It is not yet midday and you can already feel the literally hot embrace of the mixture between the burning sun and the dense humidity. However, the large trees of the Luis Muñoz Marin Parkin San Juan, are an oasis, and this is reflected in the thermometers that the organization For Nature installed during its annual event The Sowing.
One of the temperature stations is under the sun and the thermometer reads 106 degrees Fahrenheit (°F), at just 10:52 a.m. In another, under leafy shade trees where they read stories to children, the thermometer reads 98 °F.
Precisely, seeking to lower the temperatures of his property, in Cabo Rojo, brought Ricardo Perez already Aida Marrero to the event held this Saturday, where a pomegranate tree and a San José broom tree were brought, with which Marrero hopes to soon see violet flowers sprout from its branches.
“We have a space in the Cabo Rojo area. There, we have plans to, since it is a fairly dry and hot area, we wanted to establish a space that not only had fruit trees, but also offered shade. Since these are not very tall trees, they provide a canopy. That is why I chose these trees, let’s see if they work for me.”shared Marrero, who registered online for the event, like 2,000 others, in advance.
The couple received guidance and literature on how to plant and care for trees to meet their need for shade. This is the commitment of the couple, originally from Vega Baja, to help mitigate the deforestation that they have seen in Cabo Rojo. “(We want) to do our bit. Instead of cutting down trees, we should plant them,” Marrero stressed.
This year, Para la Naturaleza resumed La Siembra with its educational component, since, in the past editions, due to the pandemic of COVID-19they had to transform the event into a drive-thru format. On this occasion, They distributed 4,000 native, endemic and fruit trees, at a rate of two per person. They also received information about the trees, reading stories for children and the presentation of a micro-documentary about the work of the organization..
The goal of this event, which Para la Naturaleza has been carrying out for decades, is to encourage “the reforestation of our islands, to recover the flora that we have impacted for many years. What we want is to create a movement, from the people of Puerto Rico, to recover the damage and the impact that we have done and continue to do on our forests and our urban areas. That rescue of those ecological services that trees give us.”said Fernando Lloveras San Miguelpresident of the organization.
Shirlimarie Nieves Coolreforestation coordinator at the Río Piedras nursery, indicated that the selection of the 23 species of trees and shrubs was made with the reforestation of urban spaces and the particularities that this entails in mind. There were even some trees that could grow in pots, such as the false wallflower, the aguacero, the black broom and the San José broom, among others.
“We have trees that respond to the urban context. As part of the activity, the public is being guided with physical plans so that people can land it in their space. If I take this stick, I can plant it here, near the curb, wiring, infrastructure, gray structure, both sidewalks and houses, underground wiring, electrical lines. All of these things are being considered when guiding the public,” explained Nieves Chévere, who urged people to visit the organization’s nurseries to purchase trees.
The New Day spoke with three other people who were participating in the event for the first time. Some people were going with the intention of planting trees to beautify the surroundings of their homes, and others needed trees to prevent soil erosion on their properties. Given these needs or preferences, they indicated that the Para la Naturaleza team explained to them which species were most suitable in their cases, how to plant them and how to care for them.
Melissa Izquierdoone of the attendees, mentioned that she arrived “because we truly believe that we can reforest more and take care of the lands we have”She also said that she is determined to replant her farm in Guayama with the native trees that were lost after the hurricanes in recent years.
Although this was the massive event of La Siembra, the organization carries out tree distributions in various municipalities. The next ones on the agenda are Vieques, on October 5, and Culebra, on November 2. Para la Naturaleza is also constantly looking for volunteers to plant and maintain the trees. Those interested can write to volunteers@paralanaturaleza.org or call (787) 722-5882.
