Presentation from Fernando Lloveras San Miguel, President, Para La Naturaleza. Para La Naturaleza (PLN), or “For Nature” is a nonprofit conservation partner in Puerto Rico with more than 43 years of experience working collaboratively with other organizations for natural resources protection on the islands. PLN is known for their cultural restoration work and their mission to preserve 33% of the land in Puerto Rico. The organization has strong partnerships and agreements with USDA-NRCS, USFS-El Yunque, USFS Institute of Tropical Forestry, USFWS, and collaborates with Puerto Rico’s Caribe District on environmental education. Learn more about PLN’s work and partnerships.

2. Para la
Naturaleza
is a non-profit organization that integrates
society in the conservation of natural
ecosystems and the restoration of historic sites
in the islands of Puerto Rico.
2022
Para la Naturaleza

3. 2022
Our Habitat
Para la Naturaleza
main island
satellite
islands
islets
cays
05 588
million
acres
2.2
miles of
coastline
01 04 ecosystem types
Insular Caribbean
Biodiversity Hotspot
25
species
identified
799 10k+

4. Key Factors
- troublesome colonial
governance system
- powerful economic
development
mindset devoid of
ecological values
- chaotic economic
and financial context,
especially in the past
decade
- devastating set of
climate and public
health catastrophes
in the past decade

5. Energy
- 98% fossil fuel
dependent
- Higher than 45
out of the 50
US states
- Average cost:
20.32 cents
per kw

6. Food
85%
imported
26.8%
child obesity,
compared to
19.6% in the
US

7. Road Density
- 289 km per
100sq km
- 2 million
cars for 3
million residents

8. 2022
Roads
Para la Naturaleza

9. Waste
5.5
pounds of waste
per day
01
pound more than the waste
produced by the average US
citizen, even though we earn
only 1/3 of the median
household income
9 % al 14%
Recycle vs. the US
average of 33%
10
of 29 landfills in
compliance with
EPA standards

10. 2022
Landscape Condition
Para la Naturaleza

11. 2022
Aquifers of Puerto Rico
Para la Naturaleza

12. 2022
Rivers of Puerto Rico
Para la Naturaleza

13. 2022
Rivers and Streams of Puerto Rico
Para la Naturaleza

14. 2022
Dams of Puerto Rico
Para la Naturaleza

15. Conservation
Efforts

16. Conservation
Easement Law
- 2001
- First major policy
effort

17. Cost-Benefit
Analysis of
Conservation
Easement Tax
Credits
Visual Summary
Source: Advantage Business Consulting Inc.

18. 2022
Mapa 33
Para la Naturaleza

19. -
-
- Archipelago as living
organism and
functional ecosystem
- Ecosystem
services
- First Land
Use Plan
- Adopted as
National Target
(2016)
- Island-wide
vision
Map 33 Proposals
mapa-33.com
Natural protected areas
Map 33 Proposed Areas

20. i,Por que es importante proteger estos
terrenos?
Es un camino muy bonito que te lleva al tunel del
tren en Cabo Rojo. Ofrece una conexi6n fntima con
la naturaleza, acceso a monumentos del tren, yen el
lugar he visto todo tipo de criaturas como mariposas
y aves al igual que tlores y plantas bonitas. Estas
parcelas incluyen cortes de terreno (trincheras) que
ofrece una vista a la geologfa del area. Ademas de
ser transitados por vecinos que aprovechan la via
vieja del tren, y de ser una atracci6n turfstica, es un
camino frecuentado por personas que hacen
ejercicio y expandirfa una reserva de Para la
Naturaleza.

21. Natural
Protected Areas

22. 2022
Natural Protected Areas
Para la Naturaleza

23. Biodiversity
amphibians arthropods
13 458 birds fish
270 182
flora
1,431 mammals reptiles
22 36 Endangered
species
reintroduction
projects

24. - Puerto Rican tody
Todus mexicanus

25. - Malagueta Tree
Pimenta racemosa

26. Historic
Preservation

27. Hacienda La
Esperanza, Manatí

28. Hacienda
Buena Vista, Ponce

29. Cabezas de
San Juan, Fajardo

30. Medio Mundo
y Daguao, Ceiba

31. Antiguo Acueducto del
Río Piedras, San Juan

33. Interpreting
Nature

34. - Meticulously crafted
interpretation program
showcases the value of Puerto
Rico’s natural and historic
heritage
- Historic structures as Visitor
Centers
- Up to 80k visitors per year
- 2 M interpretative tours so far

35. Nature Immersion
Workshops

36. - Peer learning
- 78 workshops
- 1.5k youth impacted
- 300+ environmental
leaders
- Team members

37. Citizens as
Volunteers

38. - Citizen Science (CiLab)
- Led by scientists
- Hands-on learning
- Cultural and ecological
importance of the
conserved areas
- 35,854 volunteers
- 242, 538 participations
- 611,567 hours donated
- $8.6MM estimated
value of volunteer time

39. Reforestation

40. - 5 tree nurseries
- 269 Native and
endemic species
- 100,000 trees
planted per year

41. Community
Conservation

42. - 33 community
centers
- Solar power
- Rainwater
collection and
filtration systems
- 97,500+ people
impacted
- Capacity building
- New Program:
AComPAÑA

43. Agroecology

44. - Education
- Economic and
technical support
- Tree
donations
- Community
gardens

45. School
Partnerships
20 public
Montessori
schools
Instituto Nueva
Escuela

46. 539 trees
planted in 27
school
communities
1,000 home
gardens during
the pandemic

47. Federal
Partnerships

48. Hacienda La Esperanza
Reforestation and
Enhancement
$652,444
award + similar
match amount
in trees and staff
National Coastal
Resilience Program
Reforestation and
Habitat Enhancement of
Hacienda La Esperanza
Nature Reserve
January 2018
start date

49. Restoration of
riverine, coastal
and wetland
forests
Nature-based
solutions
Strengthening
barriers
Native species
suited for the habitat
and resistant to local
climate

50. Meeting Objectives
47,247
native trees
planted of
50,188
target goal
94%
completion
60
acres of land
impacted

51. Community Impact
Educational activities on
building resilience with
natural infrastructure
7
neighboring
communities
156
volunteer
activities
11k+
contact hours
with participants

52. Long-term
Conservation Impacts
- Birds as indicators
of habitat
regeneration and
quality
- Sound recorders in
forest fragments
show positive change
in bird populations
- Best results in
2.5 - 3 year old
plantings

53. Río Grande
Arecibo
Restoration
Initiative
- USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service Regional
Conservation Partnership Program
- Río Grande de Arecibo Watershed
Restoration and Reforestation
- $2M award

54. - Reforestation of
private forests
and agricultural
land within
watershed
- Direct work with
local farmers
- Educate about
conservation
actions
- Promote
sustainable use
of resources

55. Six Key Species
- Coquí llanero,
Plain coquí
(Eleutherodactylus
juanriveroi)
- Cetí, Sirajo goby
(Sicydium plumieri)
- Sapo Concho,
Puerto Rican crested
toad (Peltophryne lemur)
- Palma de manaca,
Puerto Rican manac
(Calyptronoma rivalis)
- Matabuey,
Beautiful goetzea
(Goestzea elegans)
- Cobana Negra
(Stahlia monosperma)

56. Crucial Partners
- 35 farmers
and landowners
- Trainings on habitat
recovery monitoring
on their land
- Understand
long-term effects of
these conservation
practices

57. Collaborations for
Lasting Impact
- Collaboration between
government, NGOs,
private landowners, and
communities as
fundamental for Puerto
Rico’s conservation
agenda
- Projects as models for
future work
- Combining strengths for
greater success and
impact

58. Para la Naturaleza 2022
Thank you!
Fernando Lloveras San Miguel
President Para la Naturaleza
fernando@paralanaturaleza.org
+1.787.722.5834
US Fish and Wildlife Service
National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation
Special Thanks:
Luis Cruz, Director of USDA
NRCS Caribbean Office and
his team