Conservation, Restoration, and Sustainable Use in Practice
Details
Note: Yale School of the Environment (YSE) was formerly known as the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (F&ES). News articles and events posted prior to July 1, 2020, refer to the School's name at that time.
Summary
Tropical dry forests are important ecosystems in Latin America, but they are threatened by extensive conventional agricultural and cattle ranching practices. This is particularly evident in the dry forest ecosystem of Panama’s Azuero Peninsula, where ELTI works to build the capacity of land-users and decision-makers to understand the role of forests in providing ecosystem services and to design strategies to restore ecological function and sustain production in agricultural landscapes.
Over six days, participants will deepen their understanding of tropical dry forest ecology and strategies for forest restoration and conservation in a complex human-dominated landscape. Participants will have the opportunity to meet with diverse actors and organizations in the landscape. On a variety of interpretive trails, research sites, demonstration areas, and silvopastoral and agroforestry model farms, participants will engage in hands-on field activities and interact with local landowners and community associations to learn about motives, strategies, and challenges for land management decisions.
This course will be held at ELTI’s training landscape in the Azuero Peninsula of Panama, which provides experiential, place-based learning opportunities designed to facilitate engagement and demonstrate the application of key concepts.
*This course is offered only to past participants of ELTI's Tropical Forest Landscapes online certificate program.
Content
Highlights:
- Learn about interconnected relationships of people and the environment in the Azuero Peninsula.
- See real-life conservation and restoration efforts in a mixed mosaic landscape with diverse landowners.
- Participate in hands-on exercises to learn about the range of forest restoration strategies being applied in the region.
- Meet local organizations and landowners who are pioneers in regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, and silvopastoral systems.
Location: Los Santos Province in the Azuero Peninsula of Panama
Duration: 6 days
Cost: USD $2,500*
*The course fee does not include the cost of travel from your city of origin to and from Panama City. All participants (regardless of tuition discount) must arrange and fund their own travel to Panama, including any needed visas to enter the country, as well as any transit visas for layovers in other countries. CATHALAC and ELTI will gladly provide a letter of invitation to support visa applications, upon request.
Sample Itinerary: Subject to change
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Day 1 – Orientation to Panama: introductory lectures and tour of Panama City
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Day 2 – Travel to the Azuero Peninsula, visit old growth dry tropical forest
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Day 3 – Ecological and social consequences of degradation, visits to degraded sites, and meet with local farmers
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Day 4 – Forest restoration and conservation strategies for enhancing livelihoods
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Day 5 – Community-based farmer organizations and sustainable land-use
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Day 6 – Final discussions and return to Panama City