Para la Naturaleza, in collaboration with Asociación de Navieros de Puerto Rico, Perez y Cía Shipping Agency, Sea Air Systems, and ZIM Integrated Shipping Services, organized and oversaw the delivery of a container of hurricane relief supplies to help in the recovery of communities in Jamaica. The supplies were delivered to the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), which is the lead government agency with the mandate for environmental protection, national resource management, land use, and spatial planning in Jamaica.
This collaboration involved the collection, packaging, and shipping of supplies to address basic nutritional needs and essential storm recovery tools. Based on our experience with the passing of Hurricane Maria over PR in 2017, we focused on the importance of road and debris-clearing operations as a mechanism to establish and strengthen local support networks. Through our experiences as an island community impacted by major tropical storms and hurricanes, and as a conservation organization tasked with the protection of ecosystems, and also as a community of Caribbean residents that has been shaped by such events, we have experienced firsthand how one of the most impactful elements in the recovery of a population is its ability for connectivity.
Both in non-human and human communities, the ability to connect is one of the main factors required to maintain a healthy population and to recover from a crisis. Post-storm cleanup is a very critical part of maintaining the necessary connectivity for communities to strengthen and support each other. Opening roads and trails to remote locations allows help to reach isolated or otherwise stressed individuals and can be the difference between hope and despair, life and death.
For this reason, the donation included storm debris clearance kits, which are equipped to outfit cleanup crews that could, in turn, impact communities. The kits include professional chainsaws and necessary maintenance supplies, along with enough personal protective equipment to cover five crews of 5–10 workers each. A well-outfitted crew working in the field can clear many miles of trails and roads, providing life-giving connectivity to those with the most urgent need.
As part of the Caribbean community of land conservationists, we believe that one of our greatest strengths and responsibilities is to participate as an active member of a common support network, working together in the planning of preparation and recovery from various crises and major weather impacts. We look forward to continuing to develop these collaborations, which strengthen our capacity to fulfill our role of protecting our interconnected tropical ecosystems.A follow-up visit to hold post-storm cleanup safety training is already in the works. We look forward to many more opportunities to further strengthen our bond in the protection of the many species and ecosystems that stand to benefit from responsible management practices.
Manuel Mercado Martin
Coordinador de Seguridad Para la Naturaleza
