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- Collection: Cultural Exchange - Puerto Rico Sustainable Disaster Relief
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Embalse Guajataca
The tower used to show the water levels of Lake Guajataca.
Measuring Water Levels
Water levels at Lake Guajataca were extremely low in January 2018, as seen on the measurement tower along the dam. The lake is being intentionally drained in order to repair the breech to the dam that occurred during Hurricane María.
Breached Dam at Lake Guajataca
Close up of the crumbling overspill that diverted water during the dam breach that
Lake Guajataca
View of Lake Guajataca in January 2018. Water levels are visibly low as the lake is being drained in order to begin repair work on the dam which was breached during Hurricane María in September 2017.
Road Closed - Lake Guajataca
Road closed along the shoreline of Lake Guajataca in San Sebastian due to damage sustained during Hurricane María as well as the ongoing draining of the lake and repair and restoration of the dam.
Bohío in San Sebastian
Traditional wooden home found in the mountains of Puerto Rico. This house was the birthplace the grandfather of Raíces Cultural Center BOD chair Angela Lugo. The home was relatively undamaged by Hurricane María.
Gandules
Farmland in San Sebastian that is being used to grow gandules, or pigeon peas, after being cleared following Hurricane María.
Destruction and Debris - San Sebastian
Destroyed gas station in San Sebastian, Puerto Rico.
Debris - San Sebastian
Debris from a gas station in San Sebastian, Puerto Rico, destroyed by Hurricane María.
Hurricane Damage - San Sebastian
A gas station in San Sebstian, Puerto Rico which was damaged but not destroyed by Hurricane Maria. It remained closed four months after the storm when this photograph was taken.
Destruction - San Sebastian
Destroyed gas station in San Sebastian, Puerto Rico. Debris from the collapsed structures remained four months after the storm had destroyed it. This was a common sight around the island in January 2018.
A Sea of Litter - Unsustainable Festival
One of the saddest sights seen in Puerto Rico during the Raíces Sustainable Disaster Relief Support Trip in January 2018 was the sea of litter that remained after a festival in San Sebastian. After learning of and seeing first hand that many places…
Litter and Pollution
A human-created sustainability problem. The aftermath of some festivals in Puerto Rico mirror that of the US, with debris, litter and pollution created en masse and left behind for municipal workers to deal with. Not all of the litter will be found…
River of Garbage
Trash thrown into storm drainage systems that doesn’t get picked up by the workers assigned to clean this mess post-festival will end up washing downstream in the next storm, and ultimately end up in the island’s waterways and the ocean. Coming…
Zona Agricola
Seen from the highway leaving the San Juan area, “Zona Agricola” means agricultural zone. About 80% of agricultural crops were wiped out by Hurricane María in September 2017.
Agricultural Zone
Over the past few years there has been a resurgence of agriculture on the island of Puerto Rico, with governmental programs pushing for an increase in agriculture, especially using conventional methods and preparing single crops for export; as well…
Greenhouse Damage
The greenhouse at Finca Mi Casa in Camuy, Puerto Rico was damaged by Hurricane María. This greenhouse, when functional, is used for water and weed control, to grow crops that are difficult to grow in the fields such as lettuce and tomatoes. The…
Talking with Don Luis Soto
Raíces Cultural Center Director Francisco G. Gómez talking with Don Luis Soto of Finca Mi Casa about the damage his farm suffered during Hurricane María.
Compost
Don Luis Soto of Finca Mi Casa showing his outdoor worm composting set up.
Doña Carmen
Doña Carmen Soto of Finca Mi Casa. Doña Carmen chose from the handmade, organic soaps the Raíces crew was given to bring on our January 2018 Relief Trip by local community member Norma Vargas.
Don Luis and Doña Carmen
Don Luis and Doña Carmen Soto of Finca Mi Casa with some of the sustainable relief supplies they received thanks to donations from our Central NJ Community and a dozen non-GMO, organic and heirloom seed companies.
Preparing the Earth For Planting Beans
Don Luis and the Raíces crew immediately began preparing earth and planting seeds for a few varieties of beans after Don Luis chose the seed varieties he wanted to grow from the 50 pound box of seeds donated to Raíces by a dozen organic, non-GMO and…
Hand Tools
The Raíces crew preparing a patch of earth with Don Luis to plant three varieties of beans for seed saving.
Working the Earth at Finca Mi Casa
Raíces Director Francisco G. Gómez and volunteer Christina Proxenos working the earth at Finca Mi Casa under the direction of Don Luis Soto. During our visit, we planted a small patch of three varieties of beans for seed saving from some of the…
Coffee Break
Doña Carmen Soto of Finca Mi Casa bringing coffee and homemade muffins to give us some fuel to continue to our work and travels.