Creating Our Future Together: We’re Launching a Nonprofit!

Members of our team met in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in June for a strategic planning retreat focused on the future of Asekia.

We started this spring by cultivating community through our series of workshops in Puerto Rico, and we are concluding this season by bringing a new organization into the world! It brings us great joy to announce that we have established a nonprofit organization called Asekia that will enable us to advance our work of empowering Hispanic farmers and forest landowners.  

Earlier this month, many of our team members had the opportunity to reunite in San Juan, Puerto Rico, for a two-day retreat centered on strategic planning for Asekia’s future. Facilitated by the wonderful Fountainworks team, the retreat included crafting our vision for Asekia and mapping out what we must accomplish for this brand-new organization to succeed.  

Our inspiration for the name Asekia draws from the systems of communally managed aqueducts found worldwide, from the Middle East to northern New Mexico, known as acequias. These sophisticated irrigation channels bring mountain spring water and snowmelt to distant, arid agricultural lands. As water flows through acequias and brings vibrant life to the lands in their paths, we imagine our team building the infrastructure, digging the ditches, and building the channels through which resources and knowledge can flow. Practically, this looks like connecting Hispanic farmers and forest landowners with resources to care for their lands sustainably and build a lasting legacy for future generations. 

“Asekia draws inspiration from the acequia tradition, where inclusion and courage are at the core of its governance and communal spirit. Just as acequias have nurtured lands for centuries through collective effort and shared resources, Asekia will empower and sustain our communities for generations to come,” said Dr. Nolo Martínez, Co-President of mano-Y-ola.

As we chart the course of this new endeavor, we affirm that Asekia will be bold, authentic, and true to its principles and purpose. Our team and work will continue to place people firmly at the center of our work. We look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead of us!  

If you want to learn more about Asekia or have questions, please contact Courtney Columbus at courtney.columbus@mano-Y-ola.com.

Discovering the World of Bats at Finca Gaia 

by Caroline Sanabria Colón

We held an exciting workshop at Finca Gaia in May about the fascinating life of bats! Participants in the Hispanic Forest Landowners Outreach (HFLO) Program in Puerto Rico dove into this unique experience, which marks the fourth workshop in our series, by learning about the crucial importance of conserving these incredible mammals.  

Everyone who was present enthusiastically received the workshop, led by Wilkins Otero and Juan Fernández of the Puerto Rico Bat Conservation Program (PCMPR). Many of them had not been aware of the importance of caring for and preserving bat habitat, making this activity essential for raising awareness about bats’ importance in our ecosystems.  

During the session, the participants explored diverse topics, ranging from building bat houses to deconstructing myths passed down over generations. They immersed themselves in the world of these fascinating mammals, learning about the different species that live in this region of Puerto Rico and how they can contribute to their conservation.

Our fourth forestry outreach workshop, focused on bat conservation, took place at Finca Gaia in Dorado, Puerto Rico.

One of the workshop's most highlighted aspects was its emphasis on peaceful coexistence between people and bats. Different exclusion strategies, or methods of keeping bats out of homes, that can be implemented without harming bats were discussed, along with practices that involve caring for and protecting the environment of these beneficial animals.  

Nathaniel and Miguel Moya, participants in our forestry program, have participated in all of our workshops, including the workshop on bats. Both expressed that they enjoy these activities because they enable them to learn, share, make connections, and have valuable experiences. In particular, they highlighted their recent participation in the workshop about bats, where they learned about the importance of these animals and their care.  

The HFLO Program believes that forests are more than just a space for natural resource extraction, like timber. Forests are also a sanctuary for species key to a sustainable ecosystem. We are excited to work with wildlife advocates like PCMPR and Miguel Moya to promote community involvement in wildlife conservation. 

This workshop at Finca Gaia educated the participants and planted the seed of environmental awareness in our community.

Thirteen species of bats are found in Puerto Rico!

Hispanic Forest Landowner Spotlight: PCMPR

by Courtney Columbus 

Wilkins Otero of PCMPR sees many ways in which bats benefit farmers and the ecosystem as a whole. These nocturnal mammals help farmers and landowners in ways that range from natural pest control to pollination, in addition to the beneficial roles they play in reforestation and in providing natural fertilizer.  

Wilkins explained that through his work as the President of PCMPR for the past two years, he has aimed to foster collaborations between PCMPR and farmers and landowners. For example, PCMPR and Finca Gaia, one of the farms participating in our forestry outreach program, have worked together on bat conservation for more than a year.  

Places such as Finca Gaia are uniquely positioned to help support bat conservation.  

“[Landowners or farmers] are important because those lands create a path — an ecological corridor that enables the joining together of forests that are a little less disturbed — for food, reproduction, and the movement of these animals,” Wilkins said. 

For farmers and forest landowners interested in promoting bat conservation on their lands, Wilkins recommended they start by learning about the existing resources on their lands to assess which species of bats could be present or which species they could attract. Then, they can work to “create a sustainable, natural place that has the complete ecosystem,” Wilkins explained, such as by planting trees that provide fruit for fruit-eating bats.  

Soon, we will have an exciting update from Puerto Rico about our efforts to promote bat conservation in collaboration with PCMPR!

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Coming Soon!

Our forestry outreach workshop series will host its sixth event in July. This workshop will explore Puerto Rican hardwoods