Numerous communities and non-profit organizations contributed to the activity.
On April 7, 2024, Conservation Opportunity (CO), in collaboration with 10 other non-profit entities, took part in the installation of two “Enjoy with Conscience” signs and the community cleanup of the coast and green areas in Punta Cucharas, Ponce. This activity involved a total of 139 people, who collected approximately 20,380 pounds of solid waste to protect the natural reserve that contains a high biodiversity of native, endemic and some vulnerable species.
Volunteers handing out lunches to cleanup participants
The reserve is comprised of about 4,214 cuerdas and consists of mangroves, beach dunes, and saltwater lagoons. Since its categorization as a nature reserve under the Law 227 of 2008, In addition, 148 species of flora, 56 species of birds, 5 mammals, 9 reptiles, 5 amphibians and 6 species of fish have been identified.
“The activity was great, people are excited to do their bit for the conservation of a particular area, and in the end they have a great time and enjoy the activity,” said DNER Natural Resources Biologist Management Officer Gaspar Pons.
The event had the active participation of Reverdece and Educa tu Comunidad, the autonomous municipality of Ponce, the Department of National and Environmental Resources (DNER), Compass School of Vermont, Villalba Educational Opportunities Residential Center, Scuba Dogs Society, Para La Naturaleza, the students of the Fernando Luis Malave Oliveras School and the Recycling Club of the Ponce High School.
Trucks of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce collecting debris
To facilitate the process of waste collection, CO contacted the municipality of Ponce to mobilize garbage trucks and pickup trucks with hooks to pick up large debris, garbage bags and other materials.
During the activity, Para la Naturaleza and the autonomous municipality of Ponce donated breakfasts and lunches for all the volunteers present.
“This event was not only about cleaning up, but also about reflecting. We reflected on how trash, not only affects the beauty of a place, but also our local fauna, flora and ecosystems. Together, we are making a real difference in environmental conservation and caring for our beautiful natural environment!” expressed CO founder Fabiola Torres via social media.
Debris from a burned vehicle in Punta Cucharas, Ponce
The Ponce cleanup and installation marks the tenth and eleventh installation of “Disfruta Con Conciencia” signs, an effort that had its beginnings with the Giving Tuesday 2021.
Interestingly, they installed two signs, instead of the single sign that CO usually implements in the other cleanups. These are located inside Punta Cucharas, one at the entrance and the other closer to the beach.
“Between teacher Alexandra Atiles and Gaspar, they determined that there was a need for two signs. Our sign at the entrance will be the first sign that they are entering the reserve. By having the DNER logo on the sign, it gives them that hint I was not really sure if the dirt road was the entrance or not. On the beach, then, is where people go to enjoy more and it is the reminder to keep it clean and maybe there they have more time to scan the QR code and learn about our efforts,” added Torres.
Volunteers picking up garbage in Punta Cucharas, Ponce
“I fell in love with the signs. In fact, I would have wanted to put that sign on all the curves all the way to the border of the reserve,” said Alexandra Atiles, Historian and Coordinator of the Punta Cucharas beach cleanups for the group Reverdece y Educa Tu Comunidad.
Previously, on March 2, Project: Reverdece y Educa Tu Comunidad (Greening and Educating Your Community) had planned another trash cleanup at Punta Cucharas in Ponce, in which they collected 567.40 pounds of waste with a participation of 200 people. Here, a total of 58 bags of waste were filled within an estimated area of two miles.
Although these numbers prove to be much less compared to the cleanup in which CO participated, it must be considered that, in this one carried out last March, only people were present without the assistance of the municipality or heavy vehicles.
If we ignore the debris taken by the municipality and focus on the total number of trash bags filled, in the April pickup they filled 64 bags of debris covering an estimated 3 mile area.
For each mile covered, the March pickup averaged 29 bags of trash, compared to April, which averaged 23.3 bags. This presents a difference of 14% in the amount of waste removed between the two cleanups that are one month apart.
“In these cleanups we do not see that the garbage is going down. Yes, it is because of the visit of people, but, in reality it is not mainly because of this, because our coast is a funnel, in which several river currents come down (such as the Matilde River and the Bucaná River). These currents deposit all that they drag on our coast”, declared Atiles.
The coordinator also included that these wastes take time to reach the coasts, since, for example, many containers of items not usually used on the beaches, such as a chlorine container, come framed with the old logos of their respective companies.
Even so, the day after the cleanup, Gaspar Pons (DNER) shared with CO new images of discarded garbage bags that demonstrate that there are still individuals who do not responsibly dispose of their waste. In this regard, CO believes that education is essential to stop these actions.
Image of Gaspar Pons showing new garbage bags one day after cleanup
However, since the DNER designated the Punta Cucharas area as a nature reserve through the Law 227 of 2008, Atiles indicates that litter in the area “has reduced”. Mainly due to the closure of public attractions, such as the Go-Kart which was formerly located near the reserve, but there is still a lot of waste present.
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Interested in participating in cleaning events? Project: Greening and Educating your Community has postulated this coming September 21st a new cleanup in Punta Cucharas, Ponce. If you would like to be part of this event, please contact us at Facebook of the entity.
CO will also hold a cleanup on September 21 in Punta Soldado, Culebra. To register, you can contact directly info@conservationopportunity.org or CO media platforms in Instagram, Facebook y LinkedIn to receive more information about this event.