For nearly forty-five years, we have hosted volunteers from all over the planet, involved in the total operations & management of Las Casas de la Selva, carrying out particular tasks, or assisting us with scientific research projects.
For over forty years, we have hosted volunteers from all over the planet, involved in the total operations & management of Las Casas de la Selva, carrying out particular tasks, or assisting us with scientific research projects.
Sustainable Forestry in Puerto Rico
Welcome to Las Casas de la Selva: a living laboratory in the rainforest
Since 1983, deep in the mountains of Patillas, Puerto Rico, Las Casas de la Selva has stood as a living experiment in how humans might live with, not against, the rainforest. Home to the Tropic Ventures Sustainable Forestry & Rainforest Enrichment Project, this land has witnessed over four decades of bold silvicultural research—proving that secondary forests, when wisely managed, can yield sustainable timber without destroying ecological integrity.
In a world driven by relentless extraction—where forests are razed, resources devoured, and ecosystems treated as expendable—this project stands as a bold countercurrent. It offers not just an alternative, but a declaration: that it is possible to live differently. Rooted in respect for living systems, in the slow rhythms of regeneration, and in the fierce resilience of both forest and people, Las Casas de la Selva lights the path toward a future where survival is not measured by what we take but by what we sustain.
This vision extends beyond managed forestry. In recent years, our team pioneered the salvage of valuable hardwoods from urban hurricane-damaged trees—rescuing logs otherwise destined for landfills. This groundbreaking effort led to the creation of Puerto Rico Hardwoods, a sustainable enterprise that transforms storm-felled trees into timber for artisans, builders, and restoration projects, helping regenerate a local wood economy grounded in ecological responsibility.
Las Casas de la Selva is also home to vital conservation work with Puerto Rico’s rare and critically endangered plant species. Our botanical team collaborates with national and international partners to propagate and protect native trees on the brink of extinction—gathering data, growing seedlings, and replanting the forest one species at a time.
For nearly forty-five years, this rainforest has drawn a global constellation of scientists, artists, students, adventurers, and visionaries who have lived and worked within this biome. Here, learning is visceral, muddy, and hands-on. Data is gathered alongside meals shared under stars. Ideas take root. Communities form over time and space. And all of it is in service to one of the oldest, hardest tasks on Earth: to live on a piece of land without spoiling it.
“That land is a community is the basic concept of ecology, but that land is to be loved and respected is an extension of ethics.” Aldo Leopold
Recent Posts
Ohio Northern University’s Engineering Capstone Team at Las Casas, Aug, 2026
The purpose of this first visit was exploration. We wanted the students to see enough, ask enough questions, and take enough photographs to begin identifying potential Capstone projects.
Restoring forest access with Global Works, 1 August 2026
A Global Works team of 24 students from across the United States recently joined us for a full day of hands-on forest-road restoration at Las Casas de la Selva. We ventured deep into our timber plantation lands, where the students worked beneath towering mahogany, mahoe, ausubo, grenadillo, and tabonuco trees
Beneath the Trees: Puerto Rico’s Hidden Fungal Communities
When we walk through a tropical forest, our attention is naturally drawn upward—to the canopy, the leaves, the vines, and the immense variety of trees. Yet beneath our feet lies another extraordinarily diverse world: a living network of fungi that helps shape the entire forest ecosystem.
Beyond the Razor Grass — Part Two, 11th July 2026
The razor grass had occupied every available opening created by Hurricane Maria. Its long, sharp leaves tangled together with vines and other vigorous vegetation, concealing the ground and obscuring even substantial trees. Clearing it required patience and close teamwork.
Globalworks Teen Team: Beyond the razor grass! 29th June 2026
There are places in the forest that become almost mythical. You know they are there. You remember planting every tree, carrying seedlings up muddy slopes, and imagining what the forest might look like years into the future.
Planting the Future: 4 Decades of Forest Stewardship in Patillas, PR.
Every seedling in our nursery carries forward a vision that began more than forty years ago.
Shoulder-to-Shoulder: Clearing the way for tomorrow’s forest, 14 & 18 June 2026
We welcomed not one but two remarkable groups through the Shoulder-to-Shoulder (SStS) program.
The slender giants of Las Casas de la Selva, June 2026
Planted at Las Casas de la Selva, Patillas, during the mid-1980s, many of these trees have now reached over three decades of growth