Sustainable Landscaping in the Dominican Republic!

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Joy Noviello, Saul Abreu & Alexander Blumberg (APEDI), and Rafael Marte (F2F Field Officer)
First-time F2F volunteer, Joy Noviello, was recently sent on an exciting assignment on landscaping for sustainability and beautification of a central park in the Dominican Republic. Joy’s landscape design expertise came in handy as she extensively surveyed the park and gave many recommendations of specific plant species that will not only visually enhance the public spaces but also facilitate soil erosion protection and water absorption rates.
The Association for Development (APEDI) is dedicated to investing in infrastructure and landscape enhancements within the central park to improve the usage and enjoyment among community memebers. APEDI is a non-profit organization that currently consists of 70 members, most of whom are businessman and entrepreneurs that have big roles in the Dominican Republic. The Association focuses on developing ideas and initiatives into programs and projects that will eventually become self-sustaining. APEDI has been working on the development of a central park for the last 10 years in the city of Santiago that will serve as an open and green space for its citizens. The location of the park, which previously held the city’s airport, is now completely reforested. 
Joy and staff members developed a plan of action to continue developing the park by using the guiding methodologies of sustainable gardening, landscaping and urban forestry.  Joy enthusiastically dove into the work as she kept her focus predominantly on both native and flowering plants to optimize the natural terrain and improve the potential of the local area. Joy stresses native planting as a way of balancing the ecosystem.  She also recommended a variety of different flowers and plants with vibrant colors to accentuate the space and properly welcome visitors. Now, APEDI staff will implement recommendations to further advance the development of the park and serve as a model for sustainable urban forestry in the city of Santiago.


Current state of the park

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