It is widely known that Lajas, Cabo Rojo, and Mayagüez are three first-class tourist destinations in the West, but these towns also host some advanced environmental projects. On March 19, 2016, volunteers from the GREEN-PR Program visited these projects.
The first stop was at the Leonides Morales School, in Lajas, a GREEN-PR environmental education hub. Even on a Saturday, the school was vibrant with the presence of students, parents, and school personnel who were maintaining projects and taking care of plants and vegetation. Professor Ada Miranda, the GREEN-PR coordinator at the school, led a tour of the school composting station and the space for collecting plastic, carton and aluminum for recycling. Several students were working on the compost made from organic materials produced at the school.
The first stop was at the Leonides Morales School, in Lajas, a GREEN-PR environmental education hub. Even on a Saturday, the school was vibrant with the presence of students, parents, and school personnel who were maintaining projects and taking care of plants and vegetation. Professor Ada Miranda, the GREEN-PR coordinator at the school, led a tour of the school composting station and the space for collecting plastic, carton and aluminum for recycling. Several students were working on the compost made from organic materials produced at the school.
Composting is only one part of a larger effort to produce as little waste as possible in the school. The compost is used in landscaping as well as in an orchard on school grounds. Produce from the orchard will eventually be used in the preparation of food in the school cafeteria, reducing food waste packaging from food shipments.
Entrance to the School Orchard
Parents, teachers and students use the compost produced at the school to create more green spaces.
In the hallways and common areas, the students, under the tutelage of the physical education teacher, have painted and installed 147 creative posters and signs to prevent littering and promote recycling. “Nobody talks about your waste, but your waste says a lot about you,” one sign read. Ironically, the sign’s message was perfectly timed as minutes later, students found a soda can from the year 1987 while cleaning. In addition to keeping the school and school grounds clean from litter, the school has a recycling program, with containers for different types of materials and monthly challenges that focus on a specific type of material. “We organize challenges to motivate students. One time, the challenge was to recycle cartons and students brought so much, the piles of cartons reached the roof,” explained professor Alex Ayala about the initiative. “The math teacher then handles the statistics,” added Ayala, about the way sustainable materials management is integrated into the school curriculum. Professor Miranda also explained that the school sells their aluminum cans and use the money to buy snacks for students going on field trips and excursions to complete their Green Contact hours.
Academically, Leonides Morales School is one of the most outstanding in Puerto Rico, with students placing among the highest ranks of the College Board test results. During the visit, the school’s excellence was evident. The school is fully integrated into the community, with teachers committed to alternative methods of education and students that thrive and feel productive.
GREEN-PR Stewards meet with parents, students and teachers from Leonides Morales School in Lajas.
The next stop on the field trip was the Interpretative Center of Cabo Rojo’s Salt Flats, where we were welcomed by Dr. Patrick Reyes, leader of the Caborrojeños Pro Health and Environment Committee. This committee received a mini-grant from GREEN-PR in July 2015. Reyes offered a talk about hydroponic and aquaponic crops, an ecofriendly way of harvesting that produces good quantities without exploiting resources such as scarce water resources. Throughout the presentation, volunteers learned how this system can be built at home, with economical and reused materials. He also presented a barbecue grill that uses solar energy to heat itself and can be easily built at home.
Behind the center, the Committee grows crops in a greenhouse. The stewards saw the assembly and functioning of the crops, from the containers where the plants are to the container that houses tilapia fish. The system processes the fish waste and utilizes it as fertilizer while watering plants in a controlled way. Reyes explained that is important to monitor the water’s ph levels. He fed the tilapia as part of the tour. “These are happy fish,” he mentioned.
Stewards got to touch the salt mountains around the center and went to the top of the observation tower, where you can see seawater turned pink due to a type of bacteria that lives in areas with high salt density. Those that went to the bathroom at the end of the tour found two innovative features: compost toilets that only use a gallon of water per day and a sink that uses rainwater.
Stewards got to touch the salt mountains around the center and went to the top of the observation tower, where you can see seawater turned pink due to a type of bacteria that lives in areas with high salt density. Those that went to the bathroom at the end of the tour found two innovative features: compost toilets that only use a gallon of water per day and a sink that uses rainwater.
The last site on the field trip was the University of Puerto Rico, in Mayagüez, where Professor Sandra Cruz Pol welcomed us to the Ecosolar House. This structure operates solely with the energy produced by the solar panels on the roof. Everything within the house is selected with the goal of reducing impact on the environment and achieving a better quality of life. The paint on the walls does not expel toxic gases, the kitchen utensils are made of durable metals, plates and glasses are either made from glass or porcelain, the floor is made with linoleum and the food cooked there is organic. Professor Cruz Pol spoke to the volunteers about the importance of building in harmony with the environment and how can this have a positive effect on the health of individuals. “This floor is made from linoleum, which is a durable natural material, unlike vinyl, which is highly toxic and has been related to cancer,” she said. Outside the house, Stewards saw the aquaponics grove, a water recollection system under construction, and a green area that will serve as a grove and garden.
Coincidentally, a group of engineering students were working on a boat that runs on solar energy on campus that day. The Stewards were able to watch part of the boat’s assembly and Professor Erick Aponte explained how it will work. The students will participate in competition that will test the efficacy of the boat. The day finished with a brief visit to the 39th edition of the Five Days with Our Earth Agro Educational Fair, where horticulture, animals, artisans, kiosks and agricultural machinery on campus were exhibited.
Because of projects like these, the West is turning into a region where sustainable materials management and environmental education increasingly present. The West is a region that cannot go unseen by those interested in a lifestyle that helps the planet and preserves a good quality of life.
Because of projects like these, the West is turning into a region where sustainable materials management and environmental education increasingly present. The West is a region that cannot go unseen by those interested in a lifestyle that helps the planet and preserves a good quality of life.
From top left to right: Ana V. Arache (SU-EFC), Melvin Rodríguez Rodríguez (SU-EFC), Soledad Gumar (UPR-RP), Iris Olán Pabón (USC), Alan Figueroa (UPR-P), Génesis Isaac De León (UPR-C/ASPIRA), Stephanie Anderson Morales (SU-EFC). Bottom left to right: Urayoán Walker (Vieques), Jorge Bencosme (UPR-M), Sasha Montañéz (ASPIRA), Israel Guzmán Rivera (UPR-P), Derek Torres Ramos (PUCPR-P) y Pamela Ramos (UPR-M).
RSS Feed
