By Roberto Soto | Project Leader / External Consultant
At a recent meeting of the leadership of the Friends of the Pterocarpus Forest (PHA Pterocarpus Forest, Inc.), there was a renewed commitment to seeing the "Promote Learning about a Unique Forest Ecosystem" project through to fruition. This entails its online publication and raising awareness among the public about this new tool for environmental education.
To achieve this, the Forest Inventory project became the focal point of our GivingTuesday campaign on GlobalGiving. While we are still awaiting the final results, we are pleased to announce that approximately $4,000 was raised on GivingTuesday in support of the project, specifically for its online publication. An additional benefit of our extensive campaign promotion was the achievement of surpassing 7,000 followers on Facebook and over 3,300 on Instagram.
As first highlighted in our August report, significant progress has been made on the new Pterocarpus Forest, thanks to the leadership of Dr. Ivelisse Irizarry, our lead investigator, her colleague Dr. Rita Cáceres Charneco, and over 25 student researchers from InterAmerican and the University of Puerto Rico. As of the last count, doctors Irizarry and Cáceres and their student Forest researchers have made 1,915 observations -- identifying 294 species of flora, fauna and fungi inhabiting the 51-acre Pterocarpus Forest. Notably, the 2010 preliminary Forest inventory included only 44 species of flora and 52 of fauna.
The initial inventory that will be published and divulged will reveal the organisms observed in the Forest up to March 31, 2024, the third quarter of the 2023-2024 academic year.
The progress with the GlobalGiving project will be complemented by efforts to definitively outline the scope and breadth of expanding the Forest's 3/4-mile elevated boardwalk to reach a stream alongside the swamp forest. This expansion will grant access to more of the Forest and its natural wonders, facilitating the explanation of the vital role the Forest plays, as evidenced by its connection to the stream, the stream to a river, and the river to the nearby Atlantic Ocean.
As the year concludes, we remain committed to raising funds for the project and in support of the Friends' environmental education initiatives. Simultaneously, we are gearing up for the launch of the catalog as soon as possible, with a target date of April 1, 2024. Details will be provided in our next report.
We extend our heartfelt appreciation to all donors and supporters who contributed to the GivingTuesday campaign and throughout 2023 making these achievements possible. We look forward to sharing more updates as we continue on this exciting journey of exploration and education.
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