Santo Domingo, 16 February 2023 (TDI): Maria Perez, a Dominican author and teacher with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United States (US) Forest Service, authored three books to raise awareness about environmental issues in three provinces in the Dominican Republic.
Maria’s father remained the inspiration behind her award-winning book “Ernesto Visita”. She also highlighted the beauty of the Dominican Republic’s natural environment in her books, and she won an award for that.
She shared the environmental challenges in the Pedernales, Dajabón, and Santiago Rodríguez provinces, in her stories. she shared the environmental challenges in books that were launched in November 2022.
“I noticed people who live in these provinces face difficulties with deforestation. I have seen some rivers that are dry because of it,” says Maria.
Maria learned about the environmental challenges i.e., deforestation and pollution of the Dominican Republic through extensive traveling.
“Growing up, I realized our country needed to develop its national identity and love for protecting the environment through quality education,” she shared.
She has over 20 years of experience in education and several years as an eco-educator, Maria began writing stories highlighting what she saw during her travels.
Her books are available at local Dominican stores and on Amazon, she sold over 30,000 books, raising awareness of environmental issues among more than 120,000 Dominican children.
“In the Northwest region, there are many important protected areas that help generate oxygen and other natural resources necessary to survive.
You can also find microclimates and biodiversity where most of the species living there are endemic to those places,” María explained.
Her books represent a simple and comprehensive overview of care and sustainable tourism, along with knowledge about distinct communities.
USAID and US Forest Service
USAID and the US Forest Service believed in fostering a sense of environmental responsibility for future generations.
It is also working in the Dominican Republic to prevent and reduce global environmental threats, like reducing the flow of plastic pollution flowing into the ocean.
Likewise, it creates awareness about the importance of protecting natural resources and highlighting the rich biodiversity the Dominican landscape has to offer, through Maria’s work.
