Naturaleza y Ciencia Foundation 507 promotes bird conservation in Chagres National Park

The 507 Nature and Science Foundation, with financial support from the FIDECO Fund/Natura Foundation Capacity Building Program, is embarking on a new initiative to intensify bird conservation in Chagres National Park. This exciting activity focuses on the dry forest of the area and its main objective is to train 20 children-young people from the communities of Quebrada Ancha and La Tranquilla in bird watching.

The course, planned for 3 days and 2 nights, will be facilitated by experienced bird watchers, Karla Aparicio and Rogney Quibilan. Participants will learn about various aspects of Panamanian birdlife, from identification by physical characteristics to migration and conservation. In addition, they will be instructed in the use of binoculars and the ebird and Merlin platforms.

This ambitious project also includes the renewal of equipment and field guides in both communities, the acquisition of telescopes for each community and the practical teaching of digital platforms for recording observed birds. The 507 Nature and Science Foundation not only seeks to strengthen local knowledge, but also encourage the active participation of young people in the conservation of biodiversity.

In parallel, the Foundation intends to reactivate the monitoring of passerine birds at the Campo Chagres MoSI station, initially started in 2007. If the necessary funds are obtained, a three-day monitoring will be carried out in November 2023, using specialized equipment for the capture and ringing of passerine birds.

These efforts are especially significant, as they resume a project that was previously supported by the USA Bird Populations Institute. The renewal of this commitment, now supported by Fundación Natura’s capacity-building program, demonstrates Fundación Natura y Ciencia 507’s continued dedication to biodiversity conservation.

The execution strategy involves fluid communication with the communities of Quebrada Ancha and La Tranquilla, as well as close coordination with the staff of the Chagres National Park and MiAMBIENTE. The dissemination of the information will be carried out through the social networks of Fundación Naturaleza y Ciencia 507.

The goals of the project include the successful training of 20 children-young people in bird watching, with the active support of 10 parents. In addition, the aim is to compile a valuable set of data on ringed birds at the monitoring station in Campo Chagres. With this comprehensive approach and financial support, Fundación Naturaleza y Ciencia 507 aims to contribute significantly to the conservation of biodiversity in Chagres National Park.