Dr. Jane Goodall in Africa.

Jane Goodall visits Panama and speaks about her new documentary “Jane’s Journey” narrated by American actress Angelina Jolie.   I hope that she can make Panama aware that the world is aware and concerned about deforestation here in Panama too.  Costa Rica got the message and saved most of their forest lands while we still witness logging in our national parks of La Amistad, Volcan Baru, Cerro Hoya and the Darien.  After they deforest, they slash and burn so they can move cattle onto the land.  Not exactly the tourism post cards we want to send out from Panama.

This well written set of articles about her efforts here in Panama comes from the Visitor.  More [+]

Dr. Jane Goodall, famous for her research on chimpanzees in Africa and her efforts in conservation, is the special guest at a unique activity on Sunday, November 13 at the City of Knowledge. Panama Jazz Productions, organizers of the Panama Jazz Festival, and Earth Train, a non profit conservation initiative, are presenting ‘An Afternoon of Musical Biodiversity’ which will feature the Latin American premier of Dr. Goodall’s new documentary “Jane’s Journey” narrated by American actress Angelina Jolie.

This event will be the closing act of the first incursion that Dr. Goodall’s organization Roots and Shoots has in Latin America. Her efforts have been combined with those of Nathan Gray’s Earth Train foundation and its Valle Mamoní Reserve to the east of Panama City, where Jane has been meeting with other conservationists.

Mother of the eco-movement

Dr. Goodall is considered to have sparked the ecological movement, starting in the 1960’s when it is said that she changed the way we view our role in the environment and the animal world through her demonstration that chimps posses characteristics that were until then only considered to be human.

“Greentreprenuers” say: Save Our Jungle!

SaveOurJungle.com invites people to contribute to the reforestation effort.

An initiative called Save Our Jungle is taking the quick route to greenhood. SaveOurJungle.com is employing some good old fashioned capitalism to their efforts in order to preserve one of the world’s most endangered eco-systems. Located in the Torio Valley of the western Azuero Peninsula this area is burdened by ongoing ecological threats including logging, road construction, mining, burning, urbanization, poor farming practices, widespread grazing and farming on steep slopes and industrial growth.

“Save Our Jungle is raising funds through private donations to acquire land and create a private reserve for conservation and education,” says a representative.

Their goal is preserve this bio-corridor which links between the Forestal Montuoso to the north and Parque Nacional Cerro Hoya to the south. Between them, lie dozens of properties, called fincas. And many of them are threatening to cut off these interdependent ecosystems. Mining concessions loom in these lands.

Panama Jungle Facts

• 50 years ago, primary forest covered 70% of the country
• In the last half of the 20th century Panama lost half of its remaining forests —about 5.4 million acres.
• The provinces of Los Santos and Herrera on the AzueroPeninsula are almost entirely deforested and some parts are classified as desert.
• Panama had the 9th worst deforestation rate of primary forests between 2000 and 2005.
• Panama loses more than 1% of its primary forest each year.

The beauty of the project lies in that its mission is to begin preservation, without reinventing the wheel. Certainly, this group of investors will receive a green ticket from Nathan Gray’s Earth Train foundation upon donating the valley to his reforestation efforts, at the same time they will share this experience of caring for nature with tens of thousands of users through several platforms of new media.

The Torio Reserve will be donated to Earth Train and provides a further platform for Earth Train to expand their programs in Panama for fostering leadershipfor a new generation. Earth Train’s principal effort in Panama has been founding the 10,000 acre Mamoni Valley Preserve and training future environmental leaders and guides. Visit EarthTrain.org.

The Torio Reserve is located in Río Zumbón community, corregimiento of Quebro, district of Mariato, province of Veraguas, Republic of Panama.