At the beginning of the year 2000, projects of great impact were being developed in the forests surrounding the canal basin and the need to conserve and educate on their importance was vital. This led to the creation of an interpretive center of the Panamanian tropical forest located in the middle of the world-renowned Pipeline trail, a site with a great diversity of birds.
Bird Protection
This center is managed by the Fundacion Avifauna Eugene Eisenmann, whose mission is to protect the birds of Panama and their habitats. For this reason, a group of people passionate about environmental conversation, nationals and foreigners, conceptualized the creation of this interpretive center that would allow them to reach people through environmental education and sustainable tourism.
Connect with Nature All the Way Up
The Soberania Natural Park is where the Panama Rainforest Center is located just 45 minutes from Panama City. In 2008, it opened its doors and since then it offers a space to connect national and foreign Visitors with the wonders of the forest through its well-marked trails.
It has a visitor center where you can watch hummingbirds constantly eating at their drinking troughs and an impressive 32-meter-high observation tower overlooking Lake Calamito from its highest platform.
Bird Watching and Much More
The main activity is bird watching, they have registered up to 267 different species of birds. Some of the most common birds are the slate coli trogon, the iris-billed toucan, the broad-billed motmot, and various species of little ants, jumpers, tanagers, and flycatchers. Besides bird watching, Visitors can also enjoy watching other types of animals such as howler monkeys, sloths, anteaters, neques, coatis and many more.
Other activities that are practiced are hiking, camping, night tours, astronomy from the tower, yoga workshops and more.
The History of the Pipeline Road
During World War II, American soldiers built a pipeline through the historic Panama Canal Zone. It was a precautionary method of transporting oil across the isthmus in case the canal had to be closed because of the war. The pipeline cut through dense rainforest and soldiers built a road to provide service when needed. The war ended and the pipeline remained unused. Over the years, the road was used to access certain places in the area. As the jungle continued to mature and the US returned the Canal Zone to Panama, regular traffic on the pipeline highway was reduced. Throughout this route you can still find relics within the forest, such as anti-aircraft machine gun platforms, a trailer with caterpillar tires that was used to remove timber trees and the pipe lines, the reason why it is called the Pipeline Road.
Visitors from All Over the World
Although the center has been affected by the pandemic, today they receive national visitors who seek close contact with nature. However, before the arrival of Covid-19, they received approximately 7,000 Visitors annually from the United States, Canada and Europe.
Likewise, a number of investigations are carried out in this sector and they received the visit of scientists and researchers from the Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Studies, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the Pro-Conservation Foundation for Panamanian Primates, the Yaguara Foundation, among others. .
