Puerto Rico: Conservation & Cultural Exchange

The group flies together into San Juan, Puerto Rico and meets their Global Works leaders at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport. After a short transfer, we settle in to our beach side accommodations and dedicate time to learning about our upcoming activities and getting our bearings in Puerto Rico! The next day we enjoy a guided, educational tour of Old San Juan to orient ourselves and learn more about the rich history and culture of the island. While walking through this historic city, we will make sure to try some local cuisine and leave some free time to pick up some souvenirs or simply soak in the unique vibe of Old San Juan.

We dive into our service work in a nearby village. This close-knit community is only 25 years old and despite economic hardship has rebuilt itself time and time again after being destroyed by tropical storms and hurricanes. Families are now working to replace their wooden houses with concrete structures that are safer and will last much longer in the Puerto Rican climate. We work side by side with members of the community to aid these small construction efforts, learning how to mix concrete and taking on a variety of other tasks in order to construct safe and comfortable housing for these determined families. We enjoy home cooked meals served in one of the nearby homes and local celebrations in which we will undoubtedly be asked to sing and dance.

Vieques is an island jewel located just east of the main island of Puerto Rico. We enjoy a guided tour of the island and participate in exchange activities while getting to know better the lives and issues that face local youth. Finally, explore the wonders of Puerto Rico’s most pristine and magnificent bio- luminescent bays through an evening kayak excursion!

We transfer back to the main island to “Las Casas de la Selva” jungle lodge located in a private rainforest reserve. Here, we participate in educational workshops on the tropical ecology of the area and work on environmental service projects that benefit the facility and local Puerto Rican scientists. Sustainability projects may include reforestation, trail maintenance, and small construction on research facilities. We’ll take afternoon work breaks to visit a nearby beautiful waterfall and evening salsa dance lessons with live musicians.

On the final afternoon, we return to our group base in Cerro Gordo. We have a final trip reflection ceremony and celebration at a nice restaurant in the nearby city of El Dorado before we travel home.