Ngöbe Botanischer Garten

Volunteer Work

Populations are putting tremendous pressure on forests and natural resources in the Comarca. We are facing a drastic loss of biodiversity due to traditional slash and burn farming techniques. It is urgent for populations to adopt different ways of food production. These new techniques need to be environmentally friendly, more efficient, and competitive in the market place. This is one area where collaborators and volunteers from other parts of the world can be valuable for the indigenous population.

Work in the garden (organization and taxonomic classification)
Construction of infrastructure
To make biological, botanic, and physical geography studies
To interact with the population and to inform them of the results of the studies, research, and projects
To increase cross cultural exchange by building infrastructure together with the community.




	Botanical Garden
	Much more than a collection of orchids, the garden also includes bromelaids, heliconias, gingers, ferns, palms, and a wide variety of tropical trees. We also have a secondary forest which has been left growing natural for 8 years. Infrastructure We would like to create facilities in the future for research. We have ideas for making a laboratory with microscope, a telescope, a library, conference facility, and administrative office, as well as, housing for students, scientists from various disciplines, and volunteers.
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	All structures would use renewable energy sources such as solar panels to power them. The Botanic Garden Ngobe´s scientific activity will include studies of ethnobotany (traditional medicine Ngobe-Bugle), research into geology, soil structure and vegetation. This research into the physical geography of the Comarca Ngobe-Bugle with scientific collaborators will serve as a base for the people of the Comarca to better plan land and natural resource use in the the Comarca. The results of scientific research will appear on the Botanic Garden Ngobe website to be available to all levels of national and international groups and can be used by local authorities in the form of environmental lectures in the Comarca Ngobe-Bugle. The local population will be able to use the information to make autonomous decisions.
		Volunteer Work Populations are putting tremendous pressure on forests and natural resources in the Comarca. We are facing a drastic loss of biodiversity due to traditional slash and burn farming techniques. It is urgent for populations to adopt different ways of food production. These new techniques need to be environmentally friendly, more efficient, and competitive in the market place. This is one area where collaborators and volunteers from other parts of the world can be valuable for the indigenous population. Work in the garden (organization and taxonomic classification) Construction of infrastructure To make biological, botanic, and physical geography studies To interact with the population and to inform them of the results of the studies, research, and projects To increase cross cultural exchange by building infrastructure together with the community.