"Vegetation growth over the years has significantly changed the panoramic views once available from the top."
That line comes from the June 10, 2026 progress report Gabriel Espasas Schwab, president of the PHA Forest Board, posted on GlobalGiving. It is about the 40-foot wooden observation tower at the entrance to the Pterocarpus Forest. The forest's visit page still invites people to climb it for "a spectacular view from its platform." According to the board, the trees have since grown into that view. What the trees did to the tower, and what the board has spent on instead, says a lot about how to use this forest in Palmas del Mar today. More and more, the place is meant to be seen from the boardwalk, close to the roots.
A tower that lost its view to the canopy
The forest's own project page describes the preserve as a 51-acre swamp forest that stays flooded with fresh water year-round. It is dominated by Pterocarpus officinalis, known locally as palo de pollo for its distinctive aerial roots. The same page calls it one of Puerto Rico's largest remaining examples of this rare habitat. The point of the place is to let that canopy grow without interference, and over the years that growth has changed what the tower's platform can see.
The tower's status changed between two reports this year. On April 8, the board wrote that it was seeking new bids to repair the tower. It said "the skyrocketing cost of construction materials and a shortage of qualified, available contractors able to deliver within our budget are delaying progress." By June 10, the board no longer described it as a repair job. It said the tower's future "is being carefully evaluated," and that "rising repair costs and ecological considerations have prompted thoughtful discussion about how best to steward this feature while remaining faithful to the Forest's conservation mission."
The board has published no decision since then. Its next report, dated August 13, covers education programs and does not mention the tower. For now, the tower remains, in the board's words, "a familiar landmark." The board is weighing what a 40-foot lookout is worth now that the vegetation around it has changed its views.
Where the 2026 work went instead
While the tower waited, the repair work went into the boardwalk. The June report says that during the first months of 2026, "almost the entire elevated boardwalk became accessible once again following extensive repairs and cleaning." It also lists work on sections of the walkway and at the gazebo and visitor gathering area. The photo at the top of that report is captioned "The repaired, cleaned and painted elevated walkway."
The boardwalk runs three-quarters of a mile, or 1.2 kilometers, through the forest, with 18 marked points of interest along the way. Over the winter and spring, more than 30 new interpretive signs went up along the walkway and around the pond. The April report describes them as laminated acrylic panels, 6 by 12 inches, and the June report says many of the old signs had worn out in years of sun and rain or been hit by falling branches. QR-code signs along the trail link to material on the forest's plants and animals, its recovery from Hurricane María, and how the wetland works.
Here is the year so far from the board's own reports, plus the one event still ahead:
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| Early 2026 | Gazebo repaired; boardwalk maintenance under way |
| April 8 | Bids sought for pond dredging and tower repair; tower work delayed by costs and a shortage of contractors |
| June 6 | First Educational Field Seminar, "The Living Forest" |
| June 10 | Almost the entire boardwalk reopened; tower's future under evaluation |
| August 13 | Education report; no new tower or pond update |
| November 14, upcoming | 3knino @ Pawlmas dog 3K at the forest |
The pond is the other open question
The pond is waiting on its own decision. In April, the board was seeking bids to dredge it before installing new aeration systems. By June, it reported that more sediment flowing into the pond had "altered water clarity in recent months." Before installing a new aeration system, the board said, it is assessing whether the pond needs other environmental management measures. So if the water looks murkier than you remember, that matches what the board itself has reported.
The tower and the pond are still open questions. The boardwalk, the gazebo and the signs are where the repair work has been finished.
The forest has started cataloguing what lives along the boardwalk
The repairs were paired with a new program that brings visitors down to the boardwalk to look closely. The Educational Field Seminar Series began on June 6 with "The Living Forest," led by Dra. Ivelisse Irizarry. She is a university professor who leads the forest's biodiversity cataloguing, and the session included an introduction to logging species sightings on iNaturalist. The August report says the board plans to add sessions on plant ecology, fungi, birds, reptiles and amphibians, and wetland conservation. No fall dates have been announced.
The catalogue is growing as people contribute. As of May 31, the forest's iNaturalist catalogue held 2,868 observations, up from 2,628 in January. They document 385 species of plants, animals, fungi and other organisms across the preserve and the adjacent passive recreation area. In five months, 240 new observations were added, each logged by someone in the forest with a phone. Anyone walking the boardwalk can contribute one.
The visit page lists what there is to find at that level. It names mollusks and crustaceans, insects, the coquí, reptiles, mushrooms and other fungi, and birds. The tower was built to show endemic birds such as the Puerto Rican Hummingbird and the Puerto Rican Woodpecker. Migratory birds pass through as well.
Practical details, from the forest's own rules
The forest's Plan Your Visit page lists these terms:
- Open 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. every day, closed December 25 and January 1
- Free entry and free parking in the lot next to the forest; after the Sagrada Familia Catholic church, turn right onto Nursery Road and follow the signs
- The boardwalk is wheelchair-accessible, but the observation tower is not; accessible restrooms are just before the entrance
- Dogs are allowed if they are attended at all times and leashed or otherwise safely restrained, and owners should carry a container to clean up after them
- No smoking or alcohol; no jogging, biking, roller skating or skateboarding; no food or drink other than water inside the forest; no radios or loud noise
- No collecting plants, fungi or animals of any kind
- Picnics only in the designated area at the entrance, with no grills or fires
- Groups of ten or more must reserve in advance
The page also asks visitors to keep noise down, limit cellphone use, and be considerate of the many organized groups of children and seniors that visit. That page dates from 2024, so it is worth checking for updates before a visit, especially for a group.
November 14: a dog 3K at the forest
The forest's only event on the PHA calendar this fall is a dog event. 3knino @ Pawlmas is set for Saturday, November 14, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. at Bosque Pterocarpus. It is listed under "Mascotas" on MiCarreraPR. Registration for the 3K is $25. The form asks for each dog's name, breed and age, along with the owner's contact details and an estimated finish time, and it has spaces for team members. The Palmas del Mar Homeowners Association lists the event on its calendar and links to the registration page. Event rules and a liability waiver are posted with the registration.
The same calendar has the PHA Christmas party and golf-cart parade on December 19. The forest closes for Christmas six days later.
The board's reports say major maintenance depends heavily on technical and financial support from the Palmas del Mar Homeowners Association. Education programs, signs and species cataloguing are paid for with money the Friends of the Forest raise. Entry is free, and the board's GlobalGiving page is where it posts updates, so the decisions on the tower and the pond will likely appear there first.
If you're weighing a home in Palmas del Mar and want to know which streets are a short walk from Nursery Road and the boardwalk, I'd be glad to walk through it with you. Gloria Cabrera is here when you're ready. Let's Connect.
