USDA NRCT Puerto Rico

Day 2 of the 3rd School of Ethnography, Community, and Environment was filled with powerful community voices and deep reflection 🌱🗣️ We visited San Juan, where local leaders shared their experiences defending land, culture, and natural resources 🌊🏝️

Through walking tours, oral histories, and community dialogue, we were reminded of the strength that comes from collective memory, resistance, and place-based knowledge ✊🏽💬

Grateful to the people of el centro agropecuario en cataño and la Asociación Pesquera La Puntilla for welcoming us and sharing their stories. Stay tuned — more highlights coming soon! 📸✨

Last Friday, May 30, we kicked off the 3rd School of Ethnography, Community, and Environment 🌿📚 From powerful discussions on environmental justice and participatory research to connecting with coastal communities 🐟🌊 — it was a day full of learning, reflection, and collaboration across the Americas 🌎✨

We had the honor of learning from incredible scholars:
Dr. Alejandro Torres Abreu (UPR Humacao), Dr. Denisse Roca-Servat (Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia), Dr. Manuel Valdés Pizzini (UPR Mayagüez), Larissa González Nieves, Dr. María L. Cruz Torres (Arizona State University), Dr. Samiri Hernández Hiraldo (Florida A&M University), and Dr. Miguel H. Del Pozo Santos (UPR Ponce) 🧠🙌

Stay tuned for more content from our school coming soon! 📸👀

Research in action ✨ Our members, Aliana and Maria, are hard at work in the lab. Here, Maria is skillfully using a chromatography column ⚗️ to separate and study the components of an organic sample with precision. We love seeing our team dive deep into hands-on science! 🧪

Proud of our amazing members Aliana González, Ricardo Correa, and María Milanés for their hands-on outreach with kindergarteners in their school garden! 🌱✨

Together, they planted oregano brujo, mint, garlic, and bromeliads while teaching the next generation about the magic of growing your own food. Science, community, and green thumbs in action! 🧄🌿🪴

Our member Maria doing research! Here she is carefully running an organic sample through a chromatography column ⚗️. This technique allows her to separate and analyze different components with precision. We enjoy watching our members in the lab. 👩🏻‍🔬

Our members finally had the chance to present their hard work and research at the ACS Conference in California!
A proud moment to share their passion for science and connect with others in the field.
Congratulations to all!
🧪✈️📊🌟

Our members had an amazing time at the ACS Conference in California! So proud of all the work they shared and the memories they made.
Check out the highlights!
🔬✈️🌟
🔗 https://x.com/j_a_c_s/status/1904566065864356098?s=48&t=1zKLFpFQdWq9hj4SgAjC7Q

Our USDA NRCT members representing at the ACS Conference!
From workshops to inspiring talks, they’ve been diving into every opportunity to learn, connect, and grow as future leaders in STEM. ✨🌿

Touchdown in San Diego, California! ✈️☀️ This week, our NRCT members Maria, Ricardo, Stella, and Aliana are attending the American Chemical Society Conference 🧪 and presenting the exciting research they’ve been working on. Stay tuned for updates from the conference! 📣

Aliana G. and María M. guiding high school students on plant research and why they should choose the Natural Sciences Department! 🌱📚✨

Our member, María Milanés, working in the lab 🧪 running a column chromatography 🌿 to separate organic compounds from plants. 🔬✨

Our member María Milanés working at the laboratory🔬 performing column chromatography to separate organic compounds from plants 🌿