A milestone in Panama’s conservation is marked with the start of the first basic training course for park rangers, organized by the Ministry of the Environment (MiAmbiente). This initiative seeks to train a new generation of environmental defenders, equipping them with the skills and knowledge necessary to protect the country’s natural areas.
The course, which will last one month, will train 30 young people on field activities, patrolling and survival in the jungle, on the one hand, and on national parks, biodiversity and the legal basis of Panamanian environmental legislation.
The director of the Park Ranger School, Commander Luis Alfonso Puleio, highlighted that this course is the culmination of a desire of the national environmental community, and seeks to strengthen the conservation, research and protection of protected areas in Panama. The trained park rangers will be essential for the preservation of biodiversity and water resources, including those vital to our survival and that of the Panama Canal.
This first course is the initial step in a broader effort that envisages the training of five classes of park rangers each year.
The collaboration of various entities has been crucial for the realization of this course, with the significant support of companies such as Happy Green, Portucan and Importadora Central and environmental organizations such as Fundación Natura. Minister Navarro thanked the joint effort and highlighted the historical importance of this date, underlining its relevance for national conservation.
For her part, the nominated director of the National Institute for Professional Training and Capacity Building for Human Development (INADEH), Yajaira Pittí, supports the initiative with instructors and the corresponding certification, and reaffirmed her institution’s commitment to training more park rangers nationwide. She highlighted the importance of inter-institutional collaboration and thanked Minister Navarro and the private sector for their support, assuring that during her administration efforts to protect Panama’s natural resources will continue.
At the event chaired by the Minister of the Environment portfolio, members of the private sector, public servants of the Ministry and Major Luis Saldaña, of the Environmental, Rural and Tourist Police Service, a collaborating arm of MiAMBIENTE’s actions in the field, were present.
