Summit Nature Park Panama - Web Site

Even with limited resources Summit Nature Park-Panama is playing an active role in global and local conservation projects. Working together with world class institutions like the Houston Zoo, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and the Peregrine Fund we look to get more and more involved in such work as we mature. Our commitment from day one has been to help in anyway possible and we are extremely excited to be able to participate at such an early stage of our development.

Summit is considered Panama’s National Botanical Garden and Zoo thus we must play an active role in this field. The environmental issues that we deal with here are the same ones that are being dealt with all over the world, which in turn means that the solutions we discover and further develop here could be adapted and used all over the world as well. If you feel identified with any of these projects and would like to support them, or if you have ideas for new ones, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Amphibian Conservation:

Amphibians have been disappearing at an alarming rate all over the globe. Panama no stranger to this phenomenea. Additional to habitat distruction, contamination, and the illegal pet trade, amphibians now have to deal with the chydrid fungus. This pathogen infects the amphibian's skin causing deformities and massive population reductions. Amongst the species that we are in danger of loosing is the Panamanian Golden Frog (Atelopus zetekis)

Summit is actively participating in the construction of EVACC (El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center). This consists of a building that will house a laboratory and an exhibition area. The investigation conducted at this center will look to clear up some of the questions sorrounding the fungus, serve as a resovoir for native species, and inform and impress all who enter the center about amphibian diveristy and their plight.

Baird’s Tapir Conservation:
Participation in Baird’s Tapir PHVA (Population and Habitat Viability Assestment) Workshop in August 2005. Panama has the largest captive Baird’s Tapir Collection in Latin America and will play a key conservation role in the future. Summit will be participating in developing a regional breeding plan and well as developing key education tools that will be used in shools and ruaral cumminities.

Summit has also been actively involved in working with local authorities in the confiscation of a baby tapir being sold on the internet. Through work done on this case a closer link will be made with the national authorities with the goal being to establish better communication and resource allocation between both institutions to better address incidence like these.