Background:
I graduated in December of 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Anthropology. I accomplished this with many honors like Dean’s Lists and Magna Cum Laude. Many friends and family have asked what I wanted to do after graduation. Back then, I was uncertain about what to do. Now I have my answer. After searching from many interests, I decided that studying how cultures and societies deal with their surrounding environment was my call in life. I am now on a trajectory to obtain a Master of Arts in Latin American Studies with a concentration in Tropical Conservation and Development. 

For this program, I have decided to write a thesis that involves analyzing my own Cuban culture on the island. This thesis project aims at understanding the present role of single-family home gardens in creating differing cultural ties across the Plaza de la Revolución, a municipality of La Habana, Cuba. The purpose of this thesis is to provide case studies that would expand upon the current understanding as to how single-family home gardens are creating social and cultural links within a barrio. By focusing on case studies in Plaza de la Revolución municipality, this project sets to elucidate the home garden’s Cuban context – which has been dominated since the early 1990s by literature that focuses on the home garden’s role in plant diversity conservation, economic subsistence, and political resistance.

In order to conduct this research project, I am required to contribute monetary funds to cover the cost of food, housing, and transportation. I am also required to pay for my visas and plane tickets. The 2000 dollars asked in this campaign will go towards paying for food, housing, transportation, visas, and plane ticket. What I am asking is not traditional, somewhat atypical. Nevertheless, would you be willing to support me in pursuing my dream of conducting social science research in Cuba?

What Is the Problem and Why It Matters?
Most of the research on the island focuses heavily on politics or biodiversity
conservation. My research aims at understanding the lived experience of the people. I want to highlight Cuban cultural love for their environment and their interaction with their ecosystems. This research attempts to stay away from politics by looking at daily life and the many social and cultural connections that come from something so simple as gardening.

Additionally, seeing how these home gardens are also located in a very urban setting, I
want to utilize my research to highlight the need for urban green. One cannot deny that the loss of urban green in cities has led to increased pollution and heat in many contexts. With more and more humans moving to the cities, I want my research to give a new dimension to why having urban home gardens is essential to a healthy city living – with not only giving a biodiverse green space but also giving a space where culture and social interactions arise.

Price Points and Reward

10 $ Donation- Generalized "thank you" email
25 $ Donation – Personalized “thank you” email
50 $ Donation - Hand-written thank you note.
100 $ Donation – A digital picture of a unique aspect of Cuban culture, emailed to you. Every picture will be different 
200 $ Donation - A 3.5x5 physical picture of a unique aspect of Cuban culture, framed and mailed to you. Every picture will be different.
400 $ Donation - Name listed in the Acknowledgement page of thesis
1000 $ Donation - Speaking one on one or to a group (example; classrooms, retirement homes, etc) of your choice to talk about Cuban history and culture.
2000 $ Donation - Speaking to three  groups (example; classrooms, retirement homes, etc) of your choice to talk about Cuban history and culture.


About Me:
Hello everyone! I am Marcos S. Ramos Valdes. I am a graduate student at the University
of Florida. I am currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Latin American Studies, concentrating in Tropical Conservation and Development. I choose this career track because I am very interested in contributing to society by creating and formulating socially beneficial research projects that bring an in-depth understanding of culture and nature. I am very interested in understanding the culture that arises from the interaction between humans and plants at different historical scales. I am also interested in research on Caribbean ethnobotany, the ecology of religion, indigenous people, and cultural history.

I am originally from El Vedado, La Habana, Cuba. Coming from Cuba inspired a lot of my academic passions, specifically my love for plants and animals. Growing on the island, I noticed how many families had home gardens with a diverse collection of plants. Looking back at my childhood now that I am a scientist, I am intrigued by the many cultural and social dynamics that came out of these home gardens. Seeing this as part of my Cuban heritage, I want to understand this unique phenomenon and bring new light to my people’s culture.