Educación y recreación basadas en la naturaleza
Nature Based Education and Recreation
TALLER ECOLÓGICO DE PUERTO RICO
Since 2017, Taller Ecológico de Puerto Rico has been providing participants with a rich and diverse learning environment in nature. Project based learning, STEM and hands-on experience have always been at our core.
It was founded by Áurea E. Rodríguez-Santiago with a PhD in Biological Oceanography, responding to the need of sound environmental education in Puerto Rico and all over the globe.
EXPERIENCES ARE AVAILABLE FOR ALL AGES AND GROUPS, Year-round!
If you haven't visited Puerto Rico, we invite you to visit our Island to learn and enjoy our natural resources.
Creating Conscience for the Future
At Taller Ecológico de Puerto Rico, we know what it takes to enhance environmental education. Our unique approach to learning and top quality faculty makes Taller Ecológico de Puerto Rico a life experience.
WORKSHOPS
Our focus is that the participants learn to have a scientific vision, of conservation of natural resources, and that in turn they go through fun experiences in natural environments.
WORKSHOP OFFERINGS
Workshops with a STEM, STEAM focus
And project-based learning.
Estimated between $20 – $40 per person
Costs vary depending on the type of workshop, materials, number of participants, and location.
Courses and workshops are coordinated according
to the interests or needs.
(Count for Green Contact hours)
ECOLOGICAL SUMMER OF PUERTO RICO
Ecological Summer is aimed at young people from 10 to 17 years old who want to know more about Marine Sciences, Oceanography, Coastal Erosion, Climate Change, Sargassum, Sahara Dust, Pollution, Water Quality, Micro-plastics, Recycling, Conservation; among other topics carried out in nature.
Stay tuned for more information. Ecological Summer 2023
WORKSHOP OFFERING
COASTAL EROSION
Citizens need to know and learn the importance of beaches and how to conserve them. This activity will allow groups to measure the width of a beach to learn how a beach can be monitored to determine if erosion or accretion is occurring. This knowledge will help understand the effects of human activities and climate change. It will help participants change attitudes and make responsible decisions regarding the coast.
MICROPLASTICS
This activity will allow groups to assess microplastic pollution on a beach, to understand and learn how to deal with plastic pollution. It will equip them with the necessary skills to understand and further spread the message of this issue. Garbage reduction strategies will be worked on.
NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY
A practical and unique photography workshop where they learn basic photography skills with a focus on nature.
MARINE ECOSYSTEMS
Participants will learn about the importance and relationship of mangroves, coral reefs, and sea grasses.
WATER QUALITY MONITORING
This activity will allow participants to understand the factors that are considered indicators of water quality. And how it can affect ecosystems and human beings. They will analyze the water quality of one of our beaches.
FORMATION OF WATER MASSES AND MARINE CURRENTS, DENSITY CONCEPT
Participants learn about the density of water, and how salt and temperature can change the density of water. The effects that changes in density and salinity can have on marine organisms are discussed. We demonstrate how masses and some ocean currents are formed by changes in salinity and temperature.
PROJECTS
Here we present the projects where Taller Ecológico de Puerto Rico participates
as co-investigators and/or collaborators.
OCEANOS
Co-investigators
OCEANOS' mission is to provide oceanography and STEM opportunities to the Hispanic/Latino community. Our program focuses on seniors and first generation college students in Puerto Rico interested in participating in a paid summer research experience.
To qualify you must be:
High School student in 11th or 12th grade at the time of application.
*Priority will be given to Public School applicants.
Those interested should fill out the form:
Personal information (name) and contact.
School to which he/she belongs and grade he/she is studying.
Submit essay
In 500 words or less, write a single essay that answers the following three questions:
Why are you interested in marine sciences?
Tell us about a challenging situation you have faced and how you resolved it.
Explain why you want to participate in our marine internship.
Answer simple questions referring to previous experiences
(volunteers, school clubs, science fair, teams, etc.)
The application period has ended for this year 2023.
Thank you for your interest. We look forward to seeing you next year 2024.
JOBOS BAY NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE (JBNERR)
Collaborators
The Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (JBNERR) belongs to the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS), which is dedicated to promoting research and education through experiences of direct contact with our estuaries. The Reserve Education program requires workshops to be given to teachers as part of the “Teachers on the Estuary (TOTE)” program.
The workshops are offered to teachers and educators as training and professional development tools where they are introduced to the NOAA/NERRS “Estuaries 101” curriculum and JBNERR
curricular activities.
ABOUT US
DR. ÁUREA E. RODRÍGUEZ SANTIAGO
Founder/Director of Taller Ecológico de Puerto Rico
Áurea E. Rodríguez Santiago went to public schools and got her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez (the State University), in Industrial Microbiology and Marine Sciences (MSMS and Ph.D.). During her graduate studies, and after, she has conducted work in the field of science education at different levels. Her beginnings in K-12 education occurred when she obtained a scholarship from the "National Science Foundation-Graduate Fellows in K-12 Education” (NSF-GFK-12) in which, she acquired skills in teacher’s education, focusing on science content. This project was followed by the NSF’s – Alliance for the Teaching of Science and Mathematics (ALACIMA, Spanish acronym), with the goal of enforcing teachers to bring constructivist science activities to their classrooms, with “hands-on" and project-based learning ("Project-based learning") approaches; she was part of ALACIMA’s team for 3 years. Afterward, she continued to work on teacher’s science education with various NSF projects, as well as for publishing houses and independent projects. At the university level, for the past 14 years, she has taught and has been a researcher at the University of PR in Río Piedras and Mayagüez, as well as at Hampton University, Virginia, and at Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, the latter is part of the University of Georgia, Athens. In 2017 she founded Taller Ecologico de Puerto Rico, an organization dedicated to Marine and Environmental Sciences Education, and Citizen Science. She also does private consulting on educational and scientific projects for agencies such as NOAA and Puerto Rico’s Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER). Currently, she has a special appointment as a researcher at the Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez.
ROSNEL ALLENDE MERCADO
Administrative assistant
During her undergraduate studies she obtained an associate degree in accounting. She then continued her studies at the University of Puerto Rico, Ponce Campus where she obtained her bachelor's degree in K-6 Education. After completing her studies, she worked for several years with Rocket Learning where she offered tutoring in public schools in the country. A few years ago she joined Taller Ecológico de Puerto Rico offering administrative services and assistance during the workshops.
RESOURCES
DR. ERNESTO OTERO
EFRAIN FIGUEROA
LUIS R. RODRÍGUEZ
ARTICLES-INTERVIEWS-NEWS
Most available only in Spanish
