Biological Reserve
Ciudad del Saber, Clayton, Panama.
Dr. Rodrigo Tarté Biological Reserve
Four species of flora in vulnerable category, eight species of mammals protected by law and ten species of birds currently endangered, are a sample of the biodiversity found in only twenty-one hectares of protected habitat known as the Dr. Rodrigo Tarté Biological Reserve, according to the Management Plan for this reserve prepared by the Nature and Science Foundation 507 at the request of the Fundación Ciudad del Saber.
This is a space located in Clayton, occupying two adjacent land globes, located between Camino de Cruces National Park and Ciudad del Saber. It bears the name of the renowned Dr. Rodrigo Tarté as a tribute to his career and countless contributions to the Fundación Ciudad del Saber (FCdS).
A unique management model
This land was not always considered a nature reserve. According to the General Plan for the Use, Conservation and Development of the Canal Area, the projected use for this site corresponded to the category of mixed use and high-density urban commercial mixed use. However, the destination of this space changed in 2009. That year, the FCdS made a concession request for this land to the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and the Interoceanic Region Authority (ARI) for the creation of an ecological reserve.
The process continued until 2011 when the Administrative Unit of Reverted Areas (UABR), belonging to the MEF, issued a favorable resolution with which the use and administration of two plots of land totaling 21.8 hectares of recovering forest was granted free of charge to the Fundación Ciudad del Saber for a period of three years.
In September 2014, an extension of the concession was requested and accepted on the condition that all the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Environment are complied with in order to preserve protected areas adjacent to the Reserve, as well as the Camino de Cruces National Park.
Finally, in October 2017, through a note issued by the UABR and the MEF, the go-ahead is granted to move forward with the planned studies and characterization of the site.
Currently, the Fundación Ciudad del Saber has a concession that was granted for the use and management of these lands through negotiations with government entities.
What is in the reserve?
4
Flora species in vulnerable category.
8
Mammal species protected by law.
10
Bird species currently endangered.
21
Hectares of protected habitat.
Why is the reserve important?
The Dr. Rodrigo Tarté Biological Reserve is part of a broad natural biological corridor that extends from Soberanía National Park, Camino de Cruces National Park, and reaches the Metropolitan Natural Park. The reserve is a key piece in the conservation and preservation of important natural areas, as it constitutes a patch of urban forest bordering the city and the watershed area, which is also available for the growth of flora and fauna in the Panama Canal Watershed, an area that provides 95 percent of the drinking water for the inhabitants of the cities of Colon, Panama, San Miguelito, San Miguelito and San Miguelito.