P ANAMAS S UMMIT P ARK : A C ENTER FOR

B AMBOO C ONSERVATION AND E DUCATION :

G IB C OOPER
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BAMBOO OF THE AMERICAS: GIB@BAMBOODIRECT.COM

Background

Summit Municipal Park was created in 1923 as an experimental tropical garden administered by
the Panama Canal Company. Tropical species where brought in from all over the world in order
to discover what benefits they could bring to mankind. Missouri Botanical Gardens had a
station here for almost 30 years and David Fairchild, who would later go on to create Fairchild
Tropical Botanical Gardens is one of Summit’s Creators.

Between 1940 and 1946 Dr. F. A. McClure of the USDA planted select bamboo species to create
a collection of useful bamboos from Asia. There are two exceptions and one is Guadua
angustifolia that may be native to Panama. Today the Bamboo Walk is a botanical highlight of
Summit Zoo.

By the 1950’s, with the growth of the Canal Zone, Summit’s role began to evolve and it became
a botanical/recreational park where both Panamanian and US families could enjoy a wonderful
time in the tropical outdoors. Summit’s directors, such as William Lyman Philips, (who would
also go on to direct Fairchild’s Gardens) where very much involved in all of the landscaping for
the Canal Zone.

By the end of the 50’s the first animals began joining the parks collection and by the mid 60’s a
small animal collection was used for training military personnel, (so they could id species). This
would become Panama’s first public zoo and when the Canal Treaties where signed in 1977,
Summit was one of the first pieces of land to revert to the country in 1979.

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Summit is surrounded by Sobernia National Park, strategically located in the eco-logically
protected Canal Zone and near Gamboa, the site of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
(STRI). Today the park is under the direction of Nestor Correa and administrated through the
Parks Department of Panama City.

Elements of Design

Mike Bostwick and Gib Cooper traveled to Summit Park in August 2009 to begin
implementation of the 2008 AZH Conservation Grant. The team arrived to focus on the
following design and program elements related to the bamboo collection:

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  Garden development
 Site analysis
 Species assessment
 Architectural features
 Eco-tourism
 Educational components:
o Maintenance and care
o Interpretive center
o Conservation under Panama national guidelines (ANAM – Autoridad Nacional del
Ambiente)
o Special activities for children
 Ongoing research – specialists: STRI, ecologists, botanists, and architects.

The first areas to be identified were (color coded to the park map):

o The Nursery
o The Front Entrance
o The Bamboo Walk
o The Undeveloped Area of McClure’s Bamboo Collection
o The Planned Panama Native Bamboo Collection

2008 Objectives:

Organize and classify the current collection that is established at the Summit.

1. Establish an interpretive component achieved through the new interpretive plan to be

developed for the overall bamboo collection, especially on the Bamboo Walk.

2. Create a Guadua nursery in order to be able to replace both the collection species and
the sections of the front entrance over time.

3. A major focus will be to learn the conservation status of the native bamboo of Panama
while assisting in renovating and rebuilding the bamboo component of the
Garden/Zoo’s botanical collection.

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 4. This will include establishing an ex-situ living bamboo collection of the 21 native species
from Panama, and at the same time adding herbarium specimens to major herbariums
with bamboo taxonomists.

Observations of the Existing Components with Recommendations:

The Park’s Main Entrance:

The entrance is in need of renovation. Guadua angustifolia bamboo is in the park’s collection.
Guadua is available as a construction material to use in redesigning the entryway.

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The renovation is to include a Guadua design architectural feature to create a new look to the
main entrance.

The design shown is a creation of Gerard Minakawa of bamboodna.com

The Nursery Entrance:

The nursery and entrance to the nursery is inside the park. However, there is an old entrance
with room for parking off the same public road as the main entrance. All this area is used for
now is for the dumpster storage.

The well maintained nursery sells plants but only to those who pay the entrance fee and come
within the park. The renovation design includes creating a new entrance off street with parking
and retail sales.

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 QuickTime™ and a
decompr essor
are needed t o see t his pict ure.

A design by architect Simon Velez is an example of an entry made from Guadua bamboo. Note
the capability to design in large overhangs that can support even tile roofing!

The Bamboo Walk

The 60 year old bamboo plantings along a small drainage creek is one the most popular
walkways in the park. It happened to be the best location for our meeting with Ivan Hoyos, the
2009 park director, to discuss our renovation activities.

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We met with Kevin Haley from the Conway School of Landscape Architecture to discuss
implementation of new ornamental planting along the streamside and construction of a
bamboo screen made from Guadua poles. We also met Marianne Akers who is the lead docent
and volunteers her time assisting in activities at the park.

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The Bamboo is mainly comprised of one species of bamboo, Bambusa polymorpha. However, in
the upper reaches there are a few others species. It is a well maintained and was chosen for the
interpretive signage about the introduced bamboo collection.

The Undeveloped Bamboo Collection

When Dr. F. A. McClure designed the introduced bamboo collection he wisely chose the two
drainage creeks that run downhill through the park. At times during the tropical rainy season
these channels become, potentially, damaging torrents. The bamboo stabilizes and maintains
the course of the streams. In this area a hundred or more yards away from the Bamboo Walk is
a similar collection, however, this collection of many more species is undeveloped and vaguely
identified.

Guadua angustifolia
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Our recommendations include creating a new walkway to connect the two east-west parallel
walkways with a new north-south walkway along this second stream. In effect creating a
second bamboo walk with a more varied collection of native and introduced species. This is
where we found the largest grove of Guadua angustifolia (noted here as the only maintained
planting in this area) and Rhipdocladum racemiflorum. Along with the new all weather walkway
is to add descriptive plant labels, interpretive signage and a maintenance plan. The result
should look like the bamboo collection as shown here from Fairchild Botanical Garden.

Panama Native Bamboo Collection

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There are 21 native species of woody bamboos listed for Panama and more herbaceous and
introduced exotics to put the total number of species at about 65. A major component of the
project is to begin a conservation program for the native species. Panama is an important
region for this and has the support of bamboo taxonomist Dr. Lynn Clark of Iowa State
University. She is a collaborator assisting with species identification and as a recipient of
samples for DNA analysis for determining bamboos bio-diversity.

An appropriate site was around the tapir exhibit and along a walk that ended at the jaguar
exhibit. Here were open areas and forested areas suitable for the native bamboo collection
from the low elevation regions of Panama.

Meetings

Several meetings allowed the team to learn who are the botanical specialists and what
institutions to be involved with. Before the trip a list of contacts was prepared and this was
expanded as several new meetings occurred at our hotel. The full schedule insured the project
has the complete interest of the botanical community for its research and conservation
capabilities. The keynote meetings were with Larry Herve, Associate Director of the
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), Dr. Mireya Correa, Director of the National
Herbarium and Dr. Alicia Ibanez, Botanist, both from the University of Panama and active in
STRI projects.

Summit Park has no docent program, but they do have Marianne Akers a retired American
living nearby who devotes much volunteer time to the gardens. She knows the players and has
continued her volunteer work through the administrations of several park directors. She has
developed into a key contact and will assist in developing a more formal docent program. (See
the Appendix 1 for a full contact list)

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are needed to see this picture.

Native Bamboo Research and Collections

We were introduced to Jorge Lezcano from the University of Panama. He is a graduate student
under the suprvision of Dr. Mireya Correa studying grasses. We made a plan to have Jorge
Lezcano submit a proposal to begin native bamboo research and collect specimens under

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permit (See Appendix 3). He was awarded a grant for $1500 after review by the grant managers
and Dr. Lynn Clark. The grant was a jointly funded by AZH Conservation Grant and BOTA funds.

(See the Appendix 2 for a summary of Jorge Lezcano’s work)

Educational Programs

As part of the grant we explored the avenues available to educate the Summit’s visitors about
the beautiful bamboo collection, uses and activities related to bamboo and the broader context
of the native bamboo species found in Panama. Here is a sampling of the types of proposed
interpretive activities.

Workshops

An annual schedule was proposed to

develop some bamboo workshops to
teach various themes, for example:
bamboo crafts, building with
bamboo, bamboo identification,
growing and harvesting, and
preservation of culms.

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Bamboo eco-tours are a successful event that ties in with the park and Panama nature based
tourism. Two bamboo-based tours were successfully developed and filled in Mexico and
Ecuador. This same model will be used to develop a route centering at Summit Park and
Gamboa town with excursions to other points of interest.

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APPENDIX

Participants:

Marianne Akers, Overseers volunteer student work program and wants to establish a n
approved and recognized volunteer program, cell-6488-4195, akers.marianne@gmail.com
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Kyle Haley, Landscape architect, cell-6447-2877, wash. 206-810-2286, haley09@csld.edu

Ivan Hoyos, Dir. Summit Botanic Garden and Zoo, tel. 6678-2657

Mike Bostwick San Diego Zoo Curator of Hort.

Alicia Batista, Landscape Architect, tel. 212-206-0630, abatista@abbnyc.com, Abel, Bainnson

Butz, LLP, ABB

Alicia Ibanez, Botanist-Biologist with Smithsonian Tropical Research Inst, tel. 6570-1896,
ibaneza@si.edu

Allen Herve, Ecologist with Smithsonian Tropical Research Inst, h-314-9493, w-212-8504,
herrea@si.edu

Lic. Iris Rojas S., Dir, of Horticulture, Jefa de Áreas Verdes y Jardín Botánico,tel 232-4850,
irisrosa13@yahoo.es, www.summitpanama.org

Adrian Benedetti, previous director of Summitcell. 6618-5592

Ivan Ortiz, Ecotourism coordinator, tel 6688-1936, ivan@gamboaecotours.com

José Deago, Biologist, tel. 6447-3440, nativaes@yahoo.com

Dr. Don Windsor, Entomologist, windsord@si.edu, 6577-3853

Marco Riquelme, Forester, tel. 6700-9924, fundaconavi@gmail.com

Mireya Correa, Dir. Herbarium, Univ. of Panama, tel. 223-6590, 213-0009, CORREAM@si.edu

Jorge Lezcano, Student Botanist interested in native bamboo fieldwork,

jorgelezcano@gmail.com

Don Windsor, Entomologist, windsord@si.edu

Lynn Clark, Iowa State University, Taxonomist/Bamboo Bio-diversity Project, tel. 515-294-8218,
lgclark@iastate.edu

Poster by Jorge Lezcano summarizing the results his work on a project titled, “Bamboos of
Western Panama’s Cloud Forests. The poster is being presented to the Panamanian Congress of
Science.

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APPENDIX 3

1) Permit Process for Bamboo Collection in Panama

All collection activities are to strictly adhere to Panamanian Law and the International
Conventions (eg. CITES, North American Strategy for Plant Conservation).

Process Checklist

1. Official letter to Nestor Correa, Director of Summit Park, requesting permits to collect
herbarium vouchers, DNA samples and live plants in specific regions between Jan. – Dec. 2011.

2. Apply to ANAM (Panama's Environmental National Authority) with the responsible

Panamanian nationals:

• Legal National: Néstor Correa

• Institution in Panamá: Summit Gardens
• National Researcher: Nestor Correa
3. Submit the application to UNARGEN, ANAM´s department for issuing permits. It usually
takes 45 days. Permits are valid for 6 months.

4. Obtain a document from the University of Panama Herbarium confirming that a voucher of
each specimen collected has been deposit there.

5. Apply and submit for a MIDA export permit.

Important Permit Rules:

• A collecting permit is valid for specific location.

• A permit is valid within a designated National Park or Protected area.
• A permit is possible for private lands but must be accompanied by a letter from the owner.
• A permit is also possible from in Indigenous Comarcas lands, however, you need a permit
from the Indigenous Authorities.

Researchers, Affiliation and Student List:

• Nestor Correa, Summit Park Director/AZH, Panamanian National

• Dr. Mireya Correa, National Herbarium Director, Panamanian National
• Dr. Alicia Ibanez, STRI Botanist, Spain

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• Dr. Lynn Clark, Botanist, Director Bamboo Bio-diversity Project, USA
• Mike Bostwick, Curator of Horticulture, San Diego Zoo/AZH, USA
• Stanley (Gib) Cooper, BOTA Executive Director/AZH, USA
• Marianne Akers, Horticulturist, Summit Park, USA
• Jorge Lezcano, Botany student, Panamanian National
• Other researchers and students as designated

Fees:

Researchers: $15 each, Student: $10 each, Export permit (MIDA): $30

More Information:

http://www.stri.org/english/research/applications/permits/index.php

Mireya D. Correa A., Botanist

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843.03092

Balboa, Ancón, Panamá, República de Panamá

Tel. (507) 212 8046, Fax (507) 212 8148, E-mail corream@si.edu<mailto:corream@si.edu>

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