Date: November 22, 2023

To: Prof. Le Compte Zambrana

From: Luisangelí Muñiz Irizarry, Amedeé Lefebre Torres, Bryan Lugo Maldonado, Carlos S.
Maldonado Marfisi
Subject: Progress Report “Huerto Atabey”

Purpose:

This Progress Report covers and lays out specifically the advances made in the Atabey
garden from August to November 2023.

Introduction:

In this progress report we are going to talk about how the university's garden and the
“Reserva Natural Punta Cucharas” helped us during this semester, and how we can use the
knowledge we acquire to the benefit of the environment. The university’s garden is managed
by CEPA association and their goal is to set an example with their humanistic values, their
economic approach and the development of a sustainability project. On the other hand, the
coastal cleaning in the “Reserva Natural Punta Cucharas'' was directed by Scuba Dogs
Society, they are a group that take care of our natural resources and areas by cleaning them
and making sure our environment is protected.

Our work in these two areas started on September 16, 2023 and ended on November 15,
2023. The objective is to maintain, clean and improve the quality of the areas of both the
“Huerto Atabey” and the “Reserva Natural Punta Cucharas”. In the “Reserva Natural Punta
Cucharas” we were in charge of cleaning all the garbage that we find in the area, to help
clean the natural environment. In the “Huerto Atabey” we were in charge of removing weeds
from the planting boxes, cutting the grass, watering the plants and learning how to plant
parsley seeds.

University Organization:

Organized on April 16, 2014, at the University of Puerto Rico at Ponce, the "Coalición de
Estudiantes Pro-Agricultura" (CEPA) was established. CEPA intends to persist in raising
awareness and disseminating knowledge about sustainable agricultural practices to the
UPRP community, as well as individuals with an interest in the subject. This objective will be
done through the organization of seminars, conferences, and activities hosted at the UPRP.
The ongoing success of these efforts relies on the assistance of dedicated volunteers and
community members. Students enrolled in ENGL 4021 work in the garden under the
supervision of association board members. The association's board members are:

President: Emerson Rivera

Vice President : Francisco Castro
Secretary: Adler Torres
Treasurer : Rudesindo Garcia
Media Manager: Fabiola Prieto

Research before work:

Before working on the Atabey Orchard, we decided to start by understanding the local
climate, soil conditions, and water availability, as these factors profoundly impact growth.
Identifying varieties of plants that thrive in the region was very important before starting to
work with them plants. The first few weeks of the semester we decided to investigate
potential pests and diseases prevalent in the area and found that it’s important to always
keep an eye daily on the orchard because of animals that may ruin it. Additionally, we
familiarize ourselves with orchard management practices, such as: pruning, fertilization, and
irrigation techniques. Finally, we learned that comprehensive research lays a solid
foundation for a productive and sustainable orchard result. After all the research we were
ready to start our orchard hours.

Work accomplished:

- Beach cleaning:
Our work started in the “Reserva Natural Punta Cucharas” on September 16, 2023, where
we were in charge of cleaning all the garbage that was thrown on the road, the beach and
the houses nearby. During the 4 hours of cleaning we walked the whole area with trash bags
and found many items that were affecting the environment. Some of the items we found
were plastic bottles, plastic bags, baby diapers, car tires, plastic containers, straws, glass
bottles, paper and many other things that were endangering the ecosystem.

- Cutting grass and removing weeds:

During the whole semester we were in charge of taking care and planting in the “Huerto
Atabey”. Initially in the semester we were in charge of cleaning the garden because the
grass was very tall and the plantations contained weeds that needed to be removed. We
were in charge of removing the grass that was out of the plantation areas with a hoe and
later we removed the weeds of the plants with our hand making sure to remove the roots so
the weeds wont grow anymore. We needed to repeat the process of cleaning many times
during the semester because it rained a lot, and the grass grew very fast.

- Planting parsley:
Later in the semester we learned how to plant some parsley seeds with the help of CEPA’s
president Emerson. He explained to us that for planting parsley we needed to fill the seed
beds with compost, then make a hole on the compost and put 2 or 3 seeds of parsley on the
hole, then cover the seeds with more compost and water them to help the parsley grow.

- Watering:
Watering is a very important step in the process of maintaining the garden because the
water is a vital resource for the plants growth. The plants use the water for the
photosynthesis process and to transport minerals needed for their growth and health. It is
very important to water the plants the proper way because too much water can drown the
plants. In the semester we watered the seeds we planted and the plants that were already in
the garden to maintain them healthy.

Unfinished work:

As for the unfinished work, there's still a variety of plants to grow and a lot of cleaning to
do.The Atabey Garden project faces several work limitations that impact its progress. One
major challenge is the inconsistency of watering during the summer months when many
CEPA students are absent. During this time, weeds start to grow, and then flowers and
vegetables are plagued. Additionally, another challenge is the invasion of iguanas in the
garden. The disruptions caused by these animals hinder the project's goals of positively
impacting the community through the cultivation of organic vegetables and herbs.Thankfully,
next semester will be a great opportunity for more students in ENGL 4021 to continue with
the work that we participated in along with the CEPA members.

Materials:
Tools and equipment needed for the maintenance of the garden are crucial for
performing our tasks more efficiently. The tools needed for the maintenance of the garden
are the following:
1. Garden hoes
2. Planting containers
3. Seed beds
4. Watering cans
5. Gloves
6. Rake
7. Water hose

Work limits:
One of the main problems during the project was the lack of people that worked at the same
time during the maintenance. The hours available to work on the garden were a main factor
because many students did not have the availability to work on the garden at the hours that
were available. The lack of power tools was another problem because there was not a
trimmer available for the grass, which made cleaning the garden much difficult. Last but not
least the unstoppable rains were the cause of many cancellations of the maintenance,
because of that the garden could not be cleaned properly.

Future Work:
In the future the association will try to finish the work that was set for this 2023-2024 first
semester, they will try to make the garden look better, keep planting, and produce many
more things. Next semester I’m sure the association will complete the job that was set to get
done this semester with our help.

Conclusion:

The purpose of this progress report was to document the work that was performed at
the Huerto Atabey at the University of Puerto Rico in Ponce campus during the 2023 fall and
winter semester. During this process students were able to complete their 8 hours and
perform work at the garden. Our group as well as the others, had the opportunity to learn
about agriculture and the branch of sustainability that it has created. Each participant had a
unique experience while achieving the same goal. We gained knowledge about the
significance of food safety and product quality. We also understood the significance of
cultivating our own food in order to prevent consuming that has undergone genetic and
phenotypic alterations, as seen in the documents assigned for class. Huerto Atabey still has
a long way to go and although the contribution to the garden from our part was small, we
achieved minimal but significant things for the future of the garden. All that remains is to
keep on planting the empty places created for parsley seeds and wait for the growth of the
plants. These would be done faster if there were more people interested in contributing to
the garden and putting time and effort. This semester, we took on the task and decided to
help the garden grow and flourish. Now the people that will work at the garden will have the
motivation and desire to keep the garden alive in the near future.
Hours and evidence (Service Log)

Luisangelí Muñiz Irizarry

Amedeé Lefebre Torres

Bryan Lugo

Carlos Maldonado
Pictures of work:

Luisangelí Muñiz Irizarry

This day we worked with making space We also watered them.

in different pots to plant and grow
parsley.

Amedeé Lefebre Torres

In this image you can see I was In this image I was mixing the compost.
removing grass and weeds with the hoe.
Bryan Lugo

In this photo, I was weeding the edges of After weeding the wheels, we proceeded
the wheels. to sow the 'giant' Zinnia seeds provided
by CEPA members.

Carlos Maldonado

Here I was cleaning up the space with a

hoe.
Self reflection:

Luisangelí Muñiz Irizarry

Amedeé Lefebre Torres
Bryan Lugo
Carlos Maldonado