Puerto Rico -- Much more than just great beaches!

San Juan’s Old Town with its history and shopping

Central Plaza in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico’s second city. Mayaguez is located on the west coast near the place where Columbus landed on

his second voyage. The statue is Columbus.

The Spanish built forts to defend their commerce in the New World. They greatly influenced Puerto Rico’s unique culture.

Away from the coastal cities, however, Puerto Rico is rural with an incredibly diverse agriculture and wealth of natural resources.

Many farms are small, rocky and hilly.

Agricultural zones include the north coast which gets lots of rain, the central mountains where coffee, citrus and bananas are grown, and the

dry south coast.

Since it is a small island with good roads, student groups can see much of the island during spring break.

Pineapple fields on the north coast are very productive.

The taste of fresh pineapple, just harvested, is unmatched.

Sugar cane is also grown on the north coast. . . .

. . . . as well as many other fruits and vegetables – some familiar and some not so familiar.

Yautilla is a root crop which is grown and eaten like potatoes.

Family dairy farms provide grade A milk. This operation is owned . . . .

. . . . by this family – three generations.

Coffee is from in the central highlands.

On the south coast, drip irrigation is needed to produce vegetables for

export to the mainland and other markets.

Greenhouses produce flowers that are also marketed along the east coast of the continental U.S.

Fresh water fish are grown in farm ponds.

Harvesting tilapia.

Past university groups have learned problem solving techniques by working on real problems. Here two students who speak Spanish

interview a “limited resource” farmer . . . .

. . . . while other students interview Puerto Rican USDA representatives of Cooperative Extension and the Soil Conservation Service . . . .

. . . to develop ideas that will help the small farmer.

Puerto Ricans respect the “small” farmers and have erected a statue to commemorate them and their contributions to Puerto Rico.

The natural resources of Puerto Rico include unique wildlife like this manatee that was rescued by the University of Puerto Rico’s marine

sciences personnel when its mother was killed by a powerboat.

Snorkeling is one of the best ways to observe marine life including fish, coral reefs . . . .

. . . and mangrove islands.

The reward for the hard work and intensive study is to spend some time exploring beautiful and relaxing beaches like this . . . .

. . . . or this.