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Birds Earthwatch People of Las Casas de la Selva Research & Education Tvref Collaboration Volunteer Groups Volunteers
 December 28, 2015

Earthwatch Expedition – December into January 2016

Back row L-R: Inset, Israel Guzman, Herb Wexler, Janet Richards, Kamal Daghistani, Ziyou Yang, Diane Bentz, Julio Rodriguez. Front: Magha Garcia, Marigail Bentz, Chari Kauffman, Danny Nip, Patricia Salomon, Riona Kobayashi, 3t Vakil, Andres Rua.

Israel Guzman, President of SOPI, led the team into the forest for the first Winter Bird Surveys at Las Casas de la Selva. Marta Edgar previously carried out two years of surveys in the summer months with Earthwatch volunteers.

  • Magha gave a tostone-making class.
  • Through a presentation the team learnt about the work of SOPI and preliminary training in identifying birds of the area, and below, the elusive Warbler that hasn’t been seen in this region for several years.
  • A wonderful dinner at Habitarte, a project run by Wanda Rodriguez and Ricardo Valles Perez (below).
  • With 3t, the team also carried out the monitoring and care of nearly 300 saplings of critically endangered trees.
Finally, we had a great New Years Party. Thank you to everyone who contributed time and energy into making this a seriously fun-filled Earthwatch Expedition. Happy New Year!
Endangered plants Rare trees Research & Education Tree planting Tvref Collaboration Volunteer Groups Volunteers
 December 7, 2015

Globalworks teenagers, Treeplanting, May 2015

Globalworks brought the whole of the 8th Grade from San Francisco Day School to Las Casas de la Selva, May 2015.

We hosted three teams consecutively, for three days each. This wonderful bunch of teens planted critically endangered endemic Cornutia obovata trees in the forest.

Thanks to SFDS teacher Chris Corrigan for his tremendous leadership skills, and the enthusiasm he has brought to Las Casas over the last several years on Globalworks expeditions. Thanks to all the wonderful staff and students for the hard-work planting these Cornutia obovata out in the forest, and for the wonderful evenings back at the homestead. We salute you all! Thank you also to Globalworks staff, and to Las Casas volunteers Alfredo Lopez and Helen Galli, for all their help.
All pix by 3t Vakil unless otherwise credited.

See more about this tree-planting project https://eyeontherainforest.org/?p=5462

  • Above: Chris Corrigan, Expedition leader, SFDS
  • Above left: Scott Page, Director of Globalworks, Puerto Rico.
  • Getting ready to walk the Cornutia obovata saplings into the forest for planting.
  • Staff: Scott (GW) Chris Corrigan & Michelle, SFDS
  • Staff: Luis (Globalworks) with Steve & Elise, SFDS
  • Pic by Cho Hee Shrader
Friends of Las Casas de la Selva
 November 29, 2015

Frank H. Wadsworth 100 years old Dec 2015

Congratulations to our most favorite forester. Frank we salute you highly on this most auspicious day.
Happy 100th Birthday!

  • Frank Wadsworth & Johnny Dolphin
  • Johnny Dolphin, Eliezer Nieves Rodriguez, (‎PR DNER) & Andrés Rúa
  • Frank and his wife, Isabel Colorado
  • Mycologist, botanist, Jean Lodge
  • Ornithologist, Joe M. Wunderle
  • Forester, Peter L. Weaver
  • Andrés and historian, Jorge Nieves.
  • 3t, Nick Brockaw, Director of The Institute for Tropical Ecosystem Studies (ITES) and Director of the Luquillo LTER Program, & Johnny Dolphin
  • Peter Weaver & 3t
Education Events Forest products Forestry News Wood
 November 22, 2015

Fiesta del Arbol November 2015

This event was dedicated to forester Dr. Frank Wadsworth, and Andrés presented a plaque to celebrate his 100th birthday.

We had a table to show off some of our latest products, cheese boards, chopping boards, tostoneras, and samples of Puertorican hardwoods.

  • 3t with Isabelita, Frank’s wife, a great supporter of our project, and products!
  • Andrés with Christian Torres, Director of FLMM.
  • Andrés with Dr. Ariel Lugo, Director of the International Institute of Tropical Forestry.
Fine wood product Forest products Wood Woodwork Woodworker
 November 8, 2015

Mahoe Madness August 2015

The mahoe tree, Talipariti elatum, was planted nearly 30 years ago at Las Casas de la Selva, and we are currently thinning the mahoe plantations. This rare and beautiful wood is available in various dimensions, including very large slabs. Help support sustainable forestry in Puerto Rico by buying our wood, and sharing this info widely.

All Mahoe lumber at $20-$24 per board foot, unless otherwise stated.
Images show both side of each piece.

Please ask if you want the slabs cut smaller and/or fitted into Flat Rate mailing boxes.
A large Flat rate box to USA is $18.95
Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Boxes Size A) 23-11/16″ x 11-3/4″ x 3″ Size B)12″ x 12″ x 5-1/2″

All dimensions are bigger than the specs below and the average width is taken on tapered slabs.
Please contact us for Mahoe turning and carving blanks.

Q: 59″ x 5.5″ x 1″=2.25 board feet =$45.00
R: 65″x 5.5″ x 1″ =2.48 board feet =$49.60

I: 48″ x 8″ x 1″= 2.66bft = $47.88 (discounted for check on one end)
J: 47″ x 6.5″ x 1″= 2.12bft =$42.40
K: 57″ x 6″ x 1″ = 2.37bft =$47.40
L: 70″ x 5″ x 1″ = 2.43bft = $48.60 SOLD

H: 72″ x 8.5″ x 1.75″ = 7.43bft = $148.60 SOLD

G: 71″ x 6″ x 2.25″=6.65bft =$133.00 SOLD

F: 48″ x 12″ x 1.75″=7bft=$168.00 A real primo slab. SOLD

Education Fine wood product Forest products Forestry Wood Woodwork
 November 4, 2015

Students from University of PR – Department of Fine Art

In April this ebullient group of students from the Department of Fine Arts, University of Puerto Rico, arrived on a day trip to find out more about the forest plantations at Las Casas de la Selva, and to see the timber operation; the sawmill, drying shed, and workshop. Everyone was wowed by our wood collection, that we inherited from Jose Mari Mutt, and have been adding to. Eyes opened wide at the beauty of these different and relatively unknown hardwoods that Puerto Rico has. Many discussions ensued about sustainable use of forest resources, especially wood, and later all left smiling, having bought some of our wood to create their latest projects. We look forward to seeing the results soon.

23 April, 2015
Earthwatch Volunteers
 October 17, 2015

Volunteers and Visitors Oct Nov Dec 2015

Daniel DioGuardi and Karen Babis volunteered in 2015, getting down and dirty on homestead clean-ups and helping on logistics with an Earthwatch teen team

Tim Dehm has volunteered at Las Casas de la Selva since late September 2015. He is taking a break and hopes to return in 2016. Tim managed the homestead whilst 3t and Andrés were at the Annual Institute of Ecotechnics Conference in Santa Fe, NM. Tim is working on fine-woodworking along with a host of other project responsibilities.

L-R: Luis Martínez Rodríguez, Ruth (Tata) Santiago, Wanda I. Rodríguez Rivera,Yaminnette Rodríguez, Ricardo Valle Pérez & Tim Dehm

William Davidowski, is retired, and since August 2015 volunteers his time helping in the wood-shop, making products to sell, passing on his fine woodworking knowledge to ready, able, and willing apprentices.

Natalie Harrison dropped in for a couple of weeks in December 2015 to help with all and everything.

CEO of The Institute for Regional Conservation, Craig van der Heiden, and his wife Sheryl, stopped in for a day to see the project and understand a bit more about what we do here.

Kamal Dagistani volunteered for ten days and helped with all logistics for an Earthwatch team 28th Dec 2015- 6th Jan 2016.

Wanda Rodriguez, from Guayama volunteered on gardens.

Big Thanks to all our volunteers in 2015. Whether here for long or short stays, every little bit of help -helps!!

Earthwatch Earthwatch gallery Endangered plants Herpetology Rare trees Tree planting Volunteer Groups Volunteers
 July 20, 2015

Earthwatch Team 4 July 2015

Earthwatch Team 4, July 2015. This team of teenage Earthwatchers spent time in the forest with 3t collecting seedlings, planting and monitoring endangered endemic tree species, and time with Norman in Hormiga Valley on herpetological surveys. Karen Babis,an Earthwatch volunteer in the past and her partner, Daniel Dioguardi spent time at the project and helped out in the field. Big thanks to Earthwatch Program Manager, Kyle Hutton, (third from left in image below), and Lena Cosentino for great teen team leadership.
Myriam Bourassa made this wonderful video (https://youtu.be/n1me_5p_CLc) of her time here.

Images by 3t Vakil, Karen Babis, Andres Rua, Lena Cosentino, and Daniel DioGuardi 2015

Friends of Las Casas de la Selva
 July 12, 2015

July 2015 VolunTREEadventures

If you are ready for a life challenge, interested in your personal development, and feel that you have useful skills and proficiency, or perhaps would like to learn how to do something completely new and different, hold a genuine love of the natural world, and want to live with other people and experience cultural changes, and life in another biome, please contact us. We welcome you to participate in VolunTREEadventure, the project’s total system as a volunteer. Three weeks is a good way to start.

  • Alfredo Lopez Nieves
  • Cho Hee Schrader and Chris DeForce
  • Hellen Galli
  • Stratton Yatron & Matt
  • Will Robinson
We give big thanks and appreciation to everyone that comes to live with us and volunteer their time and energy; we meet as strangers and leave as friends.
Andres, 3t, and Magha.
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