at the narrowest point in the western

8/14/2019 At the Narrowest Point in the Western

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At the narrowest point in the Western Hemisphere,

where a mere 35 miles separates the great oceans of the Pacific and the Atlantic,

is a corridor of primary forest and river valleys rich in biological diversity.

RAINFOREST CAPITALEARTH TRAINNATHAN GRAY CEO EARTH TRAIN

COLIN WIEL CEO RAINFOREST CAPITAL

For millions of migrating birds, it is the verdant trail between the Americas.

To the indigenous Kuna, it is the divine Madre Tierra of their semi-autonomous

territory. For the small farmers who began settling the area 60 years ago, it is

a garden offering the hope of survival. At the very center of this bridge of life

along the continental divide, lies the v alley of the upper Rio Mamon. Moist air

from the Atlantic keeps the v alley cool and green and its ma ny rocky and sandy

streams flowing year-around. Jaguar and Harpy Eagles hunt along the primary

forests of its northern edge. Just beyond the valleys western rim flow the

waters of the Chagres into the inter-oceanic canal. From the eastern edge, theheadwaters of three rivers cascade toward the Kuna island communities of the

Caribbean.

A team comprised of original settlers and the newly arrived worked quietly

over a period of eight years to form the Mamon Valley Preserve, by forging a

strategic alliance between an entity with economic interests and a non-profit

organization for public benefit. In the process we have beg un to shape a vision

for the future of this richly endowed preserve now encompassing more than

10,000 acres that best reflects our commitment to leave a legacy of lastingvalue for subsequent generations. It affirms our determination to achieve the

harmonious integration of resources, landscape and people; of nature, culture

and sustainable community.

In these pages we offer a glimpse of this tropical river garden that you may

share in our restoring and caring for its beauty and engage with us in planning

for its future. As we set out on our adventure in creating a community of

purpose, we invite you to join with our diverse and talented team, including

restoration and agro-forestry experts; biologists with the California Academy ofSciences and the Center for Global Change and Earth Observations; a Grammy-

award winning Panamanian jazz musician; and indigenous leaders. Engage with

us in creating a model of sustainability that is grounded in the preservation

of biological and cultural diversity and enriched by our commitment to life

sciences and the arts.


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The Mamon Valley, a wilderness scored with riv ers and streams cloaked in green.

The Mamon Valley is framed by the C hagres National Forest to the west and the

wilderness of the indigenous Kuna to the north.


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The Mamon Valley benefits from a micro-climate that keeps it relativ ely cool

and garden green year round. A mornings breath of cool and m oist air flows

in from the Caribbean.


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The Mamon Valley is shaped by a wealth of water, serene in sand, tumblingover rock. The upper Mamon and its six principle tributaries form a re markable

collection of waterfalls, rock formations, ponds and rapids.


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Rainforests host over half the worlds anima l species and over two thirds of the

worlds plant species. The Mamon and Chagres area is home to 560 species ofbirds, including the harpy eagle Panamas national bird and the l argest eagle

in the world.


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The valley edges and protects a vital sect ion of the Jaguar Trail, and is located

within the Choco-Darien hotspot, one of the most bio-diverse and endangered

areas in the world. Our priority is to continue protecting biodiversity, focusingheavily on restoring rivers, which are the habitats and highways of the most

vulnerable species such as frogs and monkeys.


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The Mamon and her sister rivers offer the duality of repose

and the rush of white water adventure. You can relax on a

sweet water beach or kayak to the Pacific or to Kuna island

communities on the Caribbean.


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The valley inspires the l ove of nature and the nature of adventure. Enjoy fun in

clear waters without the chill, and expl ore miles of trails without the crowds.


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We are working to restore nature while welcoming nature into human habitat

Every step we are taking, from the pl anting of a tree to the building of a home,

is leading toward the harmonious integration of landscape and people.


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We are committed to preserving the cultural diversity of the indigenous people

and of the newly arrived communities. Dont lea ve. Well be back in a minute

with mangos and sweet bananas. Chichin Mogoruzas two boys.


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The Mamon Valley Preserve is a cultural meeting place of good neighbors in action.

Join us for building eve ryday friendships.


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Among the 300 residents of the Mamon Valley are a few of the

original settlers who remember cutting the first trails from the

Pacific into the valley. Benigno Acevedo, who turned 80 this year,

was one of the first to arrive in the va lley 62 years ago.


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The Mamon Valley lies a mere 25 miles away from a booming international city.

Nearby activities include strolling through the historical district of Panama City,

partaking in the Panama Jazz Festival, and enjoying the beaches of the Caribbean

and the Pacific Ocean.


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With the Mamon Valley Preserve, we offer a green canvas

that invites your creativity and your participation. This

Mamon river pond is one of hundreds of riparian spotsof exceptional beauty within the Preserve.


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Caribbean Sea

Pacific Ocean

PANAMACOSTA RICA

Panama Canal

Gulf of Panama

Coln

PANAMA CITY

M

Chagres

National Park Kuna Yala

The Mamon Valley comprises 28,000 acres on the Continental Divide of Panama.

Topo map courtesy of the NASA SRTM team and NASA Earth Observatory


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In our uncompromising commitment to preservation,

sustainability, and profitability,

we are guided by the following principles:

Protect biodiversity;

Protect and honor cultural diversity;

Adhere to the highest standards of design and responsible development

in harmony with nature;

Be rigorous and creative in using natural materials and renewable resources

to meet our needs;

Engender a community of purpose committed to ed ucation, social interaction,

personal development, and friendship;

Encourage further discovery in the life sciences and the a rts;

Exercise good judgment and prudence in the stewardship of

natural resources and investors capital;

Execute our Mamon vision with openness, honesty, integrity, and respect.

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O U R GU I D I N G P R IN C IP L ES

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. . .Now, mor e t han at any t ime in h i s t o r y ,

i t i s impe rat i v e t hat we l e arn f r om our anc e s t o r s mi s take s

t o bui ld a su s ta inab l e f u tur e .


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CRAIG A. W. ROBERTS

PRINCIPAL HART HOWERTON

We have the privilege of working in many one-of-a-kind environments around

the world. With that comes a responsibility to help steward these unique land

resources. To us being a part of the Mamoni Vall ey Preserve project means:

Creating new models for land use that integrate conservation, economic

development and community strategies the triple bottom line

Working at a scale that maximizes the impact of our land conservation

strategies while creating best-in-class places

Taking a whole systems approach to design integrating economic, market

research, local knowledge, land planning, ecological, engineering, and

architectural practices at every stage of the process

Strategic, long-term thinking to create value that sustains the natural and

built environment over time.

Because of our global reach, we bring an international perspective to the

Mamoni Valley Preserve project, al ong with a willingness to work alongside the

Kuna masters and conservationists to jointly find solutions that respond to the

regional and local context of this unique piece of land.

M A S T E R S : P R O J E C T D E S I G N


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DANILO PEREZ

GRAMMY-AWARD WINNING JAZZ MUSICIAN | FOUNDER DANILO PEREZ FOUNDATION AND

THE PANAMA JAZZ FESTIVAL | ARTISTIC DIRECTOR THE GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF

JAZZ AT THE BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC | CO-FOUNDER THE MAMON VALLEY

PRESERVE AND JUNGLEWOOD: THE DANILO PEREZ PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS

CENTER

Being here in the Mamon Valley at the edge of the forest reminds you what a

blessing it is to be a musician. It also reminds you what its like to really listen.You start hearing the subtlest sounds.

I notice that when Im here I also start listening to my body. When my body is

telling me something like, Im tired, I hear that. Im learning to listen to

myself in a deeper way than I normally do. For us musicians who are always

putting out energy, this is crucial nourishment. It awakens your spirit.

What were creating with Junglewood in the Mamoni Valley is a big rehearsal

space. This is where we musicians, scientists all of us can get back in touch

with ourselves and celebrate life in the most natural way.

GLENN ADELSON, PH.D.

CO-DIRECTOR FOR SCIENCE AND EDUCATION EARTH TRAIN | DIRECTOR OF

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES LAKE FOREST COLLEGE LAKE FOREST, IL

In doing restoration ecology you are not just restoring the Earth, but through

performing the act of planting a tree or planting a forest you are actually

restoring yourself. There is a performance in restoration ecology that is

somehow parallel to the performa nce of musicians, where the result is not only

something beautiful for others to experience, but also the restoration of ones

own soul.

M A S T E R S : A R T & M E A N I N G M A S T E R S : A R T & M E A N I N G


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LIDER SUCRE

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MUSEUM OF BIODIVERSITY PANAMA CITY

The Mamon Valley Preserve is a strategic part of the total forest that remains

between the Chagres National Park near the canal and the Colombian border.

Its the largest stretch of connected habitats a nd the longest remaining section

of the famous Jaguar Trail that exists in the Choco-Darien eco-region. This

corridor of forest has a bottleneck that begins at the coast of Kuna Yala and

ends at the continental divide. If the forest were cut in two, that would diminish

its value for biodiversity conservation for generations to come.

The Preserves conservation and restoration efforts are strengthening one of

the most important areas for the protection of biodiversity in the world.

(excerpted from 2008 interview with CNN reporter Alan Duke)

HEALY HAMILTON, PHD

DIRECTOR CENTER FOR BIODIVERSITY RESEARCH CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF

SCIENCES SAN FRANCISCO, CA

The negative effects of climate change on the tropical forest ecosystem and

livelihoods of the local people, in the Mamon Valley and throughout Panama,

can already be felt. CBR will integrate global clima te models with local weather

data to produce statistically robust scenarios of projected climate changes

for the Mamon valley. These climate change projections will be integrated

into the Mamon Greenprint to support conservation and la nd use planning that

incorporates the most likely effects of global warming. These climate change

projections along with other natural resource maps will be integrated into the

Mamoni Greenprint master plan to support conservation and land use planning

that incorporates the most likely effects of global warming.

M A S T E R S : B I O D I V E R S I T Y M A S T E R S : B I O D I V E R S I T Y


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at the narrowest point in the western

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