outdoors

Also in this section:
The birds that moved in when they imported snails to eat the canal's weeds
Serving the birdwatching industry, creating economic opportunities in Achiote

Rainy season at the Gatun Spillway

The birding biz

photos by Eric Jackson

The little town of Achiote, in a low-lying gap between the hills midway between Gatun Lake and Piña beach, just happens to be one of the world's best birding spots. Surely there must be some wheeler-dealer out there with far more money than brains who will take this information as a good reason to build a theme park "just like Disney World" there. Fortunately these kind of people, who don't tend to visit Colon, have yet to notice Achiote.

But the nation's birders have, a lot of birders abroad have heard of it too, and driving on the road to Achiote it's not uncommon to see foreign visitors and Panamanian guides carrying binoculars and cameras. That, in turn, is something that the Panama Audubon Society and other environmentalist groups, the Panamanian Center for Social Studies and Action (CEASPA), the San Lorenzo Project and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) have all noticed.

Thus with financial help from USAID a little center designed to serve birders has been established in Achiote. It's a place where someone can get an inexpensive meal, have access to clean restrooms, find information about the area's natural features or find a birding guide.

Also in this section:
The birds that moved in when they imported snails to eat the canal's weeds
Serving the birdwatching industry, creating economic opportunities in Achiote

Rainy season at the Gatun Spillway