriculture and animal grazing have caused the clearing of rainforest in the area around the Las Casas project site. Much of the land in this area is on very steep slopes, which cause severe erosion, and production is poor without heavy use of chemical fertilizer. It is hoped that a demonstration of timber production on lands unsuited to long term agricultural use will encourage sustainable practices.

This June, Augusto Ingellis, Andre San Fiorenzi, Joe Carrasquillo, and Carmello, felled and milled approximately 1000 board feet of Mahoe (Hibiscus elatus). The trees were in plots where it had become necessary to thin out some of the trees.
In a process that lasted 11 days, 27 trees were felled and carefully winched up a steep slope and carried to the portable band mill set up nearby, where they were de-barked. Most of the trees harvested measured between 8" and 12" in diameter. They were band sawn in the interest of achieving maximum yield and maximum thickness excluding the pith.

For more information on the Mahoe, check out the website.

Waste Water Garden

Sally and Mark Nelson have been given the go-ahead and a grant by the Dept. Of Natural Resources to construct a demonstration Wastewater garden at the Las Casas site. Let us know if you are interested in volunteering on this project.
It should be great fun!
For more info on wastewater gardens: www.biospherefoundation.org

Bio diesel

Tracey Wood, a specialist in the biodiesel field came to spend a week at Las Casas to initiate Site Manager Cathy Carrasquillo into the fine art of turning old cooking oil into usable diesel and, as a by product, glycerin soap. Cathy will be visiting Tracey in the US to follow up on this training, and hopes to be able to make her own biodiesel before long. The Las Casas tractor will be pleased!

Sculptors at Las Casas

Omar Collazo, along with a team of Puerto Rican sculptors are renting out part of the woodshop at Las Casas to complete an ambitious project; casting, sculpting and creating the molds of 9 women, who will represent muses of theater, song, dance, etc. The figures will ultimately be cast in bronze in Mexico, and their final home will be on a plaza in San Juan, the home of the new Center for Fine Arts.

Volunteers

Jeff and Liz from Bisbee, Arizona, stayed at Las Casas for two weeks, volunteering their time to help Cathy and Molly around the homestead. A big task that they helped with was to clear and clean out the Sawmill at the top of the road. Thank you for your hard work.

Thanx also to Oscar, a local mechanic, who came to help us with the tractor and to solve a few problems with it.

Thank you also to John Phillips, who volunteered his gardening and nursery skills and stayed at Las Casas for a month in January, helping out with many other projects on the homestead.

Molly Robertson, has been at Las Casas for the last 7 months, and has been a productive member of the onsite team. Molly has taken care of the nursery, and gardens, and planted the gardens within the retaining walls at the back of the house. This July she will be planting hardwood trees with Bill Jasen and Andy Denker, both on return trips to Las Casas, in areas established with Sally.

Gracious thanks to Molly for her resilience, industry and cheerfulness during her long stay and for her help with all the research projects. We will miss you Molly, good luck on your return to college.

Gregg Dugan volunteer staff member at Las Casas, his many roles at the project include forest ranger for the Icaco Valley Project, and Director of Patillas-based media company Two Birds Productions

Website

Hopefully you are all checking in to the rest of the website every so often.

The Green Gallery awaits your creative input.

All the newsletters are now on line with many more images:
http://www.eyeontherainforest/archive.html -though we will continue to send out the printer friendly version.

Once again, thank you to everyone for the images used in this newsletter and all over the website.

And Finally…

Sally and 3t are conspiring to spend more time at Las Casas and hope you will all keep in touch, and maybe come visit.

Let us know if you wish to volunteer for extended periods of time at Las Casas.

After all, the only way to learn about the rainforest is to live in it.

Jingles from the jungle…

Sally ssilverstone1@cs.com
3t 3t@synergeticpress.com

Vol.1 Issue 3, July 2003

Greetings from Las Casas de la Selva!

Hello Friends,

Sally and 3t will return to Las Casas in December this year for another Earthwatch Session, and in our absence various volunteers have visited the project, worked with Cathy, Joe and Molly, contributing various invaluable skills and time.

Andy Denker, UK, and Bill Jasen, USA, along with his daughter, returned to plant native hardwood trees that have been supplied by the Department of Natural Resources.

Here is an essay that Bill’s 13 year old daughter Andriana K. Jasen wrote about her experiences at Las Casas:

“On July 23, I left my home in Richland, Washington to go to Puerto Rico with my Dad, William Jasen, somewhere I had never been before, and a place my Father knew much about. I was only 13 and had no idea what to expect. I went as a volunteer for the Forest Enrichment Program, and was staying at Las Casas; and that was all I knew.

However, as time passed I learned about the plants and animals, repotted, and planted many trees, and most of all I had a great deal of fun.

The first day I was there Molly, Andy, my dad and I planted on a landslide. We wheel barreled the trees to the site. I was responsible for transporting the trees from the top to the bottom where they were to be planted. We entered the site along the side where it was less steep. One by one I carried the trees down the slope and placed them below Molly and Andy who were clearing the ferns. Some of the trees were Mahoe, and Maria. We stopped for lunch under a few bamboo trees. After lunch we continued working, I drew a map of the site and flagged all the trees with pink tape. We had finished a long days job in a shorter time than expected.

Afterwards my dad and I went down to the stream. After work, there is always time to play. In the stream, I found some fish, crabs, and tadpoles. The water was perfect for a cool swim; during a nice hot and humid day. As we headed back towards camp, I would see many different lizards scurry from the path to the bushes. They were all different shades and patterns of brown and a camp many were green.

As night fell the sounds from the forest, arouse. I heard a short coqui whistle sounds, and sure enough, it was coming from a small tan Coqui Frog. I wondered how such a small frog made such a loud noise. I loved the frogs and luckily, they were everywhere. At night, you can also hear the many assortments of insects and the wind as it passed through the trees creating a claming effect. I fell asleep quickly, and woke rested.

During another day at Las Casas, Joe, my dad, and I relocated a woodpile. I was completely amused by all the frogs hiding in the wood. Joe and my dad also found a large land crab. The wood had attracted the crickets, and the crickets had attracted the frogs creating a mini ecosystem. Though I was distracted, the woodpile was successfully relocated to the shed.

My dad and I also repotted sixty trees into larger pots. The repotting was simple once I understood how to do it correctly. Many worm exist in the repotting soil, and are excellent for aerating the soil.

Time passed too quickly, and I had so much fun. I learned so much about the plants and animals.

At Las Casas, the learning experience turned to the fun of a lifetime. I hope to return and learn even more than when I was there the first time”.
***********

Thank you Andriana for your wonderful essay about your time at the project, and we look forward to your return one day!

Molly

This July Molly planted hardwood trees with Bill Jasen and Andy Denker, both on return trips to Las Casas, in areas established with Sally.
Molly is now back at college in California. All the images in this newsletter are Molly's, a small selection from many beautiful images she took during her stay.

Website

Once again, thank you to everyone for the images used in this newsletter and all over the website.

And Finally…

Please let us know if you wish to volunteer for extended periods of time at Las Casas. Who knows, you may discover the Golden Coqui!!

Keep in touch, and come and visit.

Tingles & jingles from the jungle…

Sally and 3t

ssilverstone1@cs.com
3t@eyeontherainforest.org

Vol.1 Issue 4, November 2003