PANAMA CITY. May 2026. – With a firm commitment to training the region’s new environmental leaders, a capacity-building tour was held in Metetí, in the province of Darién, targeting young people from six local communities. This activity is part of the project “Community-Led Conservation of the Green Macaw in the Emberá del Balsa Collective Lands,” which is part of the prestigious Conserva Aves Initiative.
Guardians of the Green Macaw: Youth from Darién participating in capacity-building workshops in Metetí. Photo credit: Kelly Castrejo / Fundación Natura.
In collaboration with local partners from the Bagara Pawara Consortium—the OBC Balsa Ejua Wagadicarea and the Rapaces y Bosques de Panamá Foundation—the project promotes a conservation model that prioritizes traditional knowledge and community empowerment. This time, Audubon Panama provided strategic support for the event, strengthening a key partnership for protecting the green macaw and other iconic species of the Darien ecosystem.
Citizen Science and Field Monitoring
The training program combined theoretical and practical sessions designed to provide communities with technical tools. The young participants were trained in:
-Species identification: Recognizing native birds and assessing their habitats.
-Use of basic tools: Handling field equipment for observation and recording.
-Generation of scientific data: Methodologies for collecting key information that enables effective monitoring of local biodiversity.
This training enables residents of the collective territories to transition from passive participants to active leaders in collecting essential environmental data.
Young people from Darién sharing their perspective on the generation of scientific data. Photo credit: Kelly Castrejo / Fundación Natura.
Inclusion, Equity, and Sustainability
In addition to the technical component, the tour created opportunities for dialogue and reflection aimed at integrating a gender and social inclusion perspective into the conservation agenda. This promotes the equal participation of women, men, and young people in biological monitoring and in the sovereign management of their territory.
A gender specialist from Panama leads a workshop activity for Conserva Aves. Photo credit: Kelly Castrejo / Fundación Natura.
This workshp not only ensured the continued provision of technical and institutional support in the province but also strengthened the exchange of experiences among the participating communities. The outcomes of this event make it clear that building local capacity is the only path toward the long-term sustainability of conservation efforts in the Darién.
About Conserva Aves
Conserva Aves is a hemispheric initiative that supports indigenous peoples and Afro-descendant communities, community organizations, NGOs, and local communities in the creation, expansion, management, and sustainability of subnational protected areas in sites critical for birds and all biodiversity (for example, Key Bird Areas, or KBAs).
The regional initiative is led by the American Bird Conservancy, the National Audubon Society, BirdLife International, Birds Canada, and the Network of Environmental Funds in Latin America and the Caribbean (RedLAC).
In Panama, the lead partners of the Initiative are Audubon Panama and Fundación Natura. Additionally, the local partners responsible for implementing the project “Community-led Conservation of the Green Macaw in the Emberá del Balsa Collective Lands” are the OBC Balsa Ejua Wagadicarea and the Rapaces y Bosques de Panamá Foundation. These organizations make up the Bagara Pawara Consortium. The Government of Canada, through Global Affairs Canada (GAC), provides financial support for this project.
