I have always been interested in learning about environmental problems and how to do my part in helping them. However, I was unaware of the true devastation of deforestation in places like Puerto Rico until I visited last spring. A part of my school’s curriculum is Interim, which is an opportunity for every student to get off campus and learn in a hands-on way. My junior year, I went to Puerto Rico to learn about deforestation. I went knowing very little of the impact deforestation has on tropical ecosystems; however, I was soon immersed in the jungle- living in tents, going to the bathroom in a humanure toilet, and volunteering every day by building path and planting trees. The area that I visited had been deforested in the 1960s. However,
