With the goal of planting 20,000 trees in urban areas of southwestern Puerto Rico over five years, the Puerto Rican organization Desarrollo Regenerativo de Comunicaciones Caribeñas (CRCD) will launch its U-TREE project on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, with a community planting of 50 native trees.
The event will take place at the Estadio Julio Rivera López in Hormigueros, where trees from 13 native and endemic species will be planted, marking the start of a project designed to combat extreme heat, beautify urban spaces and encourage civic participation.
U-TREE will cover 11 municipalities, from Peñuelas to Mayagüez.
"This project arises from the urgent need to reforest urban areas of western Puerto Rico, not only to mitigate heat and the effects of climate change, but also to respond to the growing community interest in environmental initiatives," said Mariana Quiñones Rosado, CRCD's executive director, in a written statement.
Yasiel Figueroa Sánchez, the project manager, underscored the importance of community participation to the program's success.
As part of the project, the trees planted in Hormigueros will form an interpretive trail that, in addition to providing shade and a cooler environment, will offer visitors information about the characteristics of each species planted.
By the end of the five years, one of the participating municipalities is expected to receive the Tree City USA certification, a recognition from the Arbor Day organization that distinguishes cities committed to reforestation and the sustainable care of their urban forests.
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
