SBT Exhibits at Smithsonian

The local Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) hosted exhibitions on June 14th and 15th of 2008 for Environmental Week. Government and Non-Government Organizations (NGO's)involved in the environment were asked to attend and to exhibit. Many government agencies including; ANAM, ARAP, and NGO´s; USAID, The Nature Conservancy, The Wildlife Conservancy and others attended and exhibited. All in all, there were about 15 agencies and NGO´s presenting.

Soluciones Biotecnologicas Tropicales (SBT) was invited and also had an exhibition there. We were very excited to be asked to participate as one of three local NGO´s from Bocas. Our booth primarily promoted information on two of our projects; Educacion Si (electronic distance learning model) and the Aquaculture project at Salt Creek Indigineous Ngobe community. For more information on these projects see our website "Projects" page.

The exhibitions were viewed by local residents, school children, tourists, and other visiting organizations. We distributed a lot of material related to our projects, but more importantly, we demonstrated that there are people doing something about these issues. Many new people found a way to get involved in Bocas.

Smithsonian Earth Day

On April 18th and 19th SBT was invited to participate in the Smithsonian (STRI) Great Beach Clean-up of Cabana and Red Frog beaches as part of an Earth Day celebration. Around 230 volunteers participated in the clean-up and approximately 1.3 tons of trash was collected, sorted, and then recycled or disposed of. About 50%of the trash was recycled.

As a contiuning measure, SBT promoted the idea of having local businesses sponsor the monthly or bi-monthly cleanup of a section of Cabana Beach. Cabana Beach is the first beach many tourists will see in Bocas and the main beach used by local residents. Working with STRI, we are formulating a plan to approach the businesses and ask for sponsorship. We will use the cost data gathered during the Earth Day clean-up to justify the fee. We have already begun to approach certain organizations.

SBT also suggested the use of reusable trash bags for this project. Thereby adding less plastics to the dump.

UWF Honor Students visit SBT and Bocas

I dreamed of establishing an extension center here in Bocas for my university, the University of West Florida. There are so many issues we could work on solutions to together and what an amazing research area. So in September of 2007, I wrote an article for my alma mater’s newspaper as a means to re-introduce myself to the current faculty and student body. I basically said, here is an alumni living in one of the most spectacular areas of Central America, come visit me. I then wrote an email to all of the departments inviting them to look at the article and to consider bringing students to Panama instead of Costa Rica.

I was contacted by two of the university professors and one began a dialogue as to what issues would the students find of interest in Bocas? We found plenty of topics to discuss. We then planned out a week of activities including: attending the installation of a new type of bio-digesting septic tank, looking at alternative energy housing and bioclimatic design, and visiting the Naso Indians located up the Changuinola River by canoe. The Bocas trip was set.

On May 5th, 2008, 12 University of West Florida Honor students accompanied by Dr. Klaus Meyer-Arendt, visited Bocas and Panama for the first time. There were students with majors in marine biology, cultural anthropology, communications, environmental engineering, and social services. Their main emphasis here was to look at sustainable development in an emerging second world country.

We directly observed and discussed many issues related to Bocas; tourism, the real estate boom, population growth, aging infrastructure, environmental issues, and education. Our visits included the town of Old Bank, the indigenous Ngobe community at Salt Creek, and a bioclimatically designed house, which is also solar powered. One student plans to return and write her thesis on the Ngobe shaman we meet. Dr. Meyers-Arendt plans to promote Bocas for future trips. We will continue to work together to arrange for other departments to make Bocas one of their international trip locations.

The students saw multiple other cultures and their way of living in one small area. I think many gained a new understanding of the life these different people live. I believe that their visit will bring about the interest in Bocas I had hoped for. And one day a UWF Bocas extension center may become a reality.