MEMORANDUM

DATE: November 22nd, 2023

TO: Professor Pier A. LeCompte Zambrana
FROM: Miranda S. Cortés Rentas, Anjennyliz P. Nuñez Ruiz, Jan C. Machado
Torruella, and Luis F. Colón Rodríguez
SUBJECT: Progress Report on Atabey Garden at the University of Puerto Rico at Ponce

INTRODUCTION

This report will discuss duties performed in the Atabey Garden at the University of
Puerto Rico at Ponce. The Atabey Garden, located laterally to the Ruth Fortuño Academic
Building, is recognized for its efforts in agriculture, celebrating the Atabey Agricultural Fair
annually. During both semesters of the academic year, the garden prepares for this great activity
by constantly carrying out maintenance in the area, such as: weeding, planting, watering,
building composting areas, and other tasks. In conjunction with the ENGL 4021 course, the
garden held contact hours to help to prepare for the fair.

OBJECTIVES

For the first semester of the 2023-2024 academic year, the objectives were to keep the
garden clean, removing weeds, planting, watering the plants and creating compost. With this, the
garden is kept in good condition, the plants growing, to be able to create an idea of how the
garden will be arranged for the 6th Atabey Agricultural Fair.

UNIVERSITY ORGANIZATION

The organization in charge of the Atabey Garden is the Coalición Estudiantil Pro-
Agricultura or better known as CEPA of the University of Puerto Rico at Ponce. The purpose of
this student organization is to raise awareness about the importance of agriculture and its value
for the country. In the garden, different types of plants can be found such as basil, plantains,
cherry, tobacco, aloe plants, among other foods. Currently, in the 2023-2024 academic year,
these are the students that make up the board of directors:

• President: Emerson Rivera Ruiz

• Vice-president: Francisco A. Castro Rivera
• Secretary: Adler J. Torres Santiago
• Sub-secretary: Jadey J. Negrón Torres
• Treasurer: Rudesindo J. García Figueroa
• Activity and event organizer: Shown Muñíz Rodríguez
• Public Relationist: Fabiola E. Prieto Rivera
• Vocal: Mailyenid Baerga Moya

EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS

The CEPA association uses different types of equipment and tools for several tasks.
Some of these tools have been provided by the university and others have been donations from
students or members of CEPA association. There were many implements used in the
maintenance of the Atabey Garden. Some of the equipment used includes:

• Garden hose
• Rake
• Gardening gloves
• Shovel
• Garden hoe
• Bucket
• Pickaxe
• Flowerpots
• Car tires
• Wood
• Watering cans
WORK ACCOMPLISHED

Several jobs were distributed to different people who went to work in the area. In our
case, we were able to clean areas and the surroundings of the plants, remove and take weeds to
the compost area, and fill the pots with soil for planting. The leaves that were on the ground were
raked up and placed on top of some seeds that had been sown. These leaves lower the
temperature of the soil and cause the seed to emerge correctly. The plants that were already
planted and the newly planted ones, were watered for several days in the morning. Also, old
flowers that contained dry seeds for future planting, such as tobacco, were collected.

WORK LIMITS

Although there was a large amount of work done in the garden, there are many
limitations that can affect the plants. We understand that the massive invasion of iguanas at the
university is the largest problem that affects the garden. For this reason, many fruits are eaten or
damaged by these iguanas. Another limitation that we could find in the garden is when the grass
was too tall, the mosquitoes were at their high point. Although there was repellent, many people
stopped working in certain areas, avoiding finishing the work. After the university mowed the
long grass, this issue was solved.

CONCLUSION

Our work done in the Atabey garden helped us realize the importance of maintaining our
ecosystem. The garden was very neglected, and it required our services to help it recover its
beauty. Finally, we also addressed some of the problems presented in the different documentaries
we saw in class. One of them being The Story of Stuff, in which we helped the garden by using
biodegradable materials.
ENCLOSURE: Pictures, Service Log evidence, and Self-reflection.

Photo taken by Emerson Rivera on October 6th, 2023.

[Miranda Cortés] “In this picture, I was raking and picking up leaves to place them over recently
sown seeds.”

Photo taken by Emerson Rivera on October 6th, 2023.

[Miranda Cortés] “Here, I was taking the pail back to pick up more leaves for the planter box.”
 Photo taken by Diadelys Castro on September 20th, 2023.

[Anjennyliz Nuñez] “Here I was watering the plants that were out of reach of the hose, for
example this oregano brujo.”

Photo taken by Emerson Rivera on October 6th, 2023.

[Anjennyliz Nuñez] “With other colleagues, here I was spreading the dry leaves on the seeds that
had been planted to lower the temperature of the soil.”
 Photo taken by Anjennyliz Nuñez on November 17th, 2023.

[Jan Machado] “Here I was at the garden, watering all the different species of plants. In this
photo, I was watering aloe vera.”

Photo taken by Carlos Maldonado on November 10th, 2023.

[Luis F. Colón] “Here I was watering water so that the plants grow healthily.”
 Photo taken by Carlos Maldonado on November 1st, 2023.

[Luis F. Colón] “Here I was removing the grass because it was very abundant.”

Photo taken by Bryan Lugo on November 3rd, 2023.

[Luis F. Colón] “Here I was putting soil in the pot so that the plant can grow.”
• Miranda Cortés: Service Log
• Anjennyliz Nuñez: Service Log
• Luis F. Colón: Service Log
• Jan C. Machado: Service Log
• Miranda S. Cortés: Self-reflection
• Anjennyliz Nuñez: Self-reflection
• Luis F. Colón: Self-reflection
• Jan C. Machado: Self-reflection