More than 100 students from private and public schools throughout Puerto Rico participated in the first Chemistry Student Congress at the University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras campus.  The activity was organized by the campus' American Chemical Society (ACS) chapter and the ACS Chem clubs at the high school level.  The activity included workshops, discussions and a plenary session with Dr. Luis Echegoyen from the University of Texas.  

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Please refer to the Spanish version for the full text.  

Governor Alejandro García Padilla signed into law the project that makes the Ecologic Corridor of the Northeast into a natural reserve.  Additionally, the measure declares that all private land along the corridor is of public interest and orders the Department of Natural Resources to acquire those lands.  The signing of the law was made during the Festival del Tinglar in Luquillo.  The law protects approximately 3000 acres of high ecological value and of importance for the protection and conservation of natural resources. 

The Tanamá Butterfly Sanctuary was inaugurated this Saturday at the University of Puerto Rico in Utuado.  As part of the event, a commemorative stamp from the US Postal Service was unveiled.   Various butterfly species have already been grown in the sanctuary.  Butteflies are an important indicator of the health of the ecosystem.  As such, different species of butterflies will be studied, specially the endemic ones, and will be released later into their natural ecosystem on the Tanamá River.

Monsanto, Caribbean branch, , the largest seed company in the world has been chosen as part of the inductees to the Hall of Fame of Puerto Rican Agriculture.  Other than Monsanto, other inductees included José B. Ramírez Acosta, Frederick “Freddy” Calaf, agronomist José Vicente Usera, agronomist Pedro J. Vivoni Alcaraz and the firm Gargiulo de Puerto Rico. Vivoni Alcaraz defended Monsanto's selection citing the 7,000 jobs it generates in the island, without local financing, and the 15,000 hotel rooms per year used by their visitors and executives.