La flora dominicana es una de las más ricas de todas las Antilles y se encuentra protegida por una parte importante. Aunque muchas de sus especies fueron explotadas industriamentosamente en el pasado, muchas ya están bajo amenaza de desaparicion, como la caobanilla, un árbol de tronco grueso y recto smbolo dramático, y el cotoperi, un tipo de limón que crece cerca de la romana. The Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources’ Secretariat of Environmental Protection has a variety of programs that promote preservation of the nation’s biodiversity, including its endemic plants. The country is also home to the rare Rosa de Bayahibe, a plant that only exists in the Dominican Republic and was declared a national flower of the country in 2011.
The flora dominicana has long been an integral part of the nation’s cultural identity and the foundation for its political and military independence. Historians recognize the contributions of patriotic men like Juan Pablo Duarte, dubbed “father of the Dominican nation,” as well as the efforts made by his sister Rosa Duarte, a founder of the Trinitaria movement that helped bring about the independence of the island from Haitian rule in 1844. But for decades, scholars had not looked further into the role of women in Dominican history.
But that is changing. The CUNY Dominican Studies Institute has begun a series of events at Hostos that explore the work of women in the struggle for independence. These scholars call on students to conduct more research into the lives of Dominican women who have been largely ignored by the nation’s historiography, such as Rosa Amalia Pilarte.
A native of La Repblica Dominicana, she was raised in an agriculture family that harvested primarily sugar cane and coffee, and worked dairy farming. She is a graduate of The SUNY College at Oswego with a Bachelors in Management and a Masters in Business Administration, as well as being certified as a National Farmworker Job Program Workforce Professional and as a Goal Wizard Leadership Development Specialist.
To learn more about Rosas dominicana, check out the video below featuring a reenactment of the creation of the national flower of the Dominican Republic. It is the first of several videos the ministry will be releasing as part of a multimedia campaign that includes radio, television and social media to encourage the public to support the nation’s natural heritage. The campaign also includes a website with additional information, tips on how to protect the plants and how to care for them. The site includes a list of conservationists who are involved in the project, as well as other organizations that offer support for Dominican biodiversity and its ecosystems. The campaign is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Science Foundation. Rosas dominicana