Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future: A New Generation of Plant People
Field Collection & Herbarium Specimen Preparation class, March 2025
Today was a milestone moment in our ongoing effort to inspire and equip the next generation of botanists. At Eye on the Rainforest, we are laying the foundation for a mentorship program—one that nurtures curiosity, deepens knowledge, and builds leadership for the future of forest conservation.
In that spirit, we were honored to host a botanical specimen collection workshop led by our friend, mentor, and plant explorer extraordinaire, Distinguished Professor James Ackerman. Jim has been a guiding light in the world of tropical botany for decades, and today he returned to Las Casas de la Selva to share his expertise with the next wave of budding botanists.
Among the participants was Erid Román-Rosario, a dedicated member of our botanical team for over a year now. Erid has already proven to be an invaluable part of our team, showing passion, discipline, and an eagerness to learn. Alongside him was Jon Warwick, who has been working in the nurseries with 3t over the last year, equally engaged and full of questions. Both were fortunate today to receive hands-on training in herbarium specimen collection from a true master of the craft.
For me (3t), it was a full-circle moment. Years ago, I stood in the forest learning from Jim—and his passion for plants lit a fire in me that still burns bright. Watching him pass that spark on to Erid and Jon felt like witnessing the roots of a strong and hopeful future take hold.
The forest holds countless stories. We’re learning how to read them—and teaching others how to listen. This is what mentorship looks like: connection across generations, built on knowledge, wonder, and shared purpose. We’re not just saving rare plants like Ravenia urbani. We’re growing the plant people who will care for them for decades to come.
#NextGenBotanists #MentorshipMatters #EyeOnTheRainforest #PuertoRicoBotany #PlantPeople #ForestFuture #HerbariumWorkshop #ConservationLeadership
