Student
Tiana Ayers
Winter 2025
4 Credits
Landscapes of Memory: Exploring the Intersections of Heritage, Ecology, and Conservation in Puerto Rico and Jamaica
Field Supervisor
Field supervisor: Rodjé Malcolm
Title: Director
Organization: One Regeneration
Subcontractor
Name: Sarah Williams
Title: Faculty
Organization: The Evergreen State College
Project Description
This project explores the intersections of cultural memory, history, ecology, and conservation through heritage sites in Puerto Rico and Jamaica. By visiting locations such as Old San Juan, Caguana Ceremonial Indigenous Heritage Center, El Yunque National Rainforest, and Seville Heritage Park, I will investigate how these sites function as repositories of cultural memory and how their historical and ecological significance are intertwined. Through bibliographic research and field observations, I will document my findings in an ArcGIS StoryMap, incorporating photographs, textual summaries, and reflections. Additionally, I will compile an annotated bibliography of scholarly works that examine the relationships between history, ecology, and identity in the Caribbean. By synthesizing these insights, my research will contribute to a deeper understanding of how heritage conservation can honor both cultural narratives and ecological sustainability.
Faculty gave feedback to add my individual identity and reasons for study to this narrative.
| Learning objective | Activity | Deliverable |
| How do heritage sites in Puerto Rico and Jamaica serve as repositories of cultural memory, reflecting the entanglement of history, ecology, and identity, and how can these insights inform approaches to conservation that honor both cultural narratives and ecological sustainability? | I will travel to field sites in Puerto Rico and Jamaica, conduct bibliographic research, and create an ArcGIS StoryMap which documents my learning and experiences. | My ArcGIS StoryMap will be presented during week 10 to faculty and peers, then shared with my Jamaican collaborators and family in Puerto Rico. |
| Who else has explored the intersection of history, ecology, and identity in the Caribbean? | I will research and create 1-2 sentence annotations about publications of others’ work which explore this intersection. | I will create a bibliography on this WordPress ePortfolio of at least 5 resources authored by those who share my interest, including my 1-2 sentence annotation about each resource. |
| What locations in Puerto Rico and Jamaica serve as repositories of cultural memory? | In Puerto Rico, I plan on visiting several heritage sites, such as Old San Juan, Arecibo Observatory, Caguana Ceremonial Indigenous Heritage Center, Mangrove preserves, a Bioluminescent bay, Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, and a petroglyph site in El Yunque National Rainforest. In Jamaica, I plan on visiting Seville Heritage Park and integrating the larger-program’s field sites into my research. | I will create an ArcGIS StoryMap which showcases my learning while documenting the locations I traveled with photographs and textual summaries and reflections. |
Evaluation of Work
- ArcGIS StoryMap
- WordPress ePortfolio
- Final week ten presentation
- Narrative evaluations from field supervisor and/or subcontractor
- Narrative mid-quarter and final self-evaluations