By: Raphi Gold
At the end of my first day reforesting with Fundación Pro Eco Azuero, I had only one thought: I never knew it was possible to be this muddy and in need of a shower. I was so covered in dirt that I felt I should not be allowed to enter the house. My hands were caked in dried mud, my purple shirt had turned a dusty mauve. But after I had taken a good shower and devoured my first hearty Panamanian lunch, finished off with a refreshing glass of chicha, I had a far important reflection: I never knew it was possible to feel so satisfied with the labor of just one morning. We had collectively planted over 500 trees, which felt like a lot at the time, though later I would learn that the team was capable of planting far more. I felt exhausted, but equally elated. I was proud of my attempts to speak Spanish with my coworkers, and was eager to learn more throughout the summer. I fell asleep easily that night, lulled by the hum of crickets, the memories of rhythmic tree-planting, and the buzz of a day well-spent. I couldn’t wait to get up and plant again the next day.
Image description: Me getting my hands dirty
Image credit: Aiyonne Bryant
And so I did. And the next day, and the one after that, for the next eight weeks, from the beginning of June until the end of July. As an incoming junior at Princeton University, I hadn’t known what to expect when I accepted a reforestation internship with Pro Eco. I knew I wanted to spend my summer doing something tangible, adventurous, and environmental, and Pro Eco checked all of my boxes. Still, I had no conception of how life outside the U.S. would feel, or what reforestation work really was. After completing the internship, staying in Pro Eco’s lodge and working with the organization for nearly two months, I can confidently say that it surpassed all of my expectations.
Over the course of the summer, along with my fellow Princeton interns (Frida Ruiz and Aiyonne Bryant) and a graduate student intern from Italy (Ariana Casetta), I was fortunate enough to join Pro Eco’s “Equipo Mono” or “Monkey Team.” That meant we were involved in the crucial project of restoring Azuero’s ecological corridor through reforestation and monitoring work. From my first week, I was deeply impressed with Pro Eco’s organizational structure and theory of change. The organization understands that successful reforestation can only take place alongside strong community engagement and consultation. I got to see firsthand how Pro Eco employs local people, purchases its saplings from regional micro-producers who are predominantly women, educates Azuero’s youth about environmental issues, and partners with volunteers ranging from British and American high school students to local police officers and kindergarteners.
A day in the life as a Pro Eco intern was never dull. We would awake at the crack of dawn and pile into the pick-up truck, where we blasted popular Panamanian tunes and chatted about our evenings. I got to experience three reforestation sites in my time as an intern – the first on a finca in Pedasi, the second in the Cambutal mountains, and the third spread over a large property in Venao. Each of these locales came with their own unique advantages and challenges. In Pedasi, the land was flat, but also hot and unshaded. My fellow interns and I organized a system for our British high school volunteers to efficiently plant and stay out of the sun. Cambuttal, on the other hand, was beautiful and shaded, but the terrain was steep and difficult. Still, the capuchin monkeys we saw on the top of the mountain toward the end of the project made it all worth it. One day, over 50 local school-children joined us to reforest, and it was incredible to watch these young kids throw themselves into tree-planting with enthusiasm. When asked if they were ready to plant the forest of the future, they answered emphatically “Yes!” Our final site, in Venao, seemed expansive and daunting to me at first. However, with the help of Pro Eco’s magnificent “magnificos” and more batches of American and British volunteers, we managed to plant 1000-2000 trees each day. We also assisted with conducting a forest inventory of another property, tracking tree growth and biodiversity. Venao also offered the largest range of monkey sightings; there, we spotted capuchins, howlers, and spider monkeys every few days.
Image description: Reforestation site in Cambuttal
Image credit: Raphi Gold
In addition to our daily planting, fertilizing, and monitoring work, our supervisor Sandra Vasquez often provided us with exciting opportunities outside of work. In our first month, she set up a ziplining adventure for us in Venao. Later in the summer, we got to join the team to collect saplings from the micro-producers, loading up a truck with thousands of plants and keeping track of each species we acquired. After expressing interest in Pro Eco’s Eco-Artisan program, Sandra set up a meeting for us with a group of the Paritilla artisans, who welcomed us into their shop and explained their processes of transforming natural native plant species into baskets, dyes, jewelry, and they even trained us in weaving the cogollo fibers ourselves. Throughout the summer, we also had the chance to engage with the Pro Eco Pelaos, a group of local children Pro Eco teaches about environmental issues on Fridays. Though I spoke no Spanish when I first arrived in Pedasí, by week 7, with the help of some of my Pro Eco coworkers I managed to deliver a lesson about mangroves and their ability to protect coastal regions from the effects of climate disasters for the Pro Eco Pelaos, all in Spanish. We even got to visit the nearby Pablo Arturo Barrio Reserve to see mangroves in person. The following week, we were able to join the Pelaos once again for a whale watching trip. Watching the whales dive in and out of the water was awe-inducing.
Through these incredible opportunities and our daily work, I got to know Pro Eco’s wonderful staff very well over the summer, and I will never forget our daily car rides, jokes, and all that they taught me. Jairo was always a patient teacher, gently correcting my Spanish and sharing his wisdom about the native trees and plants each day. Thanks to Jairo, I can tell the difference between a Calabazo and a Corotu, a Cedro Espino and a Guayacan, and I know to always avoid the painful Ortiga. I loved dancing with Roxana and Cynthia in the morning as we awaited volunteers, and am grateful for their help preparing the mangrove lesson toward the end of the summer. Leo, Fulo, and Daniel were always full of laughter and stories from their weekends. With Eric, I enjoyed practicing my Spanish and talking about baseball, and he always made sure that I and the other interns knew where we should be planting saplings. And Sandra and Cesar shared their time, knowledge, and stories with us. Though they were constantly busy, they still made sure we were having fun in addition to working hard, and they were always ready to chat about anything from agriculture to politics to the best surfing spots in Panama.
Image description: Some members of the Equipo Mono (Daniel, Roxana, Arianna, Leo, Cynthia, and Jairo)
I plan on bringing back all I learned from Pro Eco back to Princeton’s campus this fall and carry it throughout the rest of my life. As a university student, it can be easy to get swept up in the culture of academics, but Pro Eco reminded me of the importance of localized ecological knowledge and physical connection to land. Pro Eco helped me better understand that all climate work involves a careful balance. It involves advanced planning and thinking on your feet, strategizing in meetings and following through with physical labor, local consultation and constant communication. On July 26, my last day of work, I felt a combination of deep satisfaction and sorrow as I planted my final tree. It was a Ceiba Pentandra, a sapling I had learned to recognize by its heart-shaped leaves. As I scooped damp soil around the tree’s roots, packing it in tightly like tucking a child in for a nap, I thought about the broader significance of this single tree and how it might grow to contribute to the biodiverse ecosystem we were fostering. This Ceiba might grow to be 3 meters (10 feet) wide, just one tree in a vast forest that would emerge over the course of the next few decades. As I finished planting the Ceiba, I whispered a promise into its leaves that one day, I would return to see it.
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