22.9.13
Y finalmente la piña….dulce/Finally a pineapple….sweet
20.3.13
Boa Constrictora / Constrictor Boa
17.2.13
Cariaquillo / Lantana camara
Archaeoprepona demophoon insulicola
16.2.13
Piñas / Pineapples
10.12.12
Kudzu Tropical (Pueraria phaseoloides)
9.11.12
23.10.12
Guineo Ornamental / Pink Flowering Banana (Musa ornata)
Gracias Brian Irish (TARS
19.10.12
Hongos extraños / Rare Fungi
Dhatūrā / Devil’s Trumpets
12.10.12
Semillas de Libertad / Seed Freedom
9.10.12
Lirio “Candelaria” - Hippeastrum Amarylidoceae
The sun is here; the lilies woke up. Thanks Doña María for donating these lilies to Pachamama.
21.9.12
Guineos Niños / Bananas “Niños”
27.8.12
Las semillas son vida / Seeds Are Life
"The desire to save seeds comes from an ethical urge to defend life's evolution" says Vandana Shiva, activist, author and scholar.
http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nextworldtv.com%2Fpage%2F4105.html&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNEpr9oRZX9ZMb7pIVIliLyTTe6ZrQ
17.8.12
!Ahora es que es!/ Now it’s the time!
La abundancia de la lluvia alimenta cada planta, cada organismo vivo y todo crece sin abonos o composta. Los machetes no dan a vasto para la competencia con los bejucos y las malezas que crecen sin control. Es el tiempo de observar la naturaleza.
15.8.12
Nuestro agradecimiento a Deborah J. Lodge y Sharon Cantrell, expertas en micología caribeña (tropical) por ayudarnos a identificar algunos de los hongos encontrados en esta temporada en Pachamama.
Thanks so much to Deborah J. Lodge and Sharon Cantrell, Caribbean mycology (tropical) experts for helping us to identify some of the fungi found during this season at Pachamama.
9.8.12
Hermosas y deliciosas/Beautiful and Delicious
Not everything is rain in the West coast of Puerto Rico! Thanks Ian Crown for the invitation to taste these beautiful and delicious fruits of this season.
31.7.12
Juan de Vargas alias “bejuco de paloma”
29.7.12
En honor a la unidad / Honoring Unity
During the last days many groups around the world –including Puerto Rico- had being celebrating and honoring a prophetical cosmic phase first announced in the past by few tribes. The call was listened and now we should have continued working and collaborating to the common good and the conscious evolution.
17.7.12
Dictyphora indusiata / Velo de Novia
Fungi in the Jungle
18.6.12
Pacholí/Patchouli (Vetiver) Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.)
The hillside ditch that we recently finished need two rows of patchouli (vetiver). This plant is very important to avoid the erosion a common problem in tropical soils. The uses of this grass include water conservation, flood control and restoring the land among other uses. The two rows of vetiver are planted to the contour at six inches of distance. The purpose of this practice is to create a protected barrier that will reduce the water flow as well to retain the sediments. Here Kalani Saldaña working on it. Thanks to Mariel y Ramón de Conuco del Cotto in San Germán; Fello Pérez de Siembra para tod@s in Cabo Rojo and Raquel Robledo which donated the vegetative material in order to complete this phase of the project.
13.4.12
Zanja de ladera / Hillside Ditch
Las lluvias de marzo / Rains during March
Past March –in the West Coast of the island- we registered over 10” of rain in a season that is usually dry. This is a blessings but also a complication for farmers. The patterns of rain in the last three years indicate climatic changes that we can not longer ignore. Here the last flood of Casey River.
1.4.12
Taller de Arcillas / Potter's Clay Workshop
Puerto Rico has a great variety of soils that are different according their geographical location. The characteristics and textures of the soils indicate their possible uses. In the last weeks, Kalani Saldaña (Resident Volunteer), started to identify the different types of soil in Pachamama for various purposes. One of them is to organize a potter’s clay workshop at the end of this year. If you are interested in this class you can send us a message or call to reserve your spaces which are limited. Cost will be by donation and/or exchange (to be determined soon).
31.3.12
Joel Alejandro y los liquenes / Joel Alejandro and the Lichens
20.3.12
Liquenes de Puerto Rico
Auditorio del Museo Eugenio María de Hostos
Carr. 354, Camino Los Ortiz, Km. 3.8
Bo. Río Cañas Arriba
Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
Para detalles de la actividad e información de cómo llegar al museo visite: http://www.facebook.com/events/180835655366854/#!/events/180835655366854/
2.3.12
Jergón Sacha o Hierba de Jergón
Thanks to Juana Pérez, Zorayma Navarro, O’Nell González and Brian Brunner for helping me to identify this plant that born out of “nothing” in Pachamama.
Para información sobre esta planta de la Amazonía, favor de visitar el enlace siguiente: http://www.rain-tree.com/jergon.htm
For information about this Amazonian plant, please visit the following link: http://www.rain-tree.com/jergon.htm
22.1.12
Brigada Boricua en Pachamama
Past friday January 20th, a group of young adults highly committed to the Earth came and help with their hands, experience and solidarity helping us to continue the progress in Pachamama. Thanks for this effort. In the group: Erik, Fello y Shaisa, Juaco y Juanita, Nano, Gema, Augusto y Ubek, Ricardo, Vivi, Inti y Anuk, Luis y Lynnette, Juanma y Mariolga, Kalani, Doralis, Brenda, Angeles, Oliva y Liz.
15.1.12
Bienvenido Kalani / Welcome Kalani
We welcome our resident volunteer Kalani. The clearing and the gardens are getting into shape thanks to his constant dedication and creativity. Thanks for collaborate and accept to be part of this project! To see a sample of his paintings visit: http://www.galeriaveve.com/saldana.html
9.12.11
Despues de la lluvia / After the Rain
The past rainy season was intense and long in this zone. The winds that Irene brought caused the falling of many branches. The vegetation covered almost all trails in the forest garden. We are now in the second phase of the first cycle of low impact development and we have plenty of work to do! Do you want to give us a hand? Please write or call and we will gladly accommodate you in the schedule available for volunteers. Limited spaces.
13.11.11
Derrumbes en Pachamama / Landslides in Pachamama
Los resultados de re-diseñar la forma natural de los terrenos pueden ser impredecibles, especialmente, cuando ignoramos sus características únicas. Los terrenos en el trópico son frágiles y propensos a la erosión aún cuando estos no sean impactados intencionalmente. Esta es la razón por la que debemos tomarnos el tiempo para estudiar y explorar los pros y los contras, antes de considerar la utilización de maquinarias industriales, tales como explanadoras o “puercas”. Tan pronto los terrenos son impactados por estos equipos queda una huella permanente y con ésta, múltiples consecuencias a largo plazo.
Una consecuencia directa de los impactos al terreno no planificados son los derrumbes. Un problema creado en el pasado por la falta de conocimiento y problamente, por el afan de explotar la tierra como ha sido el uso y costumbre a partir del auge de la industrialización* que comienza intensamente en la Isla a partir de la década de los cuarenta.
A finales de esa década, la mayor parte de los bosques primarios de Puerto Rico fueron impactados con el fin de uso agrícola y posteriormente para el desarrollo de viviendas y centros comerciales. Muchos de los modelos de desarrollo propuestos en ese entonces, no tomaban en cuenta la conservación de los suelos, la protección de los recursos naturales y mucho menos, la simbiosis o conexión entre el ser humano y la naturaleza.
La poca actividad agrícola en las últimas décadas permitió un estado de reposo a la tierra lo que ha permitido el renacimiento de los bosques (secundarios). Esto representa –en mi opinión- una segunda e increible oportunidad para re-aprender sobre como podemos utilizar los bosques con sensibilidad e inteligencia, a la vez que los sembramos, usamos y protegemos.
Estudiosos de la ecología y otros campos de estudios relacionados, han confirmado que existen prácticas convencionales que han causado mucho daño al ambiente en general. Ahora, lo que procede, es la integración y aplicación de todo conocimiento –antiguo o moderno- que proponga restablecer parte de la armonía natural que ha sido destruída por el progreso, la explotación, la comodidad, la ambición y la ignorancia.
(*El proceso de industrialización ha sido un contínuo a partir del movimiento colonizador Europeo.)
“La naturaleza es sagrada porque es ella la que provee lo que necesitamos para subsistir”. Doña Vitta
The Pachamama forest garden was impacted by industrial machines and the ideas of “progressive” people about twenty-five years ago or more. Due to its topography, location, soil types and other characteristics that belong to the humid tropics, as we are working on the proper holistic development of this project, we also have to correct the negative consequences of human error and big machines. Examples run from nutrient depletion to compacted soil, which causes water runoff and erosion, among many other problems.
Re-designing the natural shape of land involves many unpredictable results especially, when we ignore their unique characteristics. The soils in the tropics are fragile and are prone to erosion even when they are not impacted by heavy equipment. This is the main reason why we have to take the time to study and explore the pros and cons before consider using heavy machinery, such as bulldozers. Once the land is impacted by any equipment, there is a permanent footprint left, the consequences that could bring multiple long term problems.
One direct consequence, due to the lack of planning and consideration of these impacts are landslides. This problem was created in the past by the absence of knowledge and probably, by the desire to exploit nature as was the use and custom since industrialization* came to the island, around de decade of the forties.
The limited agricultural activity in the past decades has allowed a resting period for the land that has facilitated the growing of novelle new forests island wide. In my opinion, this represents an incredibly important opportunity to re-learn how to wisely use and protect our new forests at the same time that we sensitively and intelligently integrate agricultural practices.
By the end of that decade, most of the primary forests of Puerto Rico were clear cut for agricultural use and later, for the development of housing and commercial malls. Most of the proposed development models of that time did not consider soil conservation, the protection of natural resources and least of all the symbiosis between humans and nature.
Ecology’s scholars as well as experts from other related fields have confirmed that there are conventional practices that have caused, and continue to cause much harm {in general} to our environment. Now, what needs to proceed is the integration and application of all knowledge –old and new- that propose the re-establishment of some part of the destroyed natural harmony due to progress, exploitation, comfort, ambition and ignorance.
(*The industrialization process in a continuum that started with the European colonizing movement.)
“Nature is sacred because it provides us with what we need to subsist.” Doña Vitta
7.7.11
IFFF en Puerto Rico
25.5.11
Piedras en el camino / Stones in my way
26.4.11
Pachamama nos llama / Pachamama is calling
Pachamama Bosque-Jardín es un espacio para facilitar la re-conexión con la naturaleza tropical. Es un bosque “nuevo” o secundario de trece cuerdas de terreno, ubicado en las Montañas de Urayoán entre Mayagüez, Añasco y Las Marías.
El proyecto Pachamama es un modelo de bajo impacto ambiental y una finca familiar sustentable en progreso. Los conceptos que estamos aplicando provienen de: la agroecología, la agroforestería, la silvicultura, la permacultura y la agricultura holística y de conservación.
En esta etapa inicial estamos primordialmente trabajando en la remoción de árboles caídos, en la exploración del bosque para abrir veredas, levantando inventarios de la flora y la fauna, seleccionando los cultivos apropiados y desarrollando un plan de manejo de recursos naturales y de conservación de la biodiversidad. Además, nos encaminamos hacia la siembra ecológica de cultivos comibles para la subsistencia. De esta manera, queremos integrar gradualmente tantos conceptos sobre la sustentabilidad como nos sea posible.
Para poder continuar con el desarrollo de este bosque-jardín, necesitamos el apoyo y colaboración de voluntarios que amen el trabajo pionero en el trópico para eventualmente inspirar a otros a crear proyectos similares alrededor de Puerto Rico.
JOIN PACHAMAMA FOREST GARDEN
Pachamama Forest Garden is a place to facilitate the re-connection with the natural tropical world. It covers a thirteen acre "nouvelle" or secondary forest farm within the Uroyaon Mountain Range between Mayaguez, Añasco and Las Marías. The Pachamama project is a work in progress, using a low impact approach model with the intention to create a sustainable family farm. The concepts we are applying come from different sources: agroecology, agroforestry, silviculture, permaculture holistic and conservation farming.
At this initial stage we are primarily working on moving fallen trees, exploring the land for natural trails, making flora and fauna inventories, selecting the appropriated crops, developing a biodiversity conservation plan and managing natural resources. We are also about to start subsistence ecological planting of edible crops. In this way, we want to gradually integrate as many concepts of sustainability as possible.
In order to continue to develop this forest garden, we need the support and collaboration of volunteers who love pioneer work in the tropics that will eventually inspire others to create similar projects around the island of Puerto Rico.
22.8.09
Sadhu Govardhan & Oro Verde
Through years I had being witness of the inspirational effect of Oro Verde: Securing the Future of Our Food by Sadhu Govardhan. Little by little his dedication and commitment with the development of eco-agriculture in Puerto Rico start to give “fruits”. People of all ages in the Island had got inspire by his vision and Pachamama Forest Garden is not the exception.That the seeds of inspiration continue growing through the generations to come!