bioDiversity/Community Day

Buenas from Panama! Today’s leaders of the day were Sophie and Cassidy!

After a hearty breakfast at our hotel and a suprise visit from a wandering scorpion! (All were safe, he seemed very friendly and was helped to leave the building.) We then made our way to a community named, Paris de Parita. There, we met four different women; Sonia, Raquel, Betty, and Elisabeth (who we affectionately call Eli). We toured the small town, and as we walked through we visiting the local churches where we were introduced to the musicians, singers, and other members that were excited to see us in community. We split into 3 different groups and had the opportunity to personally visit the women’s homes. We were met with open arms as each of them were extremely hospitable. At Betty’s home we learned how her and her daughter would wake up early in the morning to collect used bottles and tires that had been discarded around their community and transformed what many would see as trash into beautiful ornamental flowers, butterflies, fish, and so much more. These items are used to decorate the homes of those in the community. She doesn’t sell these items, she gifts them. Betty has taught us the importance of doing our part in the community; what it looks like and how seemingly small actions can make a big impact.

With Sonia we explored the town more, learning about the local school, other churches and a soccer field. When we arrived at her home, we learned about different crafts that she does, such as making bracelets and beaded hair pins. It meant a lot to hear about her life and how her grandma had taught her how to do these crafts. Sonia, mentioned how, “the newer generations weren’t as interested in taking up these customs.” She provided us with the example of her daughter, as she didn’t want to learn these traditions or skills when she was younger. It wasn’t until she was grown, moved out and married that her daughter found value in learning. Sonia is also a member of the Asociacion de la Mujer Rural Amiga del Manglar (AMURAM) along with the other women. They work to reforest and plant mangrove trees; they believe these tress to be vital to their community as they protect their homes from the strong winds and provide homes for migrant birds that come through seasonally. These women have worked hard on this project, facing many challenges. One of their reported challenges was having to learn the best way to plant these trees and also learning to avoid alligators (and even once one of the women had stepped on an alligaotor thinking it was a log, but thankfully she was not harmed)!

After a fun free time of naps, giant uno, and shopping at Super 99 and Top Outlet, we had the opportunity to meet some people from the Guna culture. They came to speak to us and taught us about their history, their traditional dress; which they commonly still wear today, their cultural dance, and important celebrations they have. An interesting fun fact about their language Tule Gaya is that many of their words are similar to English ones, such as “Zugar” in Tule Gaya is “Sugar” in English, or “Nispeiper” in Tule Gaya is “Newspaper” in English, and “Wachiman” in Tule Gaya in English is “Security guard” . They also brought things that they hand-made, like bracelets, anklets, and Molas that we were able to see and buy.

We had a self-reflection afterwards, during which we were able to share our thoughts on Biocultural Diversity and community and connect what we experienced within the community, standard definitions and our hearts. Everyone shared their thoughts on the importance of bioculture, and the effects certain cultures and communites have experienced over the years. It was amazing to see the different perspectives from everyone in the group and how everyone felt and thought about the different questions being asked. This gave us a way to not only think about the effects on communities but the earth as well, and how that ties into bioculture.

As leaders of the day, we learned how to simultanously steer a large group of same age peers into the right direction while also stepping back and trusting them with their responsibilities. This was what we both believed was our challenge for the day! As we reflect on our leadership we are proud of ourselves because we were ontime to every activity, everyone was safe, present, and we had great experiences today! We did it!!

Passing off the Torch!

– Sophie and Cassidy

P.S. miss you mom and dad. xoxo – Sophie

P.S.S. We read the comments so please keep them coming. We miss you guys! – Cassidy