Pepe Uca's Treasure

Page 1

Delmis del C. Alicea Segarra Jorge I. Casillas Maldonado

Ilustrated by: Daniel Irizarri Oquendo

English translation: Wilmarie Cruz Franceschi

Credits

© 2021

Authors

Delmis del C. Alicea Segarra, EdD, Jorge Casillas Maldonado, MS

Collaborators

Ruperto Chaparro, MA, Cris na D. Olán Mar nez, MS, Migdalia Figueroa, BS, Ivonne Bejarano, PhD, Yarleen Irizarry, BS, Johanna Guzmán, BSE y Carmen Zayas San ago, MS

Edi on Delmis del C. Alicea Segarra, EdD, Jorge Casillas Maldonado, MS, Ruperto Chaparro Serrano, MA, Cris na D. Olán Mar nez, MA

English transla on Wilmarie Cruz Franceschi, MA

English edi ng

Lynne M. Hinkey, PhD

Ilustra on Daniel Irizarri Oquendo, BA

Graphic design and layout

Daniel Irrizari Oquendo

Prin ng

Raúl Omar Or z Arroyo, MAG, Delmis del C. Alicea Segarra, EdD

Publishing number UPRSG-E-299

ISBN: 978-1-881719-80-9

Table of content Pepe Uca’s Story .................................................................................7 Maze to find Pepe and Lulo’s Home .................................................22 Ac vity: Write a story .......................................................................23 Characters profiles............................................................................24 Profiles references ............................................................................26 Puppets/Masks - supplement

Itwas a bright, sunny day. There was a slight breeze, and the waves moved back and forth gently. Life in the mangrove forest was enviously peaceful. Everybody went about their usual daily routines: the pelicans and the frigate birds scouted for sardines and herrings; the yellow warblers, butterflies and bees darted among the flowers; tiny fish searched for food and hid among the red mangrove’s roots to hide from bigger fish like tarpons and barracudas.

The younglings played and Pepe Uca, a young fiddler crab, walked around the wetland, thinking about his life up until that moment. He’d lived his entire life there with his family, among the mangroves, with the birds and the fish. He had plenty of food, a beautiful home, and friends who offered support and affection.

It was a perfect life. And yet, ever since he was little, he had always wondered about life beyond the mangrove forest.

He always asked himself about other places, of what life would be like elsewhere. He felt an inexplicable anxiety and he felt as if something was missing. He needed to feel excitement, have adventures, and live through different experiences that would allow him to discover the world.

That day, while observing the sea, he made his decision.

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He spent the rest of the day planning his journey, imagining all the things he would see. At dusk, when everyone else was off resting, Pepe gathered enough food for several days and marched off. He left his mangrove forest, left the familiar salt flats of La Parguera, and began his travels across the southern coast of Puerto Rico. He felt nostalgia as he left everything behind, but he was excited because he would discover new places. The days went by and Pepe marveled at all the things he saw: tall palm trees, huge mountains, the blue sky, an ever-changing sea, and plants and animals he’d never seen before.

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—“I’m leaving!” —he firmly said to himself: —“I’ll explore other places and find my destiny.”

In the distance, he could see something that resembled a mangrove forest. However, he would have to cross something to reach it - a flat area with a hard, rough and hot surface.

Several huge, noisy objects went along this surface, moving at great speeds. They scared him, but they could not dampen his adventurous spirit. So he decided to cross as quickly as he could.

He was so scared when those great objects went past him! Nervous and shaking all over, he managed to get to the other side. He stopped for a moment to catch his breath and gather his strength. But while he was resting, he heard footsteps, and a shy voice that said:

“How could you cross that dangerous street, all full of cars? Did you look both ways before you did that?”

Wondering who spoke, Pepe looked around. He was surprised to see a fiddler crab, just like him, who had a scared look on his face.

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“Who are you?” asked Pepe.

“My name’s Lulo, and I want to welcome you to my community, the Guayama mangrove forest! I saw you crossing the street! Are you crazy? I tried to cross it a while ago, and I almost got run over. I am so scared, I never even leave this place anymore.”

Pepe gave him an astonished look and said:

“Why wouldn’t you ever try to leave? What a coward! You just need to be careful. You know what? You should come with me. It’s always good to share experiences with a friend.”

Lulo thought for a while, and decided that it’s not every day that one meets a bold and fun character like Pepe, and he decided to accompany Pepe on his trip.

Thus, Pepe and Lulo became traveling companions. They crossed several mangrove forests and, when moving across Las Cabezas de San Juan, in Fajardo, Lulo saw a dog approaching them quickly and yelled:

“Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!”

“What’s wrong? Where’s your Mommy?”

Pepe shouted.

“No, it’s that dog! It’s coming straight for us! It wants to eat us!” Lulo replied.

“Quick! Let’s hide between the mangrove roots! Come on!” Pepe exclaimed.

Once the danger was past, they resumed their journey, crossing the towns of Luquillo, Río Grande, Canóvanas and Carolina.

They attempted to cross the tarmac in the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport and, just when they were right in the middle of it, they felt a loud roar that stunned them.

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It was a departing plane, and it made so much noise and wind that it pushed the fiddler crabs over to the Isla Verde Beach.

There was a festival going on, and there were so many people dancing to the music that Pepe and Lulo nearly got stepped on. They hid under a trashcan, and had to wait until nightfall to resume their journey.

Then, they reached the San Juan Bay Estuary. They were astonished at how big the estuary was.

“WOOOW! Look at all those buildings, boats, cars and noise in this place! I’ve never seen anything like it!” Pepe exclaimed.

“And did you see how many tourists are visiting?” Lulo asked.

“I heard someone say that there used to be a lot more trees, right where those hotels are now,”

he added, in a thoughtful tone of voice.

They were tired, and felt lost. Suddenly, they heard someone offering directions in a voice tinged with a foreign accent. It was a travelling iguana, with cool sunglasses and everything. The iguana had been observing the fiddler crabs and thought:

“Even though I usually eat plants, today, I’m in the mood for crab! I’ll lure them out of the mangrove, so they have nowhere to hide. Buahahahahaha!”

“Hey, come here! Are you guys lost? I, the Travelling Iguana, am here to help. I know you need to get to a mangrove forest so you can rest, so I’m going to tell you how to get there. You have to keep going west, towards the sunset. That’s how you get to where you’re going.”

The crabs took the iguana’s advice and continued their travels. The iguana kept an eye on them, following them.

They were already near the northwest corner of the island, having traversed nearly all of Puerto Rico. They were tired and hungry, and needed a safe place to rest. They looked and looked, but could not find an adequate place with food and shelter. They couldn’t find any mangrove forests. Lulo began to cry, feeling sad and desperate.

“Settle down! Help me figure out what to do!”

Pepe exclaimed.

Lulo felt someone watching them, and his little legs trembled. Suddenly, something jumped on them, making them run in panic. It was the iguana, who decided it was dinnertime. While running away, the fiddler crabs reached the beach, but could not find anywhere to hide.

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A huge wave crashed over them and dragged them out to sea!

Lulo screamed: “Help! Help me! Mommyyyyyy!”

Meanwhile Pepe, exhausted, tried to fight the current but it was so much stronger than him.

Then, he remembered his family and his home. There, he had shelter, food, and the waters were peaceful.

Now, he was in an unfamiliar place, there wasn’t any of the mangrove’s comforting shade, and to top it all off, the sea current was taking him out to deep waters,

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along with a friend who would not stop shouting.

Just as they were losing hope, they felt something pull them out of the water.

It was Mulato, a ghost crab who had seen the fiddler crabs out on the beach.

“What are you two doing so far from home?” he asked.

“I have seen other crabs like you, and they weren’t so lucky.”

The adventurers replied, “We left our mangrove forests hoping to find new and better

places to live. However, all we found was the opposite of that!”

Then, Mulato, who was a very wise old crab, told them:

“You have to get back home. There, you have everything you need to have a healthy life. This place doesn’t have the appropriate conditions for crabs like you. The waves here are too strong and won’t let mangrove forests develop. However, not all of it was bad. You managed to find one of life’s most precious gifts:

… friendship.”

A brown booby swooped past. This is a common bird along Puerto Rico’s coasts. Mulato called the booby over.

The Booby got near, and Lulo got scared, but she asked him to calm down and not be afraid.

Mulato asked the Booby if she would help his new friends and take them back to their mangrove homes. The fiddler crabs climbed onto the Booby and said goodbye to Mulato. They were happy, since they were alive and well, and headed towards their most precious treasure

… their home.

The End

Name: ____________________________

University of Puerto Rico

Mayagüez Campus

Sea Grant Program

Mangroves

Date: ____________________________

Professor: _________________________ Grade-Group: ______________________

Instructions: Carefully observe the following labyrinth and help Boba find Pepe and Lulo’s home. Draw a line through the . Then, write a short story describing their voyage as they return home by crossing western Puerto Rico.

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Boba, Pepe and Lulo’s Journey Back Home Across Western Puerto Rico

Use the space provided to write a short story describing Boba, Pepe and Lulo’s journey back home across western of Puerto Rico. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

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Characters profiles

Hey there, adventurers! I’m Pepe, a fiddler crab. My scientific name is Uca rapax. I’m very commonly seen living in the mangrove forests around Puerto Rico. I have two pincers (claws), and the males of my species have a claw considerably larger than the other. That’s why we’re called fiddler crabs. This big claw can make up to 65% of my body weight. Wow! We are good indicators about the mangrove forest’s health, since we’re sensitive to pollutants and insecticides. The less pollution found on a beach, the likelier chance you’ll see me. We also reclaim nutrients in our ecosystem. You can help us out a bit and recycle garbage at your home. I might be small, but I am important!

Hello there! Mommyyyy! I’m Lulo, and I’m also a fiddler crab. However, my species name is a bit different: Uca burgersi. I always get scared by new things, but I always try to make the attempt. My coloring’s redder than Pepe’s, and I’m a it less common in Puerto Rican mangrove forests. However, much like Pepe, the males in my species have a claw that is larger than the other. With all the tunnels we make to build our homes, we help air get to the mangrove tree roots. This helps the trees grow healthier and happier.

How are you all doing? I’m the traveling iguana, and my scientific name is Iguana iguana. Although I usually live in areas similar to Puerto Rico, I recently arrived at the island and I’m still adapting. I love to live in trees, since I need the sun’s heat to warm me up. I’m an excellent swimmer. I can get as bit as 6 feet long, and weigh 16 pounds! My skin color changes according to my mood, health and temperature. I usually only eat fruits and vegetables, but a small crab or other small animals are a tempting treat. If another creature wants to eat me, I can get rid of my tail to make a distraction. I’ll grow another tail in time!

Hello, boys and girls. It is an absolute pleasure to meet you. I am a ghost crab and my scientific name is Ocypode quadrata. I’m a distant relative of Pepe’s and Lulo’s. I can survive without food for a long time and I live in tunnels in the beach that can reach 4 feet in depth. I’m a nocturnal animal, but if I must go out during the day, I can change my shell’s color to mimic the color of sand. As I grow older, I’ll build my home further from the sea. Always remember to follow safety rules when you visit the beach!

Greetings! I’m Boba, and my scientific name is Sula leucogaster. I’m commonly found along Puerto Rico’s coasts, as well as tropical areas around the world. I make my nests on rocky cays throughout the Caribbean. I only live in areas near the sea, since my favorite food is small fish and squid. Whenever I see something I’d like to eat, I can dive down to 6 feet to get it. I can live up to 27 years, too. While I fly, I like to see the beautiful coasts in Puerto Rico.

Profiles references

Birdlife International 2018-2. (2019, 02, 13). Sula leucogaster. Consulted and retrieved from IUCN 2018-2. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2018-2. https://www. iucnredlist.org/species/22696698/132590197

Gingell, F. (2019, 02, 13). Iguana iguana. Consulted on Animal Diversity Web. https:// animaldiversity.org/accounts/iguana_iguana/

Knott, D. (2019, 02, 13). Atlantic ghost crab. Consulted on the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. http://www.dnr.sc.gov/cwcs/pdf/Ghostcrab.pdf

Rosenberg, M. S. (2019, 02, 13). Fiddler crabs. Consulted on Fiddler Crabs. http://www. fiddlercrab.info/

Wenner, E. (2019, 02, 13). Fiddler crabs. Consulted on the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. http://www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/mrri/acechar/speciesgallery/ Invertebrates/FiddlerCrab/index.html

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ISBN 9781881719809

719809 781881 9

UPRSG-E-299

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