Planting the Seeds of Collaboration 

Para la Naturaleza (PLN) and El Yunque National Forest, managed by the United States Forest Service, have built a strong collaborative relationship focused on conserving Puerto Rico’s natural, historical, and cultural resources. Over the years, both entities have combined efforts and resources—both financial and human—to develop projects that foster knowledge exchange, strengthen organizational capabilities, and promote significant achievements in the field of conservation. 

One of the most successful examples of this partnership is the Vegetation Management Participatory Agreement (22-PA-11081600-288), designed to increase the technical capacity of both teams in the propagation and planting of native species, as well as the management of invasive species and the reforestation of habitats within El Yunque National Forest. Through shared trainings, nursery visits, and planting events, the teams are exchanging experiences and acquiring new knowledge on propagation methods and successful ecological restoration techniques. 

These activities also help strengthen relationships between the working teams, fostering a culture of collaboration rooted in both individual and collective commitment. 

Most recently, the working group came together to plant 100 native trees along a section of the El Toro trail in Canóvanas. Team members from Para la Naturaleza and the Forest Service, along with three Botanical Citizen volunteers from PLN’s cadre, planted various native species, including 60 individuals of Styrax portoricensis—a protected species—most of which were propagated at Para la Naturaleza’s Barranquitas Nursery. 

Our Reforestation Coordinator at the Barranquitas Nursery, Leidy Vázquez, and Ricardo Santiago, a Forest Service biologist at El Yunque, lead this agreement and its inspiring conservation efforts in the eastern region of Puerto Rico, alongside their respective teams. Leidy’s experience working with protected species is key to the success of the agreement, which is already yielding tangible results on the ground. 

Collaborative agreements like this one offer unique opportunities to work toward shared visions—in this case, for the natural resources of eastern Puerto Rico, including El Yunque and surrounding areas. 

Such partnerships are strategic tools for advancing shared goals in the conservation of natural, cultural and historic resources.  They are essential pillars for strengthening alliances and building the future of conservation in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. The relationship between Para la Naturaleza and El Yunque National Forest exemplifies how alliances can lead to concrete results, enduring relationships, and a positive, tangible impacts on ecosystem preservation.