I am Héctor Varela. My love for the environment, the coast, the beach, and the mangroves is intrinsic. Puerto Rico is a beautiful island, and I’m so grateful to call this perfect climate home, but our communities need protection.

I have been involved in environmental advocacy and coastal preservation here for over twenty years. My interest started in college, as a curious surfer, and I realized that I needed to work to preserve the natural landscape, but I couldn’t do it alone.

I believe that by passing on the skills to the next generation through our mangrove planting workshops, we’re not just teaching people how to protect our local community from inclement weather, but we’re reconnecting them with nature.