Enjoy with Conscience! with Conservation Opportunity
Conservation Opportunity connects people with unique opportunities for professional growth and development within environmental conservation. In addition, we seek to motivate the public to protect the environment through a variety of activities, such as the garbage collection. In the “Let's Enjoy with Conscience!” project, we emphasize the practice of “Pack in Pack Out” to encourage visitors to take home the trash they generate during their visits. The project's goal is to install signs at 10 different locations, starting with one or two at El Yunque National Forest.
Specifically, the main objective of the installation of interpretive signs is to engage visitors to the island's natural areas in environmental stewardship and to spread the mindset of protecting the environment in different parts of the island. To achieve this, donors will be able to contribute to the cause monetarily, helping us reach our goal of $$6,000. For every $$600 raised, the purchase of a vinyl interpretive sign is made possible.
With your help, “Let's Enjoy with Conscience!” iIt would promote keeping the green areas we enjoy so much clean and raise awareness of the different ways we can protect Puerto Rico's beautiful nature.
Why start at El Yunque?
El Yunque National Forest is home to one of the richest biodiversity ecosystems in Puerto Rico and showcases many of the most impressive landscapes found on the island. The rivers, waterfalls, mountains, and wildlife attract a large number of annual visitors to this place. However, one of the biggest environmental impacts in this area is caused by the visitors themselves by littering. As you well know, litter negatively affects the aesthetic beauty of the forest; it causes soil, water and air pollution; it can cause a fire if it is composed of flammable materials; and it can affect both human and wildlife health. So, helping to reduce the amount of littering contributes to the preservation of the beauty of the forest, the health of the ecosystem, and the health of visitors.
Participating in outdoor activities has received national attention as activities that improve mental health during these times of isolation by COVID-19. However, the high demand of visitors to El Yunque has prompted its supervisor, Keenen Adams, to issue a public warning reported by local news outlet Noticel about the tons of garbage that visitors continue to dump.
For this reason, we wish to begin our journey by installing one or two of the ten interpretive signs on one of their trash-impacted trails. Beyond that, we can coordinate the community's trash cleanup efforts on multiple occasions and schedule them after the vacations with the intention of preserving the beauty of the forest during times of high tourist visitation.
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