Caño Martín Peña Nature Reserve
The nature reserve protects wetlands and an urban mangrove forest which extends throughout the channel between the Los Corozos and San José Lagoons in the east and the San Juan Bay in the west, and between the districts of Santurce in the north and Hato Rey in the south.[2] This nature reserve is bordered by a number of residential areas, such as the Martín Peña neighborhood which formed in 1940 during the Great Depression.The community formed the Caño Martín Peña Community Land Trust in 2017 which aims to formally legalize the housing in the neighborhood, guarantee safe and sustainable housing, relocating the families that live in critical flooding areas, and to aid and develop the ecological sustainability of the area.The reserve is home to large populations of invasive species such as green iguanas, lionfish, caimans and alligators.[8] The nature reserve is open to visitors who are allowed access through the Enrique Martí Coll Linear Park (Parque Lineal Enrique Martí Coll) by entrances located in the San Juan Central Park (Parque Central de San Juan) in the western edge of the reserve, the Teófilo "Teo" Cruz Park at the midpoint in Santurce, and the AcuaExpreso ferry Hato Rey Terminal and Trocadero Diverplex next to the rapid-transit Tren Urbano station of Hato Rey by the Choliseo.
IUCN categorySan Juan, Puerto RicoSanturceHato ReySpanishMartín Peña Channelmangrove forestSan José LagoonsSan Juan BayPuerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental ResourcesNational Estuary ProgramMartín PeñaGreat DepressionCommunity Land TrustmangroveRhizophora mangleAvicennia germinansLaguncalaria racemosaConocarpus erectusgreen iguanaslionfishcaimansalligatorsFalco columbariusEgretta garzettaEgretta caeruleaEgretta thulaEgretta tricolorArdea albaArdea herodias occidentalisPelecanus occidentalisNyctanassa violaceaNycticorax nycticoraxAcuaExpresoTren UrbanoCholiseoCaño Martín PeñaMartín Peña, Hato ReyMartín Peña, SanturceProtected areas of Puerto RicoFederalNational Estuarine Research ReservesBahía de JobosNational ForestsEl YunqueNational Wild and Scenic RiversRío IcacosRío MameyesRío de la MinaEl ToroNational Wildlife RefugesCabo RojoCulebraDesecheoLaguna CartagenaViequesCommonwealthState ForestsAguirreBoquerónCambalacheCariteCerrillosGuajatacaGuánicaGuilarteLos Tres PicachosMaricaoMonte ChocaNuevo MilenioPiñonesRío AbajoSan PatricioSusúaToro NegroBosque del PuebloNature ReservesAguas Buenas Cave SystemCabezas de San JuanCaja de MuertosCaño TiburonesCerro Las TetasCibuco SwampCondado LagoonCueva del IndioCuevas Las CabachuelasHacienda BelvedereHumacao Nature ReserveJoyuda LagoonInés María MendozaLa Cordillera ReefLa PargueraLas Bocas CanyonMona and Monito IslandsNortheast Ecological CorridorPlanadas-YeyesaPunta CucharasPunta GuaniquillaPuerto MosquitoPunta PetronaSan Cristóbal CanyonSan Juan Ecological CorridorTortuguero LagoonTourmaline ReefEl RabanalForeman Conservation EasementMontes OscurosPalmas del Mar Tropical ForestNorthern KarstIsla Verde ReefLa Robleda Natural Protected AreaSierra PanduraMata de Plátano Field StationSierra de JájomeParque Nacional de las Cavernas del Río CamuyJulio Enrique Monagas Park