Planting permanent forests in Panama

In 2017 we started our first project in Panama, called "La Reina". It was established in 2013 as a monoculture. We bought the project demonstrate how one can convert a monoculture into a diverse system. In 2017 we started to plant native species next to the Teak. Today we can observe a variety of local tree species that colonize the remaining gaps and the understory of the existing forest. We actively manage this regeneration to support the transformation of that project.

In the beginning of 2019 we bought 148 hectares of land in the hilly land of the "Sierra Llorona" (the crying mountain ridge). Certainly the 3000 mm rainfall per year are a reason for the name. For comparison: In Hamburg it rains 750 mm per year. But the precipitation and the constant temperature make this region special: is is home to the most species-rich rainforests in Panama.

Here we are reforesting with the generation forest model. Due to the relative proximity to the cities of Colón and Panama City, deforestation is increasing in this region. Situated between two national parks, the location is of enormous importance for the biodiversity of the Panamanian rainforest. In addition, our reforestation projects in the catchment area will contribute to a stabilisation of the water balance in the medium term.