Assisting Indigenous peoples to

protect and conserve the

ecosystems in which they live

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On the Pacific slope of the Maje Mountains in eastern Panama, the Indigenous Wounaan communities of Rio Hondo and Rio Platanares are taking action to protect more than 9,000 ha of tropical forested territory. 

They are protecting it from illegal loggers and cattle ranchers who are cutting down the forests and converting it to pasture; degrading the lands, biodiversity and ecosystems on which Wounaan culture and self-determination depend.
Their territory – untitled and therefore legally insecure – vertically integrates the Bay of Panama Wetland Wildlife Refuge to upland forests that harbor new and endemic species, providing critical watershed services to this RAMSAR site and habitat protection for a multitude of neotropical migratory birds and wildlife of global concern.

OUR VALUES

Sustainable Livelihoods based on eco cultural values

Inclusive Restoration and conservation

OUR VALUES

Sustainable Livelihoods based on eco cultural values

Community-led and inclusive restoration and conservation.

Indigenous communities and customs have conserved the world's biodiversity for generations. In Panama, they steward much of the country's remaining intact tropical forest, and they are leaders in its environmental defense. It is an honor and joy to partner with Wounaan communities to protect and sustain their lands and culture, and the biodiversity important to their way of life. They invite you to experience it with them.

Marsha Kellogg, Director Native Future

While Rio Hondo and Rio Platanares seek collective title to their lands, they are reporting illegal logging to Panama’s environmental authorities, protecting their forest from fire, and planting thousands of culturally significant trees. And, with Otter Fonds and Native Future support, they have developed an ecotour to show the world the biodiversity they have protected for generations.
Ecotourism transforms Wounaan conservation efforts into opportunity, generating income that strengthens land stewardship, celebrates Wounaan culture, and contributes to long-term conservation. Every visit directly supports Indigenous communities and the protection of some of Central America’s most biodiverse ecosystems.

Photo credit: Anita Holtz

Photo credit: Anita Holtz

Photo credit: Yina Carter Whitehawk Birding

ABOUT Native Future

Native Future is a nonprofit organization that partners with Indigenous communities and organizations in Panama to secure their land, protect their biodiversity, and sustain their cultural heritage through community-led initiatives and sustainable livelihoods. With Wounaan partners our goal is to protect, restore and conserve the territories of seven untitled communities, more than 160,000 hectares, and the threatened lands, forests and ecosystems upon which their way of life depends.

www.nativefuture.org