When you live to share and share to live, the footprint you leave behind is as deep as your openness to absorb all that surrounds you and grow. This philosophy is what moves Carlos to strive for more each day, explore the planet he vouched to protect, meet his Latin American brothers and sisters that love their homelands, and give what he has and knows to those who seek his help.
He was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in the metropolitan area with his siblings where they were raised by his father and paternal grandparents. For Carlitos, as many know him, his grandfather was a role model from early age. This hard worker figure, educated in political sciences, was a nature and country lover. He instilled in Carlos his love for Puerto Rico and his interest in environmental issues.
“When I was on the seventh grade, for a science project, I decided to speak about two Puerto Rican species in danger of extinction: our endemic manatee and parrot. To prep for this task, my grandad took me to interview the Natural Resources Department’s librarian.”
In high school he was fortunate to have an environmental sciences teacher, Mrs. Gladys Maldonado, that taught him the importance of being an environmentally responsible citizen, further inspiring him to become a nature conservancy and protection advocate. This interest became more intense every time he listened to the radio show Dialogando con Benny Frankie with his grandad.
“It was a radio show where Puerto Rico’s geography — specifically the karst region — and environmental issues were discussed. Dr. José Molinelli Freytes was often a guest.”
Once in college, while studying to become a secondary education science teacher, Carlos had the opportunity to be his student. Although he graduated without completing the minor he had planned in environmental sciences, he volunteered at the San Juan Bay Estuary and Watershed Program and from there he stepped into his master’s degree in environmental affairs education.
As the first college graduate from his family and then obtaining a master’s degree, he feels fully satisfied with these far-reaching accomplishments. Another thing that makes him tick is the opportunity to see new places and embark on local tourism adventures across his beloved Caribbean Island.
“Since the pandemic begun, I feel so many people are close to me, even if they are kilometers away. I love travelling to socialize, share and visit the forest and beaches… even discovering what is on our backyard, like Culebra’s Island — it only took me 33 years to go there! People come from all over the world to see our riches, yet we are so close and don’t know them. I exchange accommodations to connect with friendly people I know is waiting for me somewhere, we just haven’t met yet. When you open yourself to the world, the world opens to you.”
Carlos sees abundance in cultural diversity, because he is convinced that we have so much more in common than we think. From the love we feel for our families to that universal desire to prosper, he can see his own motivations and aspirations in the people he encounters while wandering around exploring. People make the journey especial; people push him to keep going and discover wonderfully unexpected things.
His trips are filled of adventures, but also purpose. In 2017, he went backpacking in Colombia to spread out, but he also found the sustainable farm project Granja Homestay in Medellín — an amazing initiative possible with crowdfunding, volunteering and “trueque” (people exchanging goods for other goods, thus swapping them). The cherry on the top is that this country brought him the love of his life with whom he hopes to start a family in the coming years.
In 2018, when he was visiting Mexico, he had no idea he would stumble upon The Future Forest project by the Danish artist Thomas Dambo. As if fate had dealt a card, the recycled plastic forest in the Botanical Garden of Chapultepec was waiting for him to experience this beautiful collision. Curiously, closer to home, there is another work of art named Hector El Protector by the same artist, located in Culebra. A colorful revelation was not the only special thing about this trip. There was so much more he took with him because Carlos was studying to become a life coach at the time.
Having an international perspective helped him on his journey of self-discovery and leadership. Today as a certified life coach by the International Coach Federation, he accompanies different individuals through what he describes as a reflective process while they aim to accomplish their goals.
“It’s about acknowledging the obstacles we raise for ourselves and replacing them with convictions that can help us achieve what we want. I see myself in them, it’s like looking on a mirror sometimes. Each person teaches you something, be it consciously or not.”
We all face moments and experiences that force us to grow. Carlos is no stranger to the challenges and difficulties that make us shudder and pivot. From the tragic death by overdose of his younger brother and the recent departure of his paternal grandmother in July 2020 to questioning whether being a schoolteacher provided the right venue for his calling to educate about environmental affairs, he has had to navigate grief and assess alternate careers to continue to turn his vision into tangible actions.
“I want a world in harmony with the environment — somewhere where you can live relaxed.”
He works for a banking institution in the customer care arena these days. That same institution funded a scholarship so he could complete his recycling industry certification and has allowed him to continue contributing to the causes he cares about through their corporate volunteering program.
In addition to his work at the bank — and the life coach services he offers — he is devoted to his life project Carlitos Comparte. He uses this platform to carry on his message, lifestyle, and advocate for the future he envisions. With his wisecracks and jokes, he wants to make his followers and like-minded friends laugh and learn. He feels highlighting those he considers “influencers with purpose” is a great endeavor. That’s why he wants to interview key individuals and share the great things they are doing for the environment and their communities.
“I want to keep working in what I love, that is educating about environmental issues as a consultant and life coaching. I also create content and share my experiences through social media. My project Carlitos Comparte is a global initiative to speak about the world in which we should be living to share and sharing to live.”
Always aware and participating in all kinds of environmental activities with several organizations, beyond his attitude and capacity to educate about these topics, he is an actor in the play he helps write and communicate through his videos and posts.
For three consecutive years, from 2016–2018, he was team captain during The Ocean Conservancy’s annual International Coastal Cleanup day in September with the Scuba Dogs Society of Puerto Rico. During these events we can see the human being, educator and individual that puts his actions where his mouth is.
As a volunteer, he undertakes a huge logistics endeavor. He starts by contacting the participants, making sure to obtain the necessary waivers and establishing the cleanup path. The day-of he gathers his group, assigns subgroups, goes over the process, distributes the materials, coordinates the snacks, and makes sure everyone is hydrated and operating safely. After the intense labor is completed, he makes sure the waste recovered is sorted and accounted before sending it on its way to be recycled or appropriately disposed.
His work on raising awareness is evident on events where he supports organizations like Basura Cero Puerto Rico. With them, he helps cleanup and recycle after big emblematic events in the Island, such as the Calle de San Sebastián festivities at Old San Juan. He also provides environmental workshops for children coordinated by them, among other activities.
This is a collective effort that runs like a well-oiled machine only because of volunteer leaders like Carlos, whose passion for the conservation of our land and communities is absolutely embedded in his conscience. For people like him, meaningful action lies in educating by example and fiercely being the change he wants to see in the world.
A group awakening is imminent and can be powerful; trash is our product, and we all need the same resources. It is good to know there are people out there giving it all to raise awareness and correct the course. People like Carlos that gets up and running. As he stops to take deep breaths, he keeps his resolute eyes on the prize.
Join him in dreaming and enjoying a life contributing to making air cleaner to inhale and water clearer to hydrate by actively caring for our planet to replenish everything it offers us.
Recuenta 