NRCS Caribbean Area Celebrates Our Earth Team volunteers
In celebration of National Volunteer Week, NRCS Caribbean Area held an awards ceremony to honor our FY 2016 Earth Team volunteers on Friday, April 15th at the Mayagüez Field Office. The sixteen (16) Earth Team Volunteers providing valuable assistance to our field offices (FO) this year are: Teddy Moreno Santos (Corozal FO); Marangie Berrios and Génesis Tua (Mayagüez MLRA, Soils, ECS office); Yanira Miranda, Joseen Torres, Paola Parilla, José Zamora, Rosario Zamora and José Domínguez (Mayagüez FO); Liz Marie García and Nelson Vázquez (San Juan State Office); William Lorenzo-Durán, Rubén J. Hernández-García, Elmer Acevedo-Adames and Elvin Lassalle-Loperena (San Sebastián FO); and Luis Ruiz (Utuado FO).
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| NRCS Caribbean Area Earth Team Volunteers (left to right): Rubén J. Hernández, PhD; José Domínguez; Luis Ruiz; Elmer Acevedo; Elvin Lassalle; William Durán; Yanira Miranda; Génesis Tua; Josean Torres; José Zamora, UPR Professor; and Rosario Zamora. |
Marangie Berríos, Yanira Miranda and Génesis Tua– who contributed the most volunteer hours (210, 206 and 180 hours, respectively) so far this fiscal year – were also recognized for their significant contributions. District Conservationists, Zulma García (Mayagüez) and Elizabeth Fred (San Sebastián), received special recognition for having the most volunteers per field office this fiscal year.
Each volunteer received an Earth Team certificate, a recognition letter from NRCS Caribbean Area Director, Edwin Almodóvar, and Earth Team Program promotional items from Earth Team Coordinator and Hydrology Engineer, Hilton Miró-Detrés, and Assistant State Conservationist for Operations, Fernando Arroyo. Please join us in thanking our volunteers for their efforts in Helping People Help the Land in the Caribbean Area!
Earth Team volunteer awards. Top (left to right): Hilton Miró, Fernando Arroyo & Mario Rodríguez present most hours contributed award to Génesis Tua; Center: Hilton Miró and Fernando Arroyo recognize DC Elizabeth Fred (center); Bottom: Hilton Miró, Fernando Arroyo and Zulma García recognize Rosario Zamora while Elizabeth Fred and Mario Rodríguez watch.
Earth Team is the agency’s volunteer workforce. So far this year, our Earth Team volunteers in 5 NRCS offices in Puerto Rico have donated 1,017 hours of service valued at over $23,400 to assist NRCS in conserving soil, water, air, plants, animals and energy[1].
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| Earth Team Volunteer, Génesis Tua, compiles soil health information folders for upcoming workshops - May 2016. |
“Volunteers work closely with our staff, and they play an important role in our conservation work in the Caribbean Area,” said NRCS Caribbean Area Director, Edwin Almodóvar.
Earth Team is a program that partners volunteers with NRCS employees. It was created in 1985 and offers many opportunities to individuals 14 and older who are interested in volunteering to improve the nation’s natural resources. Earth Team volunteers help NRCS conservationists provide private landowners and others a range of services from conservation technical assistance to teaching and generating awareness about conservation through community projects.
Earth Team Volunteers allow NRCS to stretch available resources and help put additional conservation practices on the ground. Volunteer efforts help improve land and wildlife habitat and contribute to cleaner water and air for everyone.
Learn more about the Earth Team Volunteer Program online at www.nrcs.usda.gov/earthteam or by calling (toll-free) 888-526-3227. For more information on volunteering with NRCS in the Caribbean Area visit our Volunteers page.
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| 2016 Earth Team volunteer awards. Left: Hilton Miró, Fernando Arroyo & Mario Rodríguez present most hours contributed award to Earth Team volunteer, Génesis Tua; Center: Hilton Miró and Fernando Arroyo recognize San Sebastián DC, Elizabeth Fred (center); Right: Hilton Miró, Fernando Arroyo and Zulma García recognize Earth Team volunteer, Rosario Zamora, while Elizabeth Fred and Mario Rodríguez watch. |
[1] Note: The Value of Volunteer Time to the Agency is $23.07/hour as established by the Independent Sector and utilized by the Federal Interagency Team for Volunteerism.
