Fast forward to 2002. I returned from my economic exile in the USA with a certificate in Commercial Horticulture Landscape Management, with the naive idea of having a landscape maintenance business. Then, not knowing any better, I followed trends that shortly afterwards, after some thought and practice, found absolutely useless. I sinned, paid my dues.
The intention of working for myself was not going anywhere. My poor people skills, non traditional landscaping views and direct use of language did not help. I decided to try other venues that somehow opened my eyes in terms of practice/theory regarding wide concepts of agriculture, horticulture, landscape installations and maintenance principles learned/practiced in the New York Botanical versus dominant backwards/primitive views/custom/use, still around, with a total lack of aesthetics, composition in every garden installation all over Puerto Rico in residential, commercial, public or private contexts.
I landed in the Luis Munhoz Marin Foundation, a plantation like run cave of useless thieves and a parasite tumor, Parque Donha Ines. The PDI was ran by a Cuban phd and Mexican who had no bleeping idea of what forestry, propagation, landscape installation/maintenance is, or necessary criteria/credentials, theory or practice, to be in charge of such a project. The phd ordered the tractor operator to destroy all the standing vegetation in 12 acres of land without any inventory of flora and fauna or soil analysis since the Mexican wife had no valid credentials to practice agronomy in Puerto Rico.
Check under those names in this blog to get the full view. After all, that sour experience among the biggest jerks, foreigners and natives alike, with elephantine egos in egg shells, only interested in advancing their bank accounts and stalling careers, motivated your humble servant to become the juan and only in the Caribbean dealing with every other pertinent issue to flora/fauna/environmental spectrum, at least in my imagination.
This post resumes a decade, a life watching with a critical view the result of stupidity, arrogance, ignorance, sweeping under the carpet.
The experience left me rather inflexible, only willing to debate if the other shows criteria. I am not in a competition feisbuk like to make friends or disciples.
During this voyage, I have discovered other people with opened minds, fingers of one hand, with similar views, here and there, with whom I have shared horticulture, flora, fauna, and other issues discussed openly, offending more than one without any malice.
EDITORS NOTE
These pictures, depending on your background will tell a lot, a little or nothing about the reality, the present, past and future of landscape, vegetation and Nature in Puerto Rico. These 3 residences are not own by some illiterate peasant, except the one on top, with the qualities and virtues expected from that social background, lawyer and architect own the first two.
The total destruction was not noticed by anyjuan, is pretty much an itch, an urge to obliterate standing vegetation with some sadistic pleasure if you ask me. This senseless attitude towards nature, flora and fauna is not different from the one displayed towards animals of companion or pets if you prefer.
Keep one thing in perspective, vegetation reduces heat, noise, blare, dust, increases humidity, lowering temperatures, particularly in a concrete asphalt context as ours. It provides food, shelter, to insects, birds and reptiles. Only imbeciles of the worst kind will do this over and over. I have witnessed it since my adolescence..
That is that.
Search for further old news
regarding these two:
Parque Donha Ines
Plantation Luis Munhoz Marin
http://endemismotrasnochado.
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