PROGRESS REPORT

DATE: November 8, 2022

TO: Professor LeCompte
FROM: Paola N. Kalil Rivera, Jaylis M. Colón Coronado, Patricia M. Vélez
Mejías & Fabiola A. Alvarado Rodriguez
SUBJECT: Report of the progress achieved at Atabey Garden

INTRODUCTORY SUMMARY
The purpose of this report is to discuss the objective of the Pro Agriculture Student
Coalition (CEPA) and the progress carried out in Atabey garden, located in the University of
Puerto Rico at Ponce, as part of our community service. The goal of CEPA is to promote
sustainability through home gardens and encourage union among students in the university. The
objective of the community service is to collaborate with CEPA to achieve the structural
restoration of the Atabey Garden, while raising awareness about the importance of natural
resources. This project began during August and its completion is stipulated for November 29,
2022. We will present the finished and ongoing tasks of the project in the following sections:
Work Completed, Current Work, and Planned Work.

WORK COMPLETED
Below are listed the tasks accomplished by the group.

 weed removal from car tires and planting boxes

 hoe usage to clear and loosen the soil, and to create furrows for planting or
irrigation channels
 seed sowing into car tires and planting boxes
 plant watering

Group tasks:
We completed the tasks between October and November. The purpose of
performing these tasks will be explained below.

The presence of weeds represents a risk for the plants that CEPA intends to
cultivate because it deprives them of water, nutrients, sunlight, and space. The
manual weeding method is a viable alternative not only because the plants that must
be uprooted are carefully chosen, but also because the use of chemical agents is not
required. It is also preferred because choosing the weeds by hand prevents harm to
organisms that live near the roots such as earthworms or beetles.
The hoe is a garden tool that has a long handle and a thin, flat blade that is
usually placed crosswise. Clearing the soil with the hoe helps it loosen, so it retains
moisture from the atmosphere and is easier for plant roots to penetrate, which is
harder to achieve with hard soil. In addition, irrigation channels are efficient
because they distribute equal amounts of water from a main source through shallow
furrows that allow the soil to be moistened from below, closer to the roots. These
channels also reduce the amount of work done since it is not necessary to irrigate
plant by plant, but a primary tap is opened and the entire garden benefits from
collective irrigation.
 The garden is intended to have a variety of plant species such as flowers,
legumes, vegetables, fruits, medicinal plants, and cactus, which have different
contributions to the community. This variety gives a self-sufficient purpose to the
garden, so those who participate in it will be able to obtain the resources they need
without the need of buying from a store.
All the plants found in the garden require daily watering to survive, especially if
they are inside the greenhouse without access to the occasional rain. But daily
watering does not apply to all types of plants, since there are species that survive
long periods without receiving water, as well as there are other plants that cannot
receive a large amount of water, or they could face a risk of death.

Individual tasks:
Member #1
In August, Paola N. Kalil Rivera, along with members from CEPA, analyzed
the state of the soil inside the planting boxes and directly from the ground using a
pH test, obtaining that inside the boxes it was more optimal for the growth of the
plants, while the soil from the ground was moderately far from the optimal
conditions for growth. This is because some of the soil inside the boxes has been
combined with store-bought soil, which consists of added nutrients and properties
such as a relatively acidic pH. During this month, she also helped unload wooden
planks and shelves, of which the students would help both to create a second
compost box using the planks and prepare the shelves to accommodate shade or low
light plants.
In September, Paola N. Kalil Rivera began the development of a roof made of
textilene fabric, commonly used in outdoor furniture, which was intended to be
placed over a greenhouse in the garden. The president of CEPA gave her two
rectangles of textilene fabric of approximately four meters, which she had to fold in
half and cut to obtain a total of four identical rectangles from the original fabric.
Then, Paola had to sew two halves together, on the longest side of the rectangle, and
repeat for the two remaining halves, obtaining two identical squares that she sew
together to create a rectangle that could fit the frame of the greenhouse. After the
placement of the roof, the greenhouse became a storage facility for bags of soil,
seedbeds, pots, plastic bottles, and plants that cannot receive direct sunlight in any
stage of their growth.
In October, Paola N. Kalil Rivera readjusted the textilene roof of the greenhouse
because its length made it difficult to place in the frame. To readjust the roof, she
had to undo the seam that held the third and fourth rectangles together, leaving only
three rectangles with their seams intact and the fourth as spare textilene fabric.
During this month, Paola also helped, along with the technical writing students and
the members of CEPA, to clear the ground of overgrown grass and weeds. She
cleared the ground with a hoe, to break and uproot, and then with a rake piled up the
remnants left behind. The members assigned this task for the following four
reasons:
 to reduce insect bites
 to gain access to the soil
 to have a better field to walk through
 to give a neat appearance to the garden
 In November, Paola N. Kalil Rivera made an addition of lemon peels to the
three compost boxes in the garden. The president of CEPA gave her a bucket filled
with lemon peels destined to the compost because their addition would be beneficial
for the decomposition process. The lemons provide nitrogen, phosphorus, and
potassium, which are a fundamental source of nutrients from which decomposers
sustain themselves and, therefore, produce a better quality compost.

Member #2
In September, Fabiola A. Alvarado Rodriguez, with the help of other classmates
of the technical writing course, cleaned the Atabey garden of the University of
Puerto Rico at Ponce. The first task assigned by the CEPA member Francisco, was
to clean up the tires they use as decorations. Fabiola along with the others cleaned
the tires trash and weeds. When they were done, they started to fill the tires. Once
they refill every tire in the garden, they started the seeding process where they put
sunflower and other flower seeds in every tire. After the seeding process Fabiola
and classmates watered the soil in the tires.
In November, Fabiola A. Alvarado Rodriguez continued the help in the Atabey
garden. During November 15th, Fabiola helped with the cleaning of three of the
boxes with plantations of pumpkins and other vegetables. The purpose was to
remove the weeds and possible trash surrounding the plantations. After she was
done, she helped in the creation and plantation of medicinal plants in a spiral shaped
garden. The plants were planted based on their need of sun exposure and how
abundant it grows. On November 18th, Fabiola attended again to the garden to help
with cleaning of it after one of the classmates cut the grass with the trimmer.
Fabiola along with other classmates used a rake to accumulate the cut grass and
dirty so others picked it up with a cart to put it on the composting boxes. Fabiola
also made soil donations to the CEPA members.

Member #3
In the month of October, Jaylis M. Colón Coronado along with the members of
CEPA and the students of the technical writing course continued the maintenance of
the Atabey garden at the UPRP. Jaylis helped clean all the tires of weed, while
moving and adding more soil to each one. In the tires, she planted five to six seeds
of sunflower. To continue, the student Jaylis proceeded to water each tire, one by
one. In addition, she, along with other students, transported several wheelbarrows
full of soil to the planting boxes to fill them up. Finally, Jaylis planted different
types of melon seeds, and watered the planting box.
In the month of November, Jaylis M. Colón Coronado along with several
students of the technical writing course and members of the student association
CEPA helped clear half of the ground. This activity proceeded with the use of a hoe.
The objective was to clear the ground of growing grass and weeds. During this
month, Jaylis helped with the plantation of several vegetables such as corn and
beans. The plantation boxes where these seeds were planted were later on covered
with dead leaves to protect them. Afterwards, Jaylis helped clear different
plantation boxes of weeds so the crops could grow efficiently. Lastly, the student
Jaylis M. Colón Coronado donated four small bags of soil to the association CEPA.
 Member #4
In the month of September, Patricia M. Vélez Mejías along with members of
CEPA and other classmates of the technical writing course continued with
maintenance of the Atabey Garden at the University of Puerto Rico in Ponce. The
first task assigned was to create a perimeter for the garden with tires. After having
created this perimeter, the tires were partially filled with soil. The next task was to
make piles of leaves and weeds as the students cleaned up the garden. After creating
enough piles, Patricia, along with some members of CEPA, moved these to the
compost box. They also cut and gave shape to the flowers that had grown out of
their planter box; these were added to compost box as well. Patricia and other
students replanted some of the flowers in different areas of the garden and watered
them.
In the month of November. Patricia M. Vélez Mejías along with members of
CEPA and other classmates of the technical writing course continued with more
maintenance of the Atabey Garden. On November 8th, Patricia along with a
classmate and members of CEPA took out the weeds from all the tires that created
the perimeter for the garden. In addition, they removed the weeds from multiple
planter boxes. In one of these boxes, they planted cucumbers and melons. Paths
were made in the dirt towards multiple planter boxes and an organized tube system
was created to be able to water the soil all together easily. On November 15 th
Patricia and many classmates brought their donations to the Atabey garden. The
donations brought included bags of soil, empty bottles, and medicine plants. Patricia
along with some classmates organized all the bags of soil inside the green house.
They also organized all the medicine plants inside the small greenhouse. They then
all took turns to plant some of these in the second plating site. Some of the plants
were lavender, chillies, and mint. Patricia watered the plants inside the greenhouse
and those at the second planting site. The donations made by Patricia M. Vélez
Mejías were four bags of soil and three medicine plants.

CURRENT WORK
Below are listed the current tasks taking place in the garden, which we attend and
collaborate as a group.

As part of the present and future tasks, the members of CEPA and the students
of technical writing perform garden maintenance four days a week with a duration of
two hours each. The garden maintenance sessions consist of:
 general weeding to prevent deprivation of basic plant resources
(nutrients, water, space, and sunlight).
 clearing and loosening of the soil to remove overgrown grass and to
restore the moisture needed for more efficient sowing processes.
 backup planting in spaces where other seeds did not grow because of
the temperature or soil condition.
 reviewing the condition of the composting boxes and, if necessary, add
vegetable or organic matter to provoke an adjustment in the
decomposition process that is taking place inside the boxes.
 water distribution to all the plants and seeds of the garden.
 As part of the present tasks, the members of CEPA and the students of technical
writing are:
 developing designated planting sites for medicinal plants.
 preparing plastics bottles to reuse them as hanging pots for indoor
planting.
 sowing viable seeds, which are not easily affected by climate variation
or changes in the composition of soil, into the available planting boxes.
 acclimatizing the donated plants so that their future integration into the
garden is simple and non-lethal.

PLANNED WORK
In addition to the restoration of the garden, promotion of the sustainability of home
gardens and the goal of uniting the students of the university, CEPA intends to harvest products,
and carry out its most important activity, the agricultural fair.

The tasks that CEPA will continue to assign to ensure the future, appearance and
purpose of the garden are:
 weekly maintenance carried out by members of the association and volunteers
in which weeding, watering, and sowing are the first priority.
 the acceptance of donations of decorative, fruit or medicinal plants to sow on
tires, planting boxes and pots.
 the addition of new planting boxes in the remaining free space to accommodate
different types of plants efficiently.
 the creation of wire mesh barriers to difficult the animal access to the crops and
supports for vines or plants too heavy to stand on their own.

Research:
To corroborate whether a garden of this nature would be successful in the
future, we interviewed a retired agronomist who, after his retirement, converted the roof
of his house into a home garden. A man named Jose Fraticelli explained to us that the
decision to create his garden had not only benefited his family but also his close friends,
since he had planted a wide variety of fruits and vegetables that he harvested without
the need of buying from a supermarket. He agreed that it is a sustainable practice for the
current economic situation and safe for health since consciously growing our own food
reduces the risk of ingesting genetically modified products. Although, Mr. Fraticelli did
emphasized that a garden needs attention, dedication and a guide of what needs to be
done, because plants are alive and it is our duty to keep them that way. As part of the
description of his roof we know that he has:
 rectangle and square planting boxes in which he planted tomatoes, corn,
bell peppers, Cuban peppers, sweet and chili peppers, carrots,
eggplants, cucumbers, radishes, melons, and pumpkins.
 pots of different sizes in which he planted lemon, passion fruit and
soursop trees, a few banana palms and cilantro, coriander, spinach, and
garlic.
In the end, Mr. Fraticelli agreed that the Atabey Garden must endure and grow
until it is recognized by the student, teaching, and non-teaching community so that they
benefit from the knowledge and opportunity it offers.
CONCLUSION
The importance of the Atabey Garden falls on the volunteers who offer their time to
work the soil, plant the seeds and grow the products. We recommend the administrator of CEPA
to focus on the implementation of plants resistant to the tropical climate of Puerto Rico to
ensure their survival in the face of drastic weather changes or natural disasters. Some viable
options would be mango and papaya trees along with coconut palms because of their resistance
to adversities such as hurricanes. We believe that the garden follows the good health and well-
being, and responsible consumption and production goals of sustainability because CEPA only
uses organic seeds that have not been genetically modified, so the harvested products will not
have harmful effects on health such as allergic reactions, antibiotic resistance, immune
suppression, and cancer. We also believe that both the sustainable cities and communities, and
life on land goals of sustainability are present in the project because home gardens lead to less
pollution from factories and product transportation, which in turn benefits the plants of the
garden, helping them to provide a niche and nutrients for insects and earthworms, which
become food of larger organisms, and so on. For more information about the Atabey Garden
and its ongoing restoration ask for a member of CEPA, or advisor in charge, in the biology
department in the University of Puerto Rico at Ponce.

Enclosure: Evidence of attendance, self-reflection, and pictures

Evidence of attendance:
Self-reflection:
Pictures:

Figure 1. Photo taken by Paola N. Kalil Rivera, 2022. Melon plants spreading at one end of the planting
box located at the upward center of the garden.

Figure 2. Photo taken by Paola N. Kalil Rivera, 2022. First planting site for medicinal plants (to the left),
and cosmos plants inside a square planting box (to the right).
Figure 3. Photo taken by Paola N. Kalil Rivera, 2022. Second planting site for medicinal plants. Includes
lavender, mint, and chillies.

Figure 4. Photo taken by Paola N. Kalil Rivera, 2022. Squash plants spread out at the back of the garden
after the students from technical writing originally transplanted four sprouts onto car tires at the beginning
of September.
Figure 5. Photo taken by Paola N. Kalil Rivera, 2022. Flowered bean plants entangled in wooden sticks
that the members of CEPA placed as support for the future vines.

Figure 6. Photo taken by Paola N. Kalil Rivera, 2022. The students made pots from plastic bottles and
hung them outside the large greenhouse along with low-light plants (down). The roof Paola Kalil created
from the textilene fabric rectangles, placed onto the metal frame to cover the top and back of the
greenhouse (upwards).
Figure 7. Photo taken by Paola N. Kalil Rivera, 2022. The inside of the large greenhouse, currently
storing bags of soil, pots, PVC (polyvinylchloride) tubes for irrigation channels, wooden planks, watering
cans, and plastic mesh to make it difficult for large animals to access some plants

Figure 8.Photo taken by Paola N. Kalil Rivera, 2022. The interior of the small greenhouse housing the
plants the students from technical writing donated to CEPA.
Figure 9. Photo taken by Paola N. Kalil Rivera, 2022. The three compost boxes of the garden with the
lemon peels Paola Kalil recently added, along with members of CEPA.

Figure 10. Photo taken by Sofia V. Gonzalez, 2022. Fabiola Alvarado performing the process of
watering the planting boxes.
Figure 11. Photo taken by Arelis Acevedo Santiago, 2022. The students of technical writing performing
the process of clearing half of the ground using a hoe.

Figure 12. Photo taken by Jaylis M. Colón Coronado, 2022. The tires after the students planted and
watered the sunflower seeds.
Figure 13. Photo taken by María J. López Rivera, 2022. Patricia M. Vélez Mejías performing the process
of removing weeds from planter boxes.

Figure 14. Photo taken by María J. López Rivera, 2022. Patricia M. Vélez Mejías performing the process
of organizing the bags of soil inside the greenhouse.
Figure 15. Photo taken by María J. López Rivera. Patricia M. Vélez Mejías performing the process of
planting lavender at the second planting site for medicinal plants.