20
years of natural history

years of natural history
Dear friends:
It's hot! We're hearing this more and more each year. Carbon dioxide emissions combined with other greenhouse gases keep rising and we're feeling the effects.
The concrete jungle that sprawls the Puerto Rico metropolitan area is sweltering but urban parks like Parque Doña Inés are doing their best to provide us with the green lungs that our communities desperately need. Located in San Juan, this 12 acre park serves as an arboretum for a collection of 1,000 examples of 250 species of trees, most of which are indigenous, endemic and endangered.
Hurricanes Irma and María severly affected hundreds of trees in the park's collection of Puerto Rican plantlife. This represents 50% of the arboretum's plants.
We greatly appreciate the help of our friends Douglas Candelario, who joined our campaign to reforest the park, and singer-songwriter Hermes Croatto, who contributed the beautiful composition Madre Tierra Bendición, inspired by his deep love for Mother Nature.
Thank you,
Linda Hernández, Executive Director of FLMM
The park, named in honor of Inés Mendoza, the wife of past governor Luis Muñoz Marín, is an urban forest that was developed in 1998.
"The collection of our arborteum shelters 60% of common tree species and 41% of endangered tree species on the islands. If left unprotected and uncultivated, we could lose these plants in the future." -Christian Torres, Agronomist and Botanist. -Christian Torres, Agrónomo y Botánico
Slide the white line in the center of image to compare the state of the park before and after Hurrican María.
There is a need for a massive reforestation campaign to help this small forest fully recover and reestablish the collection of trees.
Para la Naturaleza, a organization dedicated to land conservation in Puerto Rico, is working with us to collect seeds and grow seedlings for the park. The DRNA (Department of Natural & Environmental Resources) is also doing its part to plant native tree species in other areas throughout the islands.
The park has lots of value due to its natural native collection of plant life. It should be preserved.
The Luis Muñoz Marín Foundation (FLMM) was founded in 1980 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and works to conserve and share the achievements made by 20th century Puerto Rican Society under the leadership of Governor Luis Muñoz Marín. As a cultural entity, we promote the dialog and debate between diverse social, political and economic ideologies in Puerto Rico. Our Historic Archive is known as the principal location for 20th century historic investigation here on the island. The foundation is very committed to education and the conservation of biodiversity and is located on 18 acres of urban forest with native and endemic plant life available for public enjoyment and learning.
Tel. (787) 755-7979
Fax: (787) 755-0240
Email: info@flmm.org
Physical Address
RR 2, Box 5
San Juan, Puerto Rico 00926-9766
Dirección Física
Carretera Estatal #877, Km. 0.4
Barrio Sabana Llana Sur
Marginal Expreso de Río Piedras a Trujillo Alto,
San Juan, Puerto Rico 00926
Visit us at Parque Doña Inés where we offer up to 3 hours of "Contacto Verde" (Contact with nature), the law that establishes a plan for environmental education at a national level and promotes the implementation of programs and activities that involve direct contact with nature for youth in Puerto Rico.
Nuestro path es: /FLMM
La Fundación Luis Muñoz Marin cuenta con tres tipos de recorridos: Contacto Verde, Excursiones y Recorrido Guiado («Tours»).