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| Puerto Rico’s Rainforest |
| Test ways to sustainably manage tropical rainforests, and provide local income while protecting biodiversity. |
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On The Expedition Earthwatch volunteers will be trained in a variety of tasks, which may include measuring trees, counting lizards or frogs, helping to tag and identify vine species, and helping to set up new experimental plots for planting different tree and shrub species. All the while you'll be hiking through beautiful, tropical rainforest areas, sometimes climbing up steep hillsides, and sometimes following fast flowing rivers. You will also have the chance to join a night expedition into the forest to help count coqui frogs. During your recreational time you will be able to enjoy hikes (if you still have the energy), take dips in nearby rivers, take part in some forest related craft activities, use the project library to learn more about the ecology of the area, or just relax and enjoy an area of rainforest land that very few other people have had a chance to visit. There will also be an opportunity to take a salsa dancing class and to experience the local culture and cuisine. Meals and Accommodations You'll stay in tents on large, covered platforms with comfortable foam mattresses near the main house of the research area, or in a newly constructed bunk house. A bathing block has hot and cold showers and flush toilets. There is electricity, but power outages are common, so expect some candlelight meals. The project staff includes accomplished cooks, and you will enjoy an array of world cuisine meals. Volunteers take turns acting as sous chefs and doing some after dinner clean-up. More Information This expedition also offers Family and Teen teams! |
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Research Summary Las Casas de la Selva, Patillas, Puerto Rico — The World Resources Institute estimates that each year 13.7 million hectares of tropical forest are cut down, with drastic consequences for biodiversity and local economic sustainability. Dr. Mark Nelson and the staff at Las Casas de la Selva are testing ways to harvest rainforest trees by mimicking nature. The project staff cuts long, three-meter-wide slots through the forest, each line separated by 10 meters of intact rainforest, as if a canopy tree had fallen in the rainforest. They plant tree seedlings in each line, and then harvest the trees years later with minimal disturbance to the surrounding forest. Two decades of research are being evaluated to see which planting sites are working best, what crops, both hardwood, and other plants of ethnobotanical use, can be utilized and what their impact is on the surrounding forest. Meet the Scientists  Dr. Mark Nelson Institute of Ecotechnics Welcome to "Las Casas de la Selva," a tropical rainforest enrichment project on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. By joining us this year, you will help assess the results of 21 years of research into the sustainable use of tropical rainforest land. The project is physically demanding, as the site is on steep slopes and in some places the undergrowth is thick. But at the end of the day, you will come home to a comfy tent, a shower, a good meal, and a magical evening listening to the Coqui calling through the night. Dr. Mark Nelson was a founding Director of the Institute of Ecotechnics and has worked for several decades in closed ecological system research, ecological engineering, the restoration of damaged ecosystems, desert agriculture and orchardry and wastewater recycling. He is Chairman and CEO of the Institute of Ecotechnics, Vice Chairman of Global Ecotechnics Corporation and Vice-President for Wastewater Recycling Ecosystems for the Biosphere Foundation. He served as Director of Space and Environmental Applications for Space Biospheres Ventures, which created and operated Biosphere 2, the 3.15 acre materially-closed 6 facility near Tucson, Arizona – the world’s first laboratory for global ecology. Mark was a member of the eight-person crew for the first two-year closure experiment within Biosphere 2. He is a deputy organizer of the life science sessions on Closed Ecological Systems for COSPAR (the International Committee on Space Research of the ICSU). His educational background includes a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering Sciences from the University of Florida. His M.S. is from the School of Renewable Natural Resources, University of Arizona, and his B.A. in Philosophy/Pre- Med Sciences is from Dartmouth College. |
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About the Research Area The island of Puerto Rico, with an area of approximately 3,435 square miles, it is the smallest of the four islands that compose the Greater Antilles as well as the most easterly. The Las Casas de la Selva forest, where the project will take place, is located about one hour by car from the San Juan International Airport and within easy reach of major commercial centers and beaches. The forest’s elevation of 600 meters (1,800 feet) provides year round temperatures averaging 71.7ºF (22ºC). The plantation area ranges from very narrow ridge tops, down generally convex upper slopes and concave mid and lower slopes, to fast running perennial streams. The research area consists of several buildings, and open-walled dining area, and roofed tent platforms. At night, you will be serenaded by the tiny coqui frog - and one night you may do a frog survey. Evenings often feature entertainment - music, learning to salsa dance, or visiting one of the small towns nearby. On your day off, the group can go to the beach, Old San Juan, or several other attractions. Find out more |
Fact Sheet
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Locations shown are approximate.
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