Rebuild Farm and Ecoturism Project
Donation protected
Who are we?
My name is Waldemar Alcobas. I am from Hatillo and Iam the lead guide and owner of Ruta Nativa ecotourism company. For the last five years we had accomplished to consolidate two incredible river adventures and recently conditioned a camping area for backpackers in our farm from which we began our river tours. All in the path towards the future planning and construction of a local ecolodge. We’ve have also been working to build a strong relationship with our community through environmental education and conservation programs with a strong focus in exploration with our youth.
Ruta Nativa Ecoturism Project
Hurricane María Devastation
Hurricane María destroyed our home and the progress made in the last 5 years in our ecotourism project. We lost our house, furniture, warehouse, water collection system, security fence and most of our fruit trees. And all our adventure trails and roads have been completely obstructed by fallen trees. We are literally starting form cero.
Finca Espiral Before Hurrican María
Finca Espiral After Hurricane María
Recovery Efforts
From the first week after Hurricane María devastation three volunteer’s brigades, of friends and family, have helped to open the main roads to our farm from fallen trees, collected all the useful wood form our destroyed house and categorized by size and type, and build a temporary tarp shelter for volunteers from the inclements of the rain and the sun.
How can you Help?
There still a lot of work to be done. But we feel confident toward the future. Your donation and the fund will help us:
Clean up. Three main clean ups have to be arrange. First: Useful wood and corrugated metal from the fallen house should be collected, categorized and store in ware house container. Useless material will be recycled or disposed by digger and truck. Second: Useful tree trunks will be collected for future building material and fire wood and branches and leaves will be located in a designated area of the farm for compost. Third: agricultural land will be clear from fallen trees and branches and prepared for immediate farming and fruit trees planting. Costs associated with this task are the purchase of a 40 foot metal container as ware house and the hiring of a digger and excavator operator and truck driver.
Rebuild our home. If something we learn from hurricane María is that we need to rebuild with stronger materials for the future that can withstand hurricane force winds. Modest concrete house will be built maintaining the wood character in some terminations. We will recycle some mahogany wood form fallen trees in the farm. And also rebuild our water collection and solar power system. Cost associated with the design process, government permit process, materials and the hiring of carpenter and construction workers.
Recover Ruta Nativa forest trails. More than 3 miles of adventure trails have been obstructed by fallen trees and branches. Volunteers and paid work crews will have to cut and remove by hand all this trees and condition the trails for future tourist use. We are contemplating over two to three month of continues work so we can be ready for next tourist season. Cost associated with the chainsaw maintenance and parts, gasoline, oil, chaps protections, and chainsaw operators. Digger will be needed to recover some of the fallen trees for wood construction. If possible a portable sawmill will be acquired to make wood planks and posts.
My name is Waldemar Alcobas. I am from Hatillo and Iam the lead guide and owner of Ruta Nativa ecotourism company. For the last five years we had accomplished to consolidate two incredible river adventures and recently conditioned a camping area for backpackers in our farm from which we began our river tours. All in the path towards the future planning and construction of a local ecolodge. We’ve have also been working to build a strong relationship with our community through environmental education and conservation programs with a strong focus in exploration with our youth.
Ruta Nativa Ecoturism Project
Hurricane María Devastation
Hurricane María destroyed our home and the progress made in the last 5 years in our ecotourism project. We lost our house, furniture, warehouse, water collection system, security fence and most of our fruit trees. And all our adventure trails and roads have been completely obstructed by fallen trees. We are literally starting form cero.
Finca Espiral Before Hurrican MaríaFinca Espiral After Hurricane MaríaRecovery Efforts
From the first week after Hurricane María devastation three volunteer’s brigades, of friends and family, have helped to open the main roads to our farm from fallen trees, collected all the useful wood form our destroyed house and categorized by size and type, and build a temporary tarp shelter for volunteers from the inclements of the rain and the sun.
How can you Help?
There still a lot of work to be done. But we feel confident toward the future. Your donation and the fund will help us:
Clean up. Three main clean ups have to be arrange. First: Useful wood and corrugated metal from the fallen house should be collected, categorized and store in ware house container. Useless material will be recycled or disposed by digger and truck. Second: Useful tree trunks will be collected for future building material and fire wood and branches and leaves will be located in a designated area of the farm for compost. Third: agricultural land will be clear from fallen trees and branches and prepared for immediate farming and fruit trees planting. Costs associated with this task are the purchase of a 40 foot metal container as ware house and the hiring of a digger and excavator operator and truck driver.
Rebuild our home. If something we learn from hurricane María is that we need to rebuild with stronger materials for the future that can withstand hurricane force winds. Modest concrete house will be built maintaining the wood character in some terminations. We will recycle some mahogany wood form fallen trees in the farm. And also rebuild our water collection and solar power system. Cost associated with the design process, government permit process, materials and the hiring of carpenter and construction workers.
Recover Ruta Nativa forest trails. More than 3 miles of adventure trails have been obstructed by fallen trees and branches. Volunteers and paid work crews will have to cut and remove by hand all this trees and condition the trails for future tourist use. We are contemplating over two to three month of continues work so we can be ready for next tourist season. Cost associated with the chainsaw maintenance and parts, gasoline, oil, chaps protections, and chainsaw operators. Digger will be needed to recover some of the fallen trees for wood construction. If possible a portable sawmill will be acquired to make wood planks and posts.
Organizer
Waldemar Alcobas
Organizer
San Juan, PR
