Browse Items (380 total)
- Collection: Cultural Exchange - Puerto Rico Sustainable Disaster Relief
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Hurricane Damage in Puerta de Tierra
Signs of the devastation and destruction caused by Hurricane María remained in plain sight island wide almost 4 months after the storm. This is damage caused to a roof and building in Puerto de Tierra.
Sign - "Plaza Vivero"
Sign inside the gardens at Plaza Vivero that says “Plaza Vivero community project - people live here”
The Seed Huntress
Sefra Alexander, The Seed Huntress, sorting seed packets donated by Hudson Valley Seed Library at the PR Resilience Fund’s week long Seed Brigade.
Seed Brigade Volunteers
Seed brigade volunteers sorting seed for distribution by the PR Resilience Fund. Bulk donations had to be separated into individual seed packets for distribution. The help of dozens of volunteers every day for a week made it possible to ge the seeds…
Art Packs
Art packs from Hudson Valley Seed Company donations were set aside specifically for schools. The art packs would allow those teaching agriculture to integrate the arts into their activities and lessons. This is essential because art and music classes…
Sorting Seeds for Semitecas
Sorting seeds sent by Hudson Valley Seed Company for Semitecas, or mini seed banks. These mini seed banks are designated for schools. Due to a lack of funding, schools in Puerto Rico no longer offer music and art so Hudson Valley Seed Library seed…
Community Garden - Plaza Vivero
Cultivated section of Plaza Vivero, a community garden that was established on an abandoned property that had been further damaged by Hurricane María. Materials found on the site are integrated into the garden design.
Plaza Vivero
A neighbor stops by during the garden tour of Plaza Vivero, which is being cultivated on an abandoned property using the materials found on the site.
Aquí Vive Gente
Sign outside of the Plaza Vivero community garden with the slogan “Aquí vive gente” or “People live here”.
Plaza Vivero - Brigada PDT
Plaza Vivero garden sign. Brigada PDT is the group that created and maintains this urban community garden.
At Plaza Vivero Community Garden
Arriving at Plaza Vivero Community Garden
Teaching and Learning
After a day of sorting seeds at the PR Resiliency Fund’s Seed Brigade, most of the volunteers stuck around and were eager to learn about local edible and medicinal wild plants and visit nearby community gardens.
Edible and Medicinal Wild Plant Talk
In a one block stroll Steve Maldonado Silvestrini was able to identify several species of edible and medicinal wild plants growing wild in the neighborhood.
Community Garden and Native Plant Tour
After the Seed Brigade work party ended, local resident Steve Maldonado Silvestrini gave a talk and tour about local edibles and community gardens.
Categorizing
Raíces Volunteer Crew Member Christina Proxenos categorizing seeds for distribution by the PR Resilience Fund into a system designed for storage and transportation in donated buckets.
Seed Envelopes
Seed brigade volunteer labeling seed envelopes to split bulk packages of seed for distribution.
Sorting Seeds for Donation
Some of the seed donations that came to the PR Resilience Fund were in bulk packages and had to be sorted, separated into smaller envelopes and labeled. Volunteers from all over the world worked for five days to get the seeds sorted and ready for…
Working at the Seed Brigade
Volunteers Rahnawn and Gregory sort seed donations for school seed banks.
Sorting Seeds at the PR Resilience Fund’s Seed Brigade
Volunteer and San Juan resident Rahnawn Littles sorting a set of seeds from Hudson Valley Seed Library for donation to school gardens, organic farms and agroecology projects, community gardens, and home growers throughout the island of Puerto Rico.
Tara Rodriguez Besosa at the PR Resilience Fund’s Seed Brigade
Creator and leader of the PR Resilience Fund initiative Tara Rodriguez Besosa receiving donations brought to Puerto Rico from members of our home community in Central NJ by the Raíces Cultural Center crew. Included in the list of supplies requested…
Relief Supplies - Handmade Soap
Handmade organic soaps were donated by Rivka Greenburg, a supporter of the Raíces Disaster Relief Fund. Rivka was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico and is a resident of Raíces Cultural Center’s home community in Central NJ.
Puerta de Tierra
The devastation left by Hurricane María was still evident almost 4 months after the storm had passed.
“Luchar por los derechos es luchar por el futuro”
"To struggle for rights is to struggle for the future."
Puerta de Tierra - San Juan
A building collapsed on a car, still on the street in January 2018, almost 4 months after Hurricane María devastated the island of Puerto Rico.
Garden at Tainasoy Apiario
The garden beds at Tainasoy Apiario are raised beds with irrigation ditches fed by a rainwater catchment system. The beds are made on contour for soil stability and to help prevent erosion, as well as for water management. These beds are for annual…