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Adopt a Rainforest Park Near the Panama Canal
Right in the heart of Panama City lies Metropolitan Natural Park, one of the few patches of Pacific tropical forest remaining in this Central American nation. There are so many plant and animal species in the park's 655 acres that many have not been studied or even identified.
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Metropolitan Natural Park staff teaching an environmental education class.
(© Jerry Bauer)
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Located at the Pacific end of the Panama Canal, this green refuge is a vital resting area for migratory birds that fly south from the United States and Canada to escape northern winters. Birds such as the yellow warbler, turkey vulture, cedar waxwing, and scarlet tanager revisit Metropolitan Natural Park year after year and depend on the forest for food and shelter.
The park is also important to local schoolchildren. Guides lead them on hikes through the forest and teach them about the area's ecological significance. The park is one of Panama's most important environmental education tools, but it currently faces many outside threats. Learn more about Panama.
How You Can Save This Forest
Because it is so close to a growing urban area, there are tremendous pressures on Metropolitan Natural Park -- from wildlife poachers and illegal wood cutters, who often set fires and steal natural resources -- as well as from politically powerful developers who eye the park for its valuable real estate.
A class hiking through Metropolitan Natural Park.
(© Jerry Bauer)
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Metropolitan Natural Park does not receive support from the government; the small but dedicated park staff must raise its own funds to protect the park and finance educational sprograms for schoolchildren. Your donation will help them provide training and needed equipment for park guards. Your contribution will also fund programs for students from Panama City and communities in the Panama Canal watershed, allowing them to visit the park, learn about birds and other wildlife, and become lifelong park advocates. As outside pressures on the reserve continue to grow, it is critical that the next generation learns the importance of keeping Metropolitan Natural Park forever intact.
Suggested Donation
Any amount is welcome and will be put to good use. Here are some examples of what your donation will help buy:
| $25 |
Environmental education materials for schoolchildren |
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| $50 |
Transportation, talks, games and a guided visit for 30 students |
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| $50 |
Ecological training course for nature guides |
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| $100 |
Equipment for parkguards (boots, uniforms) |
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