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Dear all: In 2018, we experienced exhausting recovery eforts while being inspired by the uplifting regenerative power of nature. This allowed us to embrace the unavoidable process of rethinking our new role in catastrophic times. The only thing clear at this point is that keeping our current path cannot and should not be an option. The realization of ten years of economic failures, financial collapse, political dependency, government turmoil, and climatic devastation inevitably leads to the urgent need for profound transformations. Para la Naturaleza has taken the conscious decision of reexamining all aspects of our organization. Like other institutions and communities in the islands of Puerto Rico and around the globe, we are seeking ways to support decisive ecological, social and economic changes that can help us build the path toward true wellbeing. As we move ahead in our transformative process, Para la Naturaleza reafrms its commitment to protecting 33% of important life supporting ecosystems. We are expanding our role increasing climatic resiliency by stopping destruction and recovering habitats. We are also setting a clear path to sustainable development in ecotourism and agroecology to help unleash the amazing transformational power of communities that are developing a strong ecological culture. These transformative goals are just the beginning of a new path ahead of all of us at Para la Naturaleza. We look forward to work with you in all these eforts. Even under a state of recovery exhaustion, we are focused on finding new energies and resources to step up our work. There is so much to do. The only way to steer into a sustainable path in sync with nature is by starting with the inherent strength of Puerto Rican communities. This report only gathers a brief list of actions we have undertaken throughout a year full of introspection and unfaltering work. I am very thankful to all who were an essential part of these amazing accomplishments. Sincerely, Fernando Lloveras San Miguel President 2 3 Supporting our most resilient partners: Trees After losing as much of 31 million tree and Wildlife Foundation, which awarded lives — ten percent of all trees according us $652,444, to restore 150 acres of to diferent studies conducted by several coastline, wetlands and floodplain scientific teams — we can only think forests in Natural Protected Area about how we can help our partners Hacienda La Esperanza in Manatí. in resiliency recover, helping along the way so many other species that depend Trees are the most efective solution on trees to survive. Our plan to add to mitigate the impact of the climate 750,000 native, rare, and endemic trees crisis that has just recently been to ecosystems and forests in the islands acknowledged as such. They have a of Puerto Rico has the main objective critical impact on climatic balance, of recovering the species diversity, mitigating floods, protecting coasts, counting on our biotic and abiotic seed filtering and retaining waters, and dispersal partners to continue planting reducing heat. Trees capture carbon into the future. The 127 species growing dioxide — countering the efects of in our tree nurseries will contribute to global emissions — while releasing the forests’ diversity and their capacity oxygen into the atmosphere. These to sustain all forms of life. lower temperatures by providing shade, minimizing glare and the build-up of Trees are being planted across the heat during the day. Water evaporates islands in all sorts of settings: amid through their leaves to increase their recovering landscapes, in coveted cooling efect. Trees are nature’s solution Hacienda Margarita green spaces of struggling communities, to heat-island efects on urban areas. Lares, Puerto Rico and densely populated urban areas. The micro-climate that their shade Every time a child or grown-up helps provides fosters the growth of other to upkeep a tree nursery, plant a small plants that will not survive without the native tree or steward them during their cover they provide. Trees also act as growing years, they become part of an wind curtains that protect structures, expanding community of ecological block noises and trap particles such as citizens committed to building a new dust, smog, and pollen, improving air path forward. quality. They provide food and shelter for birds, bats, reptiles, insects, and other With very little support from recovery animals. Trees also reduce water runof funding, this year we recharged our five from heavy rains, decreasing erosion nurseries by producing 120,000 trees out and protecting soils and water quality, of an initial goal of 50,000. We planted while prolonging reservoirs’ usefulness. 23,525 trees of the total goal of 30,000 Because they take their time to grow, trees or 78%, which forces us to step up trees are a living legacy for future our eforts next year. generations. With their presence, they soothe and help us connect with nature By the year’s end, we did receive the and make communities more attractive incredible support of the National Fish and livable. 4 5 Hacienda Margarita Lares, Puerto Rico 6 7 Let the watersheds protect us: 33% by 2033 As we keep learning about the impact is the freshwater crab (Epibolocera that water had during our recent climatic sinuatifrons), known in Spanish as experience, we cannot stop stressing on “Buruquena”, which may be found in the the need to protect our watersheds and property’s streams. let them do their work. The emphasis on watershed protection in our Map 33 goal In the valley and near the river, just at has become more important than ever. the end of the paved road, are the ruins of a small sugar plantation and a sugar In 2018, Para la Naturaleza incorporated mill that are part of Hacienda Margarita. 2,211 acres to its natural protected areas, What is left of the mill is the ruins of exceeding the annual goal of 1,000 acres an axle of the three-mass crusher by 121%. With these additions, Para la made by The Blymer Iron Works Co. in Naturaleza reached a total of 34,814 Cincinnati, Ohio. Parts from the chimney acres of protected lands — 1.57% of the and the Sugar Train, also known as the islands of Puerto Rico and 17% of all its “Jamaican Train” or “Spanish Train”, that natural protected areas. were there in the 1990s, are no longer on the grounds. Para la Naturaleza approached the Levy Echeandía brothers, Ramón and Ricardo, regarding their land holdings in “I found it very refreshing to work with a team Rincón. However, to our surprise, they of such excellence and commitment as Para were interested in donating Hacienda la Naturaleza. Thanks to your efforts and Margarita-Ballester, a 1,399-acre cofee hard work, Para la Naturaleza achieved what plantation in Lares established in 1874 many people thought was unachievable. My with a significant historical, ecological best wishes for the next year”. and hydrological value. As a critical area for the functionality of the Prieto Ricardo Levy, River, this large tract is now protected Donor of Hacienda Margarita to secure water catchment and filtration to this important tributary of Río Grande de Añasco river, the second-longest Para la Naturaleza also received a riverbed in Puerto Rico. donation of 158.47 acres at the Quebrada Janer Natural Protected Area, in the This property has both young and municipality of San Lorenzo; and mature secondary forests that feature 435.11 acres of the Río Jacaboa Natural a rich diversity of trees and provide Protected Area in Patillas. To complete habitat for 265 species, including a very active land protection year, our plants (164), birds (29), invertebrates acquisition team closed 47.02 acres of Cañón San Cristóbal (51), reptiles (7), amphibians (6), bats the Cerro Feliz Natural Protected Area in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico (5), and fish (3). Among the species in Culebra, and 7.47 acres of the San Juan Hacienda Margarita that are of interest Waterworks in San Juan. from a conservationist viewpoint 8 9 Cañón San Cristóbal Barranquitas, Puerto Rico 10 11 Our biodiverse family Wrinkled coqui keeps growing Eleutherodactylus wightmanae This year we had the pleasant surprise fledglings at Hacienda La Esperanza, of encountering the Puerto Rico bronze Manatí. This is the second registered frog (Eleutherodactylus richmondi), sight of the Barn Owl in the islands the Wrinkled Coqui (Eleutherodactylus of Puerto Rico. We also identified the Wrinkled coqui Eleutherodactylus wightmanae wightmanae), and the Coqui Guajón presence of a plant species in critical (Eleutherodactylus cooki) in the Natural danger, the Luquillo Mountain Stopper Protected Area of Río Jacaboa in Patillas. (Eugenia haematocarpa), locally known Two of these species — the Puerto as Uvillo. One of our management Rican Bronze frog (Eleutherodactylus coordinators in Hacienda La Esperanza, richmondi) and the Wrinkled Coqui Alcides Morales — with Marcos (Eleutherodactylus wightmanae) — were Caraballo Ortiz, of the Department of recorded for the first time in the Natural Botany of the Smithsonian National Protected Area of Río Encantado; while Museum of Natural History — found a the Wrinkled Coqui (Eleutherodactylus species of Caribbean Mistletoe that was wightmanae) was found in the recently thought to be extinct: Wright’s Catkin acquired Hacienda Margarita, in Lares. Mistletoe (Antidaphne wrightii). This We also found evidence that our plant only grows in magnolia trees in program to reintroduce the Puerto Rican the mountainous region of Yauco. This Crested Toad (Peltophyrne lemur) is rare find was documented in Caraballo, being successful because we witnessed Marcos & Morales, Alcides (2018). “A long clumps of their spawns near a lost Caribbean mistletoe rediscovered: stream. All of them are species that have new record for Antidaphne rightii lost a significant portion of their original (Santalaceae) in Puerto Rico”, published habitats.

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