NURTURING INDIGENOUS LEADERSHIP IN PANAMA’S DARIÉN
TPF Complete Conservation™ Pillar
Community-based Conservation Lasting conservation in Panama’s forests isn’t imposed from the outside—it’s grown from within, one indigenous leader at a time.
Deep within the Indigenous territories of Darién, Panama, The Peregrine Fund is partnering with Fundación Rapaces y Bosques de Panamá to train a new generation of conservation leaders. Fifteen young people from the Emberá and Wounaan communities are being trained as bird monitors. They are learning how birds of prey are indicators of forest health, combining science with traditional ecological knowledge passed down through generations. This program is community-led and deeply empowering. Leisa Berrugate, a young Emberá mother, put it simply: “I used to know only the birds that came to my garden. Now I can recognize more than 100
Alongside field training, youth mentors use Stories of the Bagaras in Emberá Culture —a bilingual book with stories by local children—to lead outdoor lessons in native Emberá and Wounaan languages. In
these lessons, the forest becomes the classroom, and students connect what they observe to family stories passed down by elders. This work is built on a simple truth: the people who live in the forest are its best protectors. By investing in indigenous youth and honoring traditional knowledge alongside science, the program is helping to build lasting stewardship in one of the most unique and biologically important landscapes on Earth.
species.” For participants like Leisa, this knowledge also opens doors to jobs in ecotourism.
I used to know only the birds that came to my garden. Now I can recognize more than 100 species. – Leisa Berrugate
Evan Buechley 12
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