Puerto Rico 2025: March 12, 2025

Today we started our day with service at CRESpr - Coalición Restauración Ecosistemas Santurcinos, PR. Before splitting into 3 teams, we learned about the organization and their work. CRES does environmental work with the local community. They grow and plant indigenous trees in the coastal forest where we were. They also keep up a skate park and teach the people to grow food and compost. They don’t get any help from the government or municipality.

The first group went to pick up garbage to clean up the forest, the beach, and the skate park. The second group got the ground ready for planting and planted small trees and other greens. The third group worked on composting. This was a very hard day of service, to say the least. Planting took a lot of effort with either a pick axe or a shovel. The composting group dealt with the horrible smell of rotting food and had to smash it into the ground and throw dried grass and leaves on it. The garbage group picked up the terrible trash that people left behind. We weighed how many pounds of garbage we had picked up, and the total was 125.2 pounds! We were all covered in dirt and sweat, so we headed across the street to get ice cream and smoothies.

We then hopped onto the bus and headed back to our hotel for some free time, where most went to the beach and pool to hang out. We then went back to our rooms to freshen up before dinner at the hotel. Everyone dressed up tonight for pictures and a good time. Once the sun set, we went by the beach and enjoyed each other's company before getting ready for bed.

Written by: Hannak Frank and Rachel Ramirez