Volunteer Programs in Puerto Rico
As the weather of Puerto Rico is tropical, programs here take place year-round and there is always work to be done. Volunteer projects in Puerto Rico are focused around three main areas: environmental conservation, community development, and social empowerment.
Environmental conservation projects can take you to more rural and off-the-beaten path locales to invest in conservation of the natural environment across the island. There are many opportunities to get involved helping conserve rich environments, such as the El Yunque rainforest, Vieques Island, Fajardo (home of one of the biobays and Cabezas de San Juan Ecological Reserve), Playa Jayuya, and beyond. While marine conservation is implicit in considering conservation of the natural landscape in Puerto Rico, the island is also home to many other geographies that beg for preservation and recognition. From rainforest canopies to the lush mountains of El Cordillera Central, which runs down the center of the nation, to offshore islands, like Vieques, to the mangrove forests of the coast, from east to west Puerto Rico’s diverse landscapes all require the attention of conservation volunteers.
The environmental issues in Puerto Rico that are addressed by conservation programs and volunteers are often pollution, waste, pesticide runoff that affects the quality of fresh water, soil erosion, contamination, encroachment, and introduction of invasive species. With less than 10 percent of the landscape designated as permanent protected areas, volunteers will provide key help in obtaining protected status for as much of the environment as possible.
Community development programs also help to benefit disadvantaged communities, by implementing projects surrounding things like nutrition, construction, and English language lessons. The issues that bring about a need for community volunteering in Puerto Rico are unemployment and poverty. Due to the recession, many Puerto Ricans have migrated to the mainland U.S., due to the affects the economic downturn has had on housing, business, and education markets in Puerto Rico. Depopulation causes an already challenged market to further slump, as recovering from debts when a population is in decline is nearly impossible. International volunteers help to bring resources to the island, and to contribute to social programs that help bring education, nutrition, and health programs to those in need.
Volunteers may also opt in to cultural activities to help them immerse and learn about the enriching history of this small isle. While Puerto Rico may be a territory of the U.S., its extensive and controversial history is little-known by citizens of the mainland. Learning more about the cultural backdrop is edifying for volunteers, and sheds light on the socio-economic complexities surrounding the need for volunteer programs in Puerto Rico.
