EspañolWe Support Letty’s Mission
Who is Letty?
“Letty” is a fictional character, developed with a group of educators and artists coordinated by E4NG’s Ashleigh Klingman to personify the life of a real endemic bush found only on San Cristobal Island: the Curve-Spined Lecocarpus or Darwin’s Lecocarpus.
This common name refers to two sister species, both of which are in danger of extinction due to their reduced population size and geographic distribution.
The first rendition of Letty was developed in 2021 by Ilenya Robalino. With Ashleigh, they imagined a little girl seedling as she longed to be adopted from the Hacienda Tranquila ranch’s plant nursery. Through her innocent wish, Letty discovers her mission in life. Her story is told in the book Letty’s Mission.
This whimsical character especially catches younger children’s eyes and brings an endearing smile to everyone’s face as they imagine a happy-go-lucky little life spirit dreaming of new days to come. Letty reminds us that, although plants don’t really have faces, they are alive, and science shows they experience the world and communicate with other species, similar to us.
The second rendition of Letty was developed in 2023 by Karla Vivanco and Pablo Lopez. With Ashleigh, they imagined a personified teenager, becoming a young woman plant. Letty is intent on fulfilling her mission in her new home, despite the ominous threats of invasive species. Her story is told in the sequel Letty’s Regenerative Garden.
This magical realism adaptation of the first Letty character incorporates scientific drawing to help readers better identify the real species in local gardens. Letty is accompanied by multiple endemic as well as introduced species that can be found in home gardens around the island. Together they embody the concept of community: diverse actors working together to defend one another’s homes and missions.
“Letty’s Keepers” Local Initiative
Both books seek to motivate readers to actively participate in conservation through adopting and protecting a Letty plant until she can fulfill her mission. What exactly is her mission? Letty’s mission is to:
1. Watch her seedlings sprout and grow. This usually happens in the warm months of December through May on San Cristobal Island.
2. Have help from human friends to transplant the seedlings to a new place.
3. Be protected by endemic and introduced garden friends to grow up as a new Letty.
Together we can help increase the Letty population!
At E4NG, our main objective is to motivate local conservation methods in our community. In particular we invite schools, families, businesses and other organizations to adopt a Letty plant to help her with her mission and promote the unique biodiversity of our islands.
The following institutions back our initiative:
DPNG – Initial Letty plant donations from their Forest Plant Nursery
FCD – Technical support with their “Plant Me in your Garden Endemic Plants Guide” and San Cristobal environmental education club’s local Plant Nursery
USFQ / GSC & CGREG – Donating seedlings from adult Letty bushes to be adopted by community members
Thanks to the following organizations and businesses for helping fulfill Letty’s mission by participating in “Letty’s Keepers” local initiative.
Want to know more?
Ashleigh Klingman began this local initiative with local teachers, students and families in 2022 as part of the Urban Family Gardening for Tranquility. Find out more by following the link below to our ARC-GIS storymap.