Embracing a new role as an aspiring Conservation Horticulturalist in Puerto Rico.
Here in the wilderness of the Puertorican subtropical wet forest, I am acutely aware of the multifaceted nature of my role. Today, as I battled with levels of bureaucracy of some of the Puertorican agencies, yearning to walk away from my desk and into the nursery, I engaged in a reflective exploration, endeavoring to define and delineate the intrinsic motivations that propel my work forward.
In this pursuit, over two decades, amidst the foliage of our project homestead in Patillas, Puerto Rico, I have come to embrace a new role as an aspiring Conservation Horticulturalist.
As a discipline, conservation horticulture upholds three clear goals: preventing species extinction, promoting recovery, and restoring threatened environments.
Within the realm of nursery management, I apply my tentative expertise to ensure optimal care and cultivation of plant species under my stewardship. Through recently learned plant propagation techniques, I aim to multiply the numbers of rare and endangered species, contributing to their population growth and genetic diversity. I collaborate with individuals, institutions, and organizations to collect, process, and preserve seeds from endangered plant species. Learning and employing horticultural techniques, I attend to the needs…
