On Saturday, April 22, 2017, scientists and citizens in Puerto Rico will join hundreds of thousands of people around the world to represent, celebrate and defend science. The March for Science-Puerto Rico, will begin at 11:00 AM, starting from Plaza Colon in Old San Juan, heading towards the Capitol. It will culminate in the Pavilion of Peace in Luis Muñoz Rivera Park, where it will join the Para la Naturaleza Fair, so that the public can enjoy exhibitions and scientific activities for all ages.

The March for Science-Puerto Rico will be one of more than 425 simultaneous events around the world in solidarity with the main march, to be held in Washington, D.C. The March for Science arises largely in response to the anti-scientific and anti-environmental proposals of the administration of the new president of the United States. It is no coincidence that this event will be held on "World Earth Day", a celebration that encourages the protection of the environment.

"Science is a pillar of human freedom and prosperity," said Dr. Heidi Morales Diaz, a scientist, and one of the organizers of the March for Science-Puerto Rico. "We come together as a diverse nonpartisan, and pacifist group to affirm that science defends the common good; to demand that science continues to be publicly funded and communicated; and to demand that our political and civic leaders promote evidence-based public policies for the public interest," she added.

The March for Science-Puerto Rico seeks to: 1) foster a scientific culture in Puerto Rico; 2) to enhance decision-making informed by scientific evidence, and by the local scientific community; and 3) foster a solid and sustainable science infrastructure that will ensure the social and economic prosperity of all Puerto Rican citizens.

"We call on all stakeholders—professionals and science enthusiasts, nature lovers, pro-environment organizations, students and citizens—to join us," said Jillian Hopgood, vice president of Earth Day Puerto Rico, and another of the organizers of the event. "We have the participation of Ciencia Puerto Rico (CienciaPR), Earth Day Puerto Rico, the Caribbean Division of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Para la Naturaleza, the American Chemical Society Chapter of Puerto Rico, and other scientific and student organizations. We invite you to march with us, because science belongs to us all. "

Those interested can register for the March through this link: http://bit.ly/MarchaporlaCienciaPR and can join the Facebook group March for Science - Puerto Rico (https://www.facebook.com/groups/marchforsciencepuertorico/) or write directly to info@marchaporlacienciapr.com for more information or to know how they can help.