Introduction
On this page you will find key information about the Estuary's Resilient Centers: Puente Blanco Community Center, Caimito Cultural Center, and La Goyco Community Workshop. They are participating in the development of the Estuary's watershed mitigation plan.
Estuary Nursery
Community Coastal Resilience Project
Vivero Estuario is a collaboration between the San Juan Bay Estuary Program and the Ricky Martin Foundation's TAU Center to strengthen the resilience of our coastal ecosystems and communities. In this space, we educate communities about planting and caring for plants that they will then use to restore our sand dunes, mangroves, and other coastal ecosystems.
Caring for our coastal ecosystems allows them to provide us with a rich variety of ecosystem services. These services include filtering and keeping water clean and protecting us from the impacts of coastal erosion, storm surges, and other natural hazards that threaten life and property in our communities. Healthy ecosystems, safe communities.
$40,000 investment supported by EPA grant CE99206925.
Puente Blanco Community Center
The Resilient Center in Cataño is located north of the Estuary watershed, in the Puente Blanco Community Center, adjacent to the Las Cucharillas Marsh. Its resilience is based on its ability to continue operating during power outages, thanks to the installation of a solar power generation system and energy storage batteries by the Estuary Program. The Resilient Center is equipped with materials for emergency management, awareness campaigns, and citizen empowerment for emergency response, all for the benefit of the community. The Center also offers laundry facilities and a community kitchen with a refrigerator for storing residents' food and medications.
“From the first approach, the Estuary has been a model of good procedures for community development and has shown unconditional support when our community has needed it.”
Caimito Cultural Center
The Caimito Resilient Center is located in the southern part of the Estuary watershed, where the Piedras River originates. It provides a space for area residents to manage emergencies, receive social welfare support, and participate in water quality assessments of the Estuary system. Its resilience lies in its ability to continue operating even without electricity, thanks to the Estuary program's installation of a solar power generation system and energy storage batteries. The Center also offers laundry facilities and a community kitchen. Residents can refrigerate their medications at the Center, and educational workshops are offered.
The Caimito Cultural Center began in 1990 when the community met in a community assembly. Led by Sister Teresa Géigel, they decided to create a center that would strengthen the identity of the neighborhood and of Puerto Rican people. Initially, they met at the Sor Isolina Ferré Center. In 1991, after their first assembly, the Department of Recreation and Sports transferred ownership of their current headquarters, located in the heart of Caimito. Estuario and the Caimito Cultural Center reached a collaborative agreement in 2018, following an unexpected alliance formed as a result of Hurricane Maria in 2017.
La Goyco Community Workshop
The La Goyco Resilient Center is located on Loíza Street, in the former Pedro G. Goyco School. The center's resilience is based on its ability to continue operating during power outages, thanks to the installation of a solar panel system, a community kitchen, laundry facilities, emergency response equipment, and materials for raising awareness and empowering citizens to respond to emergencies for the benefit of the community. In addition, the center offers workshops, tours, and support for the community's cultural, creative, and environmental activities.
“…the space serves as a meeting place, workshops and a starting point for efforts that seek to improve the quality of life in the neighborhood, including core issues such as garbage collection and sewer problems.”
