For a naturalist working on a research project, a visit to Barro Colorado Island in the middle of Gatun Lake, might feel almost like a vacation in a beautiful and tranquil natural jungle retreat. On the other hand, a casual vacationer could very well find a tour of the facilities and jungle trails, administered by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, to be a bit too serious and strenuous.
The group probably best suited for an all-day excursion to this 1,500 hectare ecologically pristine site is the ever-growing ex-pat population, hungry for knowledge about the vast biological diversity of their adopted Panama.The staff of Barro Colorado, like the very friendly and supportive Oris Acevedo, the scientific coordinator, welcomes nearly 4,000 visitors annually. The institute shares this large open-air laboratory with Between 200 and 400 research scientists per year who study the numerous species of animals, birds, reptiles, insects and plants that live there.
There is a limit of 90 visitors a week with the trip only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The boat leaves the STRI dock at Gamboa (not to be confused with the resort), promptly at 7:15 a.m. and returns at 4:10 p.m. on weekdays. The trip Saturday and Sunday is a bit shorter, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
After about a 30-minute cruise aboard the commuter boat, the Jacana, visitors arrive at the dock that leads up the hill to the historic field research station, established in 1923. Part of the larger Barro Colorado Nature Monument, the island is buffered by three peninsulas that border the waterway. The up-to-date facility has all the necessary infrastructure, offices, labs, green houses and living quarters for the researchers as well as a visitor's center and dining hall.
The main attraction for visitors is the intricate system of trails that crisscross the otherwise unspoiled lowland humid forest that covers the island. Guides, like Vilma Fernandez, an energetic young scientist specializing in primate studies, who happens to speak excellent English, lead small groups of amateur naturalists through a maze of jungle trails in search of both flora and fauna.
The whole scenic area is routinely patrolled by game wardens, which means that with protection, Barro Colorado Island remains a gorgeous, natural resource for scientists and citizens from Panama and around the world.
For more information, visit the website www.stri.org; and to make reservations and to get directions and guidelines for a visit call (507) 272-2120 or 212-8951 or e-mail ObaldiaA@si.edu.
