DATE: November 22, 2023

TO: Pier A. Le Compte, Profesor

FROM: Jennifer Ramos, Student
Christy Rosado, Student
Gabriela Ballester, Student
Alexis Torres, Student

SUBJECT: Atabey Garden and Reserva Natural en Punta Cucharas’ Workday Progress Report

Summary
From September 1, 2023, through November 10, 2023, a team of four members
successfully completed an eight-hour workday at Atabey Garden, with individual contributions
from Jennifer Ramos, Christy Rosado, Gabriela Ballester, and Alexis Torres. The team
collaborated with the organization known as Colación Estudiantil Pro-Agricultura (CEPA) for
the project involving gardening activities at the University of Puerto Rico in Ponce. The aim was
to help CEPA improve the garden while also receiving education in sustainability and creating an
environmentally conscious mindset among students, faculty, and the broader campus community.
Jennifer Ramos and Alexis Torres also collaborated with Scuba Dogs Society (SDS) with the
purpose of participating in the Costal Cleaning of the Reserva Natural Punta Cucharas in Ponce.
Jennifer and Alexis spent a total of eight and a half hours, dividing their time between Atabey
Garden in the University of Puerto Rico in Ponce (4.5 hours) and beach cleaning at Reserva
Natural en Punta Cucharas in Ponce (4 hours). Christy and Gabriela each dedicated the eight
hours working on the Atabey Garden and making donations like plant soil and zip ties for the
maintenance of the garden. The team showcased strong collaboration, commitment, and diverse
skills throughout the hours. This report aims to highlight hands-on experiences in garden-related
tasks.

Colación Estudiantil Pro-Agricultura (CEPA)

CEPA, accredited by the Council of Higher Education, operates as a non-profit entity in
Puerto Rico. Their mission focuses on raising awareness about local food production and
achieving self-sufficiency. CEPA serves as a model for sustainable development projects, aimed
at educating the entire community on Puerto Rican agriculture using agroecological techniques,
and notably organizing an agricultural fair at the University of Puerto Rico in Ponce. The fair
educates the community on Puerto Rican agriculture using agroecological techniques,
emphasizing the importance of consuming local products and promoting the development of
microbusinesses for job creation.

Scuba Dogs Society (SDS)

Scuba Dogs Society (SDS), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has been dedicated to
environmental protection in Puerto Rico since 1993. Originally known as the Enrique Martí Coll
Foundation, SDS's mission is to model a culture of harmony with nature, their specific purposes
are to clean beaches and coastal areas all around Puerto Rico, actively contributing to
environmental conservation and fostering a sustainable relationship between humans and their
natural surroundings. Their core values, including Sensibility, Diversity, Inclusivity, Integrity,
Collaboration, and Commitment, guide their actions in contributing to environmental
conservation and fostering a sustainable relationship between humans and nature.
Team Member’s Experiences:

Jennifer Ramos' Experience

1. Contribution
Jennifer dedicated four and a half hours to Atabey Garden and an additional four hours to
beach cleaning at Reserva Natural en Punta Cucharas, Ponce.

2. Atabey Garden Tasks

Jennifer devoted her time to Atabey Garden on three Fridays: September 1, 2023,
September 20, 2023, and September 27, 2023, completing 1 hour and 30 minutes each
day. Her tasks remained consistent across all days, including removing weeds, watering,
cutting dry branches, and preparing the soil. The primary goal was to prepare the garden
for the next members of CEPA to begin planting flowers and vegetables. Despite
successfully completing all assigned tasks, Jennifer faced a significant challenge that is
the sun. Afflicted with solar urticaria, a rare skin condition making her sensitive to
ultraviolet rays, she took precautions by applying sunscreen and wearing long sleeves to
minimize sun exposure.

3. Beach Cleaning Tasks

On September 16, 2023, Jennifer participated in beach cleaning alongside a group of five
members, each assigned different responsibilities. Jennifer's role was to pick up every
visible piece of trash, resulting in the collection of three large trash bags. The cleaning
session spanned three hours, covering the entire beach coast. The team encountered
common types of trash, including empty bottles, cans, cardboard, and old toys. Despite
facing the challenge of her solar urticaria condition, Jennifer managed by applying
sunscreen, wore a long-sleeved shirt, hat, and long leggings to protect herself from the
sun.

Alexis Torres' Experience

1. Contribution
Alexis dedicated four hours to beach cleaning at Punta Cucharas Natural Reserve in
Ponce and four and a half hours to the Atabey Garden at the University of Puerto Rico in
Ponce.

2. Atabey Garden Tasks

Alexis made contributions to the Atabey Garden on three Wednesdays, these being
September 20, 2023, September 27, 2023, and October 18, 2023, where he completed one
hour and 30 minutes each day. His tasks consisted of plowing, compositing, cleaning the
garden, removing seeds and weeds, cutting dry branches and watering. Alexis’s work
played a crucial role in keeping the garden clean and prepared, which allows the CEPA
members to have the land already set for ongoing cultivation. He encountered several
problems while accomplishing the service hour in the garden, such as dealing with the
intense heat and sweat. To deal with these problems, Alexis brought water with him to
stay hydrated during his service.
 3. Beach Cleaning Tasks
Alexis participated in the international coastal cleanup on Saturday, September 16, 2023,
where he teamed up with other students. Their objective was to collect any waste from
the beach and place it in trash bags, which they would later gather up for disposal.
Throughout the community service hours, Alexis faced the challenge of passing through
ponded water, which he successfully overcame with the help of his team. At the end of
the activity, all groups managed to gather more than ten bags of trash, achieving the
cleanup’s goal for the day.

Christy Rosado's Experience

1. Contribution
Christy dedicated all eight hours to Atabey Garden, six and a half hours working on
maintenance and one and a half hours in donations.

2. Atabey Garden Tasks

Christy participated on the maintenance of the Atabey Garden on September 27 (1.5
hours), October 13 (1.5 hours), October 18 (2.0 hours), and October 23 (1.5 hours). She
also donated plant soil, receiving two hours for it as well. Her tasks included taking off
weeds, planting, watering plants, cutting dry branches, preparing the soil, and decorating
the garden with white decorative rocks. Christy’s tasks during these few weeks allowed
CEPA members to start working on the renewal of the garden and the preparation of the
land for future cultivation. Although she successfully completed all the work that was
assigned, she encountered some challenges with bugs, mosquitoes, and newly discovered
allergies to plants. Christy faced these conflicts by wearing long pants, applying bug
spray, and staying away from the itchy plants.

Gabriela Ballester's Experience

1. Contribution
Gabriela dedicated all eight hours to Atabey Garden.

2. Atabey Garden Tasks

Gabriela actively engaged in tasks such as removing weeds, watering, sowing, planting,
and preparing the soil in Atabey Garden. She participated in the garden tasks on
September 27th (1.5 hours), October 18th (2.5 hours), October 23rd (1.5 hours), and
November 10th (1.5 hours). On November 10th, she contributed to the organization by
donating zip ties, and this contribution allowed her to accumulate one hour. Gabriela
encountered challenges such as the presence of mosquitoes and occasional cancellations
of scheduled workdays due to adverse weather conditions. Unexpected rain or university
assignments sometimes prevented her from fulfilling her scheduled hours in the garden.
As a result, she completed her hours whenever she found herself available. To address
these challenges, Gabriela considers implementing mosquito repellents or protective
measures and establishing contingency plans for rescheduling workdays affected by
adverse weather conditions or any other situation.
Overall Achievements
1. The combined efforts of CEPA, Jennifer, Alexis, Gabriela, and Christy significantly
contributed to the aesthetic improvement of Atabey Garden, creating a visually appealing
and well-maintained space.
2. The combined efforts of the Scuba Dogs Society, Jennifer, and Alexis resulted in the
removal of 1,133.67 pounds of trash by the end of the day.

Recommendations
1. Implement a contingency plan for unexpected weather challenges to ensure uninterrupted
project progress.
2. Consider organizing regular maintenance schedules to sustain the improved aesthetics of
Atabey Garden.
3. Explore opportunities for community involvement and awareness campaigns to garner
support for ongoing environmental initiatives.

Conclusion
The collaborative efforts of the dedicated team, comprised of Jennifer Ramos, Christy
Rosado, Gabriela Ballester, and Alexis Torres, yielded significant achievements during the eight
hours workday project at Atabey Garden from September 1, 2023, to November 10, 2023.
Partnering with Colación Estudiantil Pro-Agricultura (CEPA) and Scuba Dogs Society (SDS),
the team demonstrated unwavering commitment and diverse skills. The detailed experiences of
each member underscore the impactful tasks undertaken, from the garden maintenance, all the
way to the coastal cleaning, resulting in tangible achievements such as the removal of 1,133.67
pounds of trash. The recommendations provided emphasize the need for contingency plans,
regular maintenance schedules, and community involvement to sustain and enhance future
environmental initiatives. Overall, our collective efforts have not only improved Atabey Garden,
but have also contributed to a cleaner and more environmentally conscious community.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ramos, Student

Christy Rosado, Student
Gabriela Ballester, Student
Alexis Torres, Student
Bibliography

Celebran la 2da Feria Agrícola Atabey en UPR Ponce. Universidad de Puerto Rico. (n.d.).
https://www.upr.edu/celebran-la-2da-feria-agricola-atabey-en-upr-ponce/

Limpiezas - Scuba Dogs Society. Scuba Dogs Society - Organización ambiental fundada en 1993.
(2022, August 7). https://scubadogssociety.org/limpiezas
Evidence:

Jennifer Ramos’ Evidence

Jennifer Ramos’ Self Reflection
Alexis Torres' Evidence
Alexis Torres’ Self Reflection
Gabriela Ballester's Evidence:
Gabriela Ballester's Self Reflection
Christy Rosado’s Evidence
Christy Rosado’s Self Reflection