rotorua canopy tours brands itself as a company heavily invested in ecotourism, which involves more socially conscious forms of tourism that protect the environment, benefit the local communities, and educate the tourists. ecotourism, when implemented properly, can provide enormous contributions to the environment and the surrounding community. the idea is to create a win-win-win situation: a company thrives, the environment and its inhabitants benefit, and tourists enjoy an informative and thrilling activity.

a proactive approach 

while ecotourism sounds like a creative solution, it is not a complete panacea. tourist activities, even if well intentioned, attract more visitors to an area which puts many of these natural wonders under more stress. this increased foot traffic can harm the wildlife directly or even indirectly, through the introduction of invasive species or the altering of animal behavior. furthermore, when ecotourism is not carried out properly, it can undermine the lives of locals and extensively damage the environment.

rotorua canopy tours has spent over $250,000 nzd (new zealand dollars) on sustainability measures in an effort be the best in the ecotourism industry. they’ve devoted much of their workforce to conserving the forest in which it operates by trapping possums, rats, and stoats. while it may sound counterintuitive for conservation to involve trapping, this work is vital to protecting the forest. all three of these species are invasive to the area, have no predators, and also prey on the native bird populations, decimating their numbers and degrading the entire ecosystem.

the company’s approximately 750 traps have culled tens of thousands of pests and restored 280 hectares of forest since trapping started in 2013. harry haywood, a senior zip line tour guide for the company, has been working in the tourism and conservation industry for nearly 10 years. he said, “when we started in 2012, we had about 98% saturation of pests in the forest. nowadays, the possums are around 0.8% saturation. last i checked, the rats are around 20-22%, but that’s up from around 12%, due to us being in a mast season.” a mast season is a cyclical period when trees drop more nuts and seeds than during a typical year.

evidently, the efforts of rotorua canopy tours provide enormous benefits to the dansey road scenic reserve, the forest that contains the zip line course and is owned by the new zealand department of conservation. the company’s founders strongly believe in rehabilitating the forest, and according to haywood, wrote it into their contract with the department of conservation. while this agreement helped the founders secure approval to build the zip line course, it also aligned perfectly with their values and mission.

this partnership benefits both sides, as the department of conservation allows rotorua canopy tours to operate in the forest in exchange for a lease payment and the trapping work. in fact, haywood explained that the company’s workforce and funding greatly exceeds the resources the department of conservation would have been able to allocate to this forest.

“for me it’s resetting the traps, rebaiting them, and documenting numbers and statistics,” haywood said of his role in the conservation efforts. “we also work with a local scientific group on various studies and discovered four new species to science, as well as assist in the reintroduction of certain native bird species.”

normalizing sustainable practices in ecotourism

at the end of the day, the goal of any business is to boost its profits as much as possible, which begs an important question: what responsibilities to the environment do ecotourism companies have?

many climate activists, business leaders, and philosophers have debated this very question. brian berkey and eric orts, professors at the university of pennsylvania’s wharton school, argue that businesses hold an ethical responsibility to forgo some profit opportunities in order to address the climate crisis because the world cannot sustain current business practices.

the good news is that it does seem intuitive for ecotourism businesses to conserve the places they operate. “it may not necessarily be [a business’] responsibility to look after the country, but they should want to protect the place they are in. if the glaciers are disappearing and the forests are destroyed, then ecotourism businesses won’t make any money either,” said haywood.

with profits inevitably at the heart of the issue, part of the impetus for companies to change may come from consumers’ choices about where their money goes. ecotourism remains a viable option for travelers seeking an adventure while minimizing their environmental footprint, but this depends on businesses implementing principles of ecotourism. 

at the end of the day, looking out for the environment remains the top priority. “the zip lines are a fun way to get from point a to point b, but you’re really there for the forest,” said haywood. “you may not realize it until you’re out there, but you’re there for the forest, and seeing it look the way it does partly because of our work feels good.”

i was given the opportunity to travel on board the national geographic endeavour ii with lindblad expeditions when i won planet forward’s storyfest prize in 2020. and as the date of the voyage grew closer (delayed somewhat due to covid), i began to research potential topics that i could report on while in the archipelago. one area of interest that struck me was understanding how conservation efforts in the galápagos empowered local populations.

in school, many of us learn how the geographic isolation of these islands lead to its incredible array of endemic species. we learn about darwin’s great voyage, about his theory of evolution that shaped modern day science. but what many of us don’t learn about is that four of these islands are not only home to finches and frigates, but also populated by humans—about 30,000 individuals in fact.

navigating the fine line between environmental protection and human development is by no means easy. life as a galápaganian is especially restrictive coming from a western point of view; buying a new car—or even driving a personal car in the galápagos—for example, is virtually impossible. since 97% of the islands are protected and restricted, except for those visiting through a tourism agency, many locals don’t get to experience the isolated wilderness that foreigners see upon visiting. in fact, if locals wish to the remaining 97% of the islands — the protected and uninhabited islands — they must also go through a tourism agency. in the galapagos, one cannot visit national park territory without being part of a licensed tourism operation with a licensed naturalist. experiences like these, like on a cruise, cost a minimum of thousands of dollars, preventing so many locals from ever having this opportunity.

bolstering local communities and empowering the next generation are imperatives for long-term sustainable conservation. if people who live in the galápagos are not provided adequate opportunities to visit, explore, and learn about the importance of the islands, there is far less of an incentive to love, and thus conserve them.

i was pleased to learn that as part of their mission to use the power of travel for positive change, lindblad expeditions has raised more than $19 million for conservation, scientific research, and local communities. lindblad is also a 100% carbon neutral company. in the galápagos specifically, from 2019 to 2020 lindblad funded grants for four different conservation organizations, focusing specifically on education, research, technology, and storytelling.

additionally, since 1999 lindblad has participated in a galápagos national park program called explora galápagos, in which tourism companies partner with the program to bring local teachers, farmers, students, and other community members out to explore their home islands’ wild and remote sites. the program’s goal is simple: to educate about the unique archipelago and all it beholds, and to inspire stewardship of the islands.

i was curious to learn about exactly how participating in a lindblad expedition reflects onto local populations, and exactly what areas of conservation are a priority.

on board the 96-guest equipped national geographic endeavour ii, i met adrián vasquez, who works as a video chronicler, documenting our expedition. adrián grew up on the island of san cristobal, and previously worked as a ministerial communications and video production advisor for the government council of galápagos, which focuses on improving social problems in the archipelago. 

“lindblad in the past had only international video chroniclers, but now they only have local video chroniclers. that is very important,” adrián said. “it shows that the local people are very important for the islands.”

in december 2020, lindblad in conjunction with island conservation, an international nonprofit conservation organization, launched the galapagos island relief fund, a program providing financial relief for galápaganians impacted by the pandemic. sven lindblad, the founder and ceo of lindblad expeditions, explained when the program was announced, “stimulating the local economy through community micro-loans has the power to activate a thriving system—helping entrepreneurs and small business owners develop new ideas to complement sustainable tourism and meeting the needs of the local community long after the pandemic is over.”

i am emboldened by the mission of lindblad expeditions, after seeing firsthand the commitment of their team to work toward ecofriendly tourism solutions, rather simply aiming for profit, like many other enterprises. and i’m hopeful that the next generation of naturalists, photographers, and educators have been inspired by their experience among the wilds of galápagos as much as i was.

to get to the galápagos — in the pacific ocean a good distance west of ecuador — first each of our u.s.-based travelers had to complete a series of what we’re going to call “side quests,” as that’s a bit more fun than the drudgery of pre-trip covid tests, several flights, weather challenges, and extra long lines. but these quests were well worth it when we first saw the bright turquoise waters and rustic, almost desertlike landscapes — home to the incredible endemic and native species of the galápagos.

our intrepid storytellers — deepti bansal gage, jake meyers, cate twining-ward, and avery van etten — spent a week exploring several islands in the galápagos archipelago. three were aboard the national geographic endeavour ii, and avery, who persevered through weather-related travel challenges, was aboard the national geographic islander.

the sights and experiences our team — and each of our ships and fellow guests — encountered were absolutely incredible. and one of the extremely memorable parts of that, beyond the obvious, is the food served on the ship.

guests are treated to an amazing daily array of fresh foods — from local juices of fruits many of us were not familiar with, to super grains, salads, sustainable seafood, meat, vegetarian and vegan main courses, and desserts made from and highlighting tropical fruit (one dessert which was entitled “the story of the pineapple” will forever live in my mind, thank you!), and much more.

but, like everything else, lindblad took care of our food guilt too, thanks to a farm-to-table program — just one of many initiatives lindblad expeditions participates in to support locals and their economy. lindblad purchases “30-40 tons of local and organic produce annually” for its galápagos ships, according to its website. that means money is invested directly in galápagos farms and supports the people who live in the galápagos — because there’s more than just the incredible flora and fauna in the archipelago. there also are about 30,000 inhabitants on four islands.

on top of food for lindblad’s many guests, “100% of all other (non-produce) provisions are sourced either in the islands or from the mainland of ecuador.” all of which can provide a significant impact on the local economy, which is heavily dependent on tourism and was hard hit when covid ceased travel. the afp reported that the galápagos tourism chamber estimated that the economy lost out on $850 million from march 2020 to march 2021. since reopening in july 2021 with relaxed restrictions, the galápagos is working to rebuild — all while protecting what makes the islands unique.

you can learn more about the archipelago in the stories our team is sharing from their adventures. they cover everything from endemic species to the human inhabitants on the galápagos, to changes in protected areas and a look at the evolution of a naturalist. look for them on planetforward.org.

ecotourism follows three main principles: conservation, community, and interpretation. it differs from traditional tourism because it invites tourists to view wildlife and threatened natural environments while keeping them at a distance. money spent by the tourists then filters back into the community, fostering economic growth and creating jobs.

for example, south africa generates $8.4 billion and 5,000 jobs from ecotourism alone. south africa has limited land that can be developed and effectively utilized. this creates a scarcity of employment opportunities. so, ecotourism is key to supporting local economies. 

ecotourists can also benefit, as they are immersed in the surrounding culture. ecotourism can help you gain a new environmental awareness that you may have been searching for!

due to the pandemic, areas that relied on ecotourism are facing the consequences. lauren gilhooly in the magazine sapiens highlights a correspondence with howard stanton, who runs a malaysian ecotourism destination: “(we have) had to put all staff on unpaid leave for the foreseeable future. … we have taken the decision to reduce all costs until a better time to open becomes available.” 

luckily, platforms such as veco labs are developing apps and sites that create an in-depth tourist experience consisting of 360-degree photographs with background audio, still images, and embedded videos. narration from guides is included to enhance the effect. 

a tour by veco labs can be found here. 

virtual ecotourism can remind you of your love for travel. it can also evoke your support for local economies through donations. as virtual ecotourism platforms grow, hopefully, direct donations to the featured areas will become more available. virtual ecotourism that donates its profits would be a great alternative for communities that rely on ecotourism as income, especially during the pandemic.

as the pandemic subsides in the future and normal travel resumes, you may think that virtual ecotourism cannot compare to the real experience of seeing wild animals and bonding with family during a vacation. 

however, with advances in technology occurring every day, it is exciting to think about the potential developments for virtual ecotourism. veco labs plans to add more interactive features into their interface so that users can ask questions and be guided in real-time throughout a destination. this replicates the social aspect of traditional tourism! 

but virtual ecotourism extends beyond pandemic relief. while ecotourism attempts to focus on conservation, its growth in popularity shows that negative environmental impacts are being exacerbated. in a study on the kodagu district in india, the ecotourism in the area is leading to a decrease in biodiversity, water quality, and air quality, among many other harmful effects. 

daniel blumstein, chair of ecology and evolutionary biology at ucla, warns that ecotourism’s effects on wildlife can be compared to that of animal domestication. wildlife becomes less aware of their surroundings, making them more susceptible to predators.  

thailand’s maya bay also experiences harm from ecotourism. maya bay has reported that 77% of the island’s coral is in danger due to the large number of visitors and boats that it must accommodate. 

a shift to virtual ecotourism can maintain all of the positive intentions of ecotourism such as proper conservation and economic support of local communities while diminishing the harmful effects that come with it. 

you can directly help the environment while satisfying your yearn for travel during the pandemic with virtual ecotourism. consider taking a virtual tour and bask in your heightened social and environmental consciousness!

when we can travel again, what will it look like? how will travel and tourism have changed? how will the pandemic make us think differently about our health — and the health of our planet?

the pandemic has forced us to reconsider a lot of things, so when i sat down with global explorer and sustainability travel pioneer sven lindblad, who’s ceo of lindblad expeditions (www.expeditions.com), i wanted to know what it’s going to take to get back out in the world — and how we can do it more sustainably. sven’s thought a lot about both those issues because his company, like so many others in the travel business, was all but shut down by the pandemic.

communities in beautiful but remote travel locations face a particularly delicate balancing act, made more challenging by covid-19 travel restrictions. where ecotourism supported conservations efforts, tourists and their money just about disappeared, creating an economic void that threatens so much of what’s been achieved in recent years. for example, “undertourism” now threatens progress in marine sanctuaries where tourism dollars replaced revenue that had led to overfishing.

but there are changes we can make as we navigate the responsibilities of stewarding both natural resources and the communities dependent on tourism dollars. as i learned in our conversation, these issues are priorities for sven. he thinks and talks about them with searching curiosity and commitment. he’s made sustainable tourism a focus of his company. and he’s been recognized for his conservation and environmental stewardship over the past two decades, specifically for his work in the galápagos archipelago.

could his vision of tourism be how we travel in the future? it would stretch our horizons for sure, but it’s an expedition worth considering.

in the pristine beauty of an archipelago off the caribbean coast of panama, the indigenous guna people show tourists to their small cabanas, where they will be surrounded by the sound of the crashing ocean as they sleep. the hosts prepare meals of freshly caught fish to feed their guests, while others crack open coconuts for tourists to sip while relaxing in blue waters.

guna women sell molas, part of their traditional clothing, and wrap long beaded bracelets around their visitors’ wrists. the guna people rely on tourism to the san blas islands to bring in revenue of $2 million – 80% of their total income.

in the next 20 years,  however, many of the islands of this idyllic destination will disappear under the waves.

climate change is causing rising sea levels across the globe, which means that the ocean is slowly creeping up the shorelines of these small islands. eventually, they will be uninhabitable, and the guna people can already see evidence that their homes are shrinking.

“look at this island: we are not even 30 centimeters above the sea level,” said diwigdi valiente, 28, a guna native who is an environmental activist and an advocate of ecotourism. “the urgency? it’s much more than what you expect.”

abelardo (tito) nuñez davies first arrived at his home on pelican island in the san blas chain 15 years ago, and he has already watched it transform in this short time span. “this island was much bigger before, and now some of the beach is disappearing,” he said.

although he can’t ignore the sight of his changing landscape, he hasn’t considered moving away yet and hopes he won’t be forced to. but the guna government is working to prepare for the day when people who have lived here for generations will no longer be able to call these islands home. these plans are difficult to develop – scheduling a mass exodus of climate change refugees is an unprecedented move.

“four years ago there was (a) budget to move the island to (the) mainland,” valiente said. “the government changed, and the budget was gone.” despite structural changes, the guna people continue to search for ways to plan for their inevitable move. “they’re applying to have funds (from the) u.n. to develop an adaptation and mitigation plan for climate change for panama,” he said.

aresio valiente lópez, a law professor at the university of panama and member of the guna congress, wants to create a special environmental department in the congress. “they will be in charge of making sure that the movement from the islands to mainland is going to be organized,” said lópez, valiente’s father. (note: valiente acted as a translator for lópez, who was speaking in spanish.) 

this move is more than physical for the guna people – it requires a transformation of their industries and economy. to lópez, this transformation is imperative so that the guna can continue to have a sustainable source of income. “our economy has to change,” he said.

“what they are trying to do now is to diversify what the source of income is,” valiente said. “right now, the biggest source of income is tourism.”

the guna people don’t have to abandon tourism completely if they can find ways to make it sustainable, which valiente is pioneering as a founder of bodhi hostels.

“right now, i am committed to building the most sustainable hostel chain in the world,” he said.

he plans to extend his business to the ocean around the san blas islands and build a hostel designed to survive the rising sea levels. his experience as a business owner has shown him that profits and environmental sustainability are not mutually exclusive – within a year of opening, his business broke even and was chosen as the best hostel in panama. now, he continues to run his business with both profits and sustainability in mind.

“right now, my job is to open new hostels, but at the same time, our hostels have a very strong and important focus on solving environmental issues, especially climate change,” valiente said. “sustainability is actually a way to make money and also have an impact in society and the environment at the same time. if you don’t make money and survive out of it, you are not sustainable.”

these two goals made bodhi a perfect fit for the developing town of kalu yala, where valiente and his business partner allan lim recently opened a new hostel. similar to the original bodhi hostel, kalu yala is a new business endeavor that values both profits and sustainability.

“our mission is to build a new town that proves that civilization can live in a socially and environmentally responsible way,” said kalu yala founder jimmy stice, an american entrepreneur.

kalu yala sits in tres brazos valley a few miles from san miguel, a small farming town in the panamanian jungle. founded in 2011, the town now boasts a coffee shop, a restaurant, a bar, and a store with snacks and sweets centered around a communal town square. these small businesses offer a bit of luxury to the sustainable lifestyle at kalu yala, which involves sleeping in open-air ranchos and exploring new sustainable farming practices. the crown jewel of the town is the kalu yala institute, where college students can spend a semester in the jungle studying topics such as engineering, outdoor recreation and media arts.

the institute is currently the main source of revenue for the town, but stice aims to build a fully functioning town, complete with a thriving industry of tourism and hospitality. the hostel is the first step for tourism as interns continue to at the institute continue to innovate sustainable energy, culinary, agriculture and water resource solutions for the community. now, stice plans to build accommodations that are more comfortable for people who aren’t used to camping in the jungle.

“we’ll start introducing the small houses, which will allow for people who want to sleep on a real mattress,” he said. people could purchase houses or just vacation in them – “$150 nights is inclusive just like $13 a night is inclusive” for the hostel, he said.

tara mclaughlin, president of the kalu yala institute for the interns who are helping to develop kalu yala, believes that ecotourism and social entrepreneurship are lucrative industries to be a part of right now.

“that current desire to be sustainable, or trying to make a difference, but also having that desire to travel – if you offer a product that allows somebody to do both of those things, then it’s a very desirable product,” she said.

with an experimental project like kalu yala, it’s possible that it could become a tourist trap rather than an authentic town. stice likened this potential outcome to a “disneyland of sustainability,” but that’s the worst case scenario, he said. he wants to balance tourism with other businesses and industries in the town, as well as the educational component.

marie stringer is capitalizing on this ecotourism potential by starting a zip line business at kalu yala. she believes that panama is an ideal market opportunity because it currently doesn’t have many zip lines, and the scenic jungle and rain forest surrounding kalu yala are stunning.

“there’s a reason why we’re building a million-dollar zip line and it’s paying for itself in two years,” she said.

she plans to hire local people from the nearby town of san miguel and former kalu yala interns to be the zip line guides. one of her top priorities is creating well-paid jobs in the small community and providing her employees with new skills – they will have access to free language classes so that all guides can be fluent in both english and spanish. she wants to emphasize this social change aspect throughout her business.

however, any social change arising from tourism also brings cultural exchange, which can have unintended outcomes.

“tourism is about moving people from one place to another,” valiente said. “when you move people from one place to another, you’re not only moving people: you’re moving experiences, you’re moving culture.”

“we had a group out here partying for panamanian carnival,” mclaughlin said. “dealing with that cultural collision, i think was both good for the students and both good for the panamanians that came out here. they learned a lot about what we’re doing.”

so far this cultural exchange has been positive, but as tourism continues to grow, san miguel residents may look to tourism as an alternative to the tradition of farming in the area. valiente has seen the negative effects of tourism in his home on the islands, and this is why he believes it is important for tourists to consider sustainability when they travel, learning about the cultural values of places they visit and minimizing the physical footprint they leave.

“it is important because when we move from one place to another, we affect the place and we make an impact on the place we are going to,” he said. “and we have the choice of making that a good or a bad impact.”

valiente believes that this impact would be more positive if tourists built relationships with the people whose homes they’re visiting and made an effort to interact with them.

“how do they see you?” he asked. “what do they see that you are coming to do here? do they see that you are coming just to relax and chill out at the beach? or do they see that you are coming here to interact with them and be interested in our culture, which is – besides the water and the nice beaches – one of the most important assets we have.”

despite the fact that the guna culture is one of their most valuable assets, valiente has watched it struggle to survive western influence.

“unfortunately, in the occidental world we have a very colonial society that forces people to believe that materialism is the best way to live: that buying stuff is what is going to make you feel happy,” he said. “but for the guna people, we don’t have to be rich in this life, because according to us, when we die we are going to go to a place where everything is gold. so for us, material stuff is not important. but when you start getting people that come here and have cell phones and have tvs and talk about all this stuff that happens in the western society, then you also start wondering, ‘ok, am i living good here (on) an island in the middle of nowhere? or should i also get a cell phone? should i also get a tv? should i also get cable tv?’”

for this reason, valiente can see a positive side to leaving the islands. “i think it’s a great opportunity for everyone to embrace a culture that’s about to get lost,” he said. he wants to publish art across panama that makes people realize, “okay, that culture is being lost, but it’s time also for us to get it back.”

“instead of looking it as something maybe bad or very negative, we could look at it as something totally positive and something that could even make our society better,” he said.

although climate change threatens to push the guna people away from their island homes, the tragedy may allow them to regain part of their culture that has changed with  tourism, he said. however, it is still unclear how their economy will recover from the loss of tourism or how much of it they can reestablsih with the mainland as a base. in the meantime, only time will tell how the budding ecotourism industry at kalu yala may affect the culture of san miguel.

despite the challenges that arise from tourism and climate change, lópez believes that the native cultures in panama will survive.

“cultures are dynamic: we’ll lose some of it and then we will integrate new things,” he said. “at some point, what we had 100 years ago is not going to be the same anymore. but cultures (are) dynamic.”

separated by miles of ocean and a 2-hour drive, or a 50-mile hike, through the jungle, guna yala and kalu yala are two of panama’s most sustainable communities.

guna yala, part of the san blas islands in the caribbean, and kalu yala, a commune in the interior jungle, differ drastically in not only their locations, but also in contrasting heritages, culture, and history. what the two do share in common are beliefs and practices that revere the environment.

the guna people, one of the country’s eight main indigenous groups live on the guna yala islands as an independent province off the coast of northeast panama. more than 360 small islands make up the guna archipelago, but only about 50 are actually inhabited and many of which welcome tourists.

the stark contrast between mainland panama and guna yala is apparent even before setting foot on the islands. the water, astonishingly clear and filled with marine life, combined with white sands and palm trees make the perfect vacation spot. what is not immediately apparent, however, is the deeply rooted culture and traditions of the guna people who consider the islands sacred.  

according to aresio valiente lópez, a guna environmental lawyer and professor fighting for indigenous rights, one distinguishing characteristic of guna yala is their right of self-government as an autonomous province. 

a major component of the guna culture is the unique relationship with their environment, which can be seen through much of the artworks and traditional clothing made by guna people.

“most of the native american communities in the americas are very, very close to the land and to the mountains and to the sea and to the environment in general. the kuna people are not far from that,” said diwigdi “diwi” valiente, a 28-year-old guna environmental activist and entrepreneur.

while some aspects of guna cultural beliefs regarding the environment may align with the western concept of sustainability, they are not the same given their contrasting origins, usages, and connection to their respective cultures.

“there is supposed to be one prophet – similar to jesus – that taught us how to behave like humans,” valiente said, “we have this religion and way of thinking where we not only have the mother earth, but also the (father) sun.”

delfino davies, museum guide on the guna yala city island of carti sugtupu, explained that the dual aspect of mother and father is one of the most central aspects of guna religion. couplings are present everywhere in guna life and culture; all places and objects are assigned either female or male.

davies describes this coupling pattern that shows up distinctly in molas, the guna’s traditional artwork sewed into a square of cloth, later made into clothing for guna women. molas typically have a geometric element to them and reflect designs from guna legends and culture.

the guna’s distinctive cultural beliefs are closely connected to their beliefs about climate change, or in some cases, lack thereof.

valiente explains that many guna do not have opinions about climate change, simply because they don’t have sufficient access to information on the topic. many people in guna yala also don’t consider issues caused by climate change to be anything more than fluctuations in the weather, though they are seasonal witnesses to the increasing flooding linked to sea level rise as glaciers melt in polar regions.

“here, in the islands: there are months when the islands get completely flooded. you have water up to your ankles. imagine living for a month like that. there (are) people that still believe that’s because of nature itself,” valiente said.

abelardo “tito” nuñez davies, 40, who resides on small pelican island island with his mother and nephews, notes matter-of-factly that his family’s guna island is shrinking. the house, once in the center of the place, now flanks the sea. “what can i say? we’re here because of the grace of god.”

nuñez also explains that although he and his family have had to temporarily relocate to nearby islands during big storms, they haven’t even thought about permanently moving.

valiente sees climate change through a different lens as his people are disproportionately affected by it. “it’s super frustrating. it’s even worse because you try to explain (to) people climate change and they don’t understand it because they are not causing it,” he said.

“panama doesn’t produce anything; we are a country of service. a country that did not contribute to climate change at all.”

panama, as a developing country, does not hold much historical responsibility for the human-induced climate change present on the planet today given the country’s almost nonexistent role in industrialization. panama is slowly becoming more developed but is still largely a country of service, with tourism as one of its biggest industries.

the tourism industry in guna yala has boomed so much in recent years to the point where it now contributes 80% of their income. this large percentage begs the question of how sustainable tourism can be in the long run.

developing tourism options based on the mainland and seeking new directions for the economy are critical, said lópez, the guna environmental lawyer. he explains that the guna congress recently created a mixed enterprise in which people can buy shares for the first time. “before, all the enterprises that the congress had were private, but now they created a transportation company that’s 60% owned by the institution and it’s 40% available… for sale for everyone.” now the island residents will receive benefits from profits of all the boat traffic to the islands, he noted.

however, many guna hold strong ties to their beliefs and are not easily subjected to change from outside influence.

“a lot of people tend to go and sort of pass judgment on them like ‘oh their towns are so dirty and stuff,’” says panamanian architect ricardo arosemena. “but my response to that is: they could keep living exactly like that for a million years and they wouldn’t destroy anything and the way that we live — maybe you don’t see any garbage but we just destroy everything.”

“i mean, we have a culture that survived colonization from the spaniards. we are much more than the caribbean. and that’s something that we have not been able to explore and take advantage of as much as we could,” valiente said.

valiente is different from many other guna. he works in mainland panama with a primary focus in the sustainability industry and he also studied hospitality management and international business tourism at the césar ritz college in switzerland.

currently, valiente works with bodhi hostels, a business whose mission is to “inspire and encourage sustainable ways of living and travel.” valiente and his business partner, allan lim, recently opened up a new hostel location in kalu yala, a growing eco-city in the panamanian jungle.

keeping kalu yala’s mission in mind, lim and valiente incorporate sustainable practices into the creation and maintenance of their new hostel. in addition to using solar energy, “we try to apply all the cleaning practices that are organic: we use vinegar and water to clean,” lim said. the partnership also hires only local panamanians to work in their hostels.

in the words of the town’s ceo and creator, jimmy stice, kalu yala was founded with the intention to “build a new town that proves that civilization can live in a socially and environmentally responsible way.”

kalu yala’s mission is similar to the cultural beliefs of the guna people, in that both are environmentally conscious and structured around a sense of community. the eco-city’s name actually has guna origins, kalu meaning “house of spirits, and yala meaning “land” or “mountain.”

although kalu yala is very modern and the guna culture has been present for centuries, valiente is a bridge between these two communities, being the first guna person to work at kalu yala, but hopefully not the last.

just like in the guna islands, there are clear signs of tourism booming in kalu yala. in addition to the new bodhi hostel, there also are plans to build permanent residences in the eco-city.

“we’ll start introducing the small houses which will allow for people who want to sleep on a real mattress so $150 nights is also inclusive, just like $13 a night is inclusive,” stice said.

in addition to the small houses, kalu yala plans to build larger charleston-style homes and attract permanent residents as well.

“so i think we’ll be back up to 200 people by the end of next year,” with interns and staff, stice said. with guests and hotel tourists, he anticipates a community of about 300. “and then we’ll actually introduce home sales in 2020 or 2021, and we’ll start adding maybe 50 full-time residents a year based on that.”

with all this new construction and development in kalu yala, it will be interesting to see how the community can still incorporate their sustainability values into these plans, and what they will do to potentially offset their emissions.

fifty miles over four days, from the jungle to the caribbean sea. seven hikers left kalu yala, a sustainable eco-town in the making located in the panamanian jungle, and began their trek to the caribbean coast. these hikers soon found out that, at some points, this untested trail did not even exist.

bushwhacking through the jungle was never on the agenda for the seven hikers, interns and directors developing sustainability projects at this experimental community. but they had to improvise to reach their destination safely – or at all.

kalu yala intern carter angel, one of the explorers on the trip, didn’t even know much about hiking. “i think it was the hardest thing i’ve ever done in my entire life and it was as rewarding as it was challenging,” said angel, 31, a kalu yala resident from virginia. the challenges they faced ranged from language barriers and physical injury to a treacherous climb through the mountains that took them in a circle – back to their starting point a day later.

the kalu yala hikers were accompanied by local panamanian guides, “two farmers that knew their way but didn’t know the trails,” angel said. at some points the hikers saw that they were going off-trail but communicating the ideas in spanish to the guides, who were looking for shortcuts with well-trained eyes, was difficult.

nevertheless, the guides proved essential to the group’s survival. “we walked by a wasp nest and (the guide) just took his hand and plugged up the hole so they couldn’t get out,” angel said. the locals’ knowledge of the area and the environment allowed them to “hear and see things that anybody else wouldn’t be able to hear or see,” she said.

marie stringer, co-owner of tres brazos outfitters – an outdoor adventure recreation business at kalu yala – helped plan this trip, and described the trail as the “supreme jungle” meant for adventurous tourists who want to explore the way to the ocean rather than fly by it in a 1.5-hour truck ride. she tracked the hikers as they took this trip and saw that they were walking in the wrong direction at points. but angel and her companions had to circle back, and as a result, fell far behind schedule. “we were in such a time crunch that there were points where we were literally running,” angel said. they had to make it in four days – or their supplies would run out.

in the midst of this adventure-gone-wrong, the travel team diminished from seven to four. “jess, who did the filming got injured, and then jimmy’s shoes fell apart,” angel said. another hiker, bailey, also had to return to kalu yala. “luckily though, it was kind of a blessing in disguise because they gave us their food and some of their clothes,” angel said. carter continued on this trek with kalu yala staffers tara mclaughlin, sasha papich, and wes stiner.

these risks did make this experience unforgettable for the hikers, but so did the rewards. “there’s some really beautiful points on the trail and i think the four of us really really bonded,” angel said, and then she went on explaining how they saw bioluminescent plankton during a boat ride.

although the trip did not go as planned, this is what happens when the trail is untested, “they’ll be doing it again next semester,” said stringer, from tres brazos outfitters.  

hiking is a popular sport at kalu yala, a sustainable community in the making in the panamanian jungle, where interns develop their own ecological projects for agriculture, living designs, construction, and water resources. a group of these kalu yala residents went on a 50-mile hiking adventure and ended up walking in circles on uncharted trails, reemphasizing the importance of navigation.

since the majority of the students at kalu yala are not local, they are not experts in their knowledge of the area. with new technology, however, navigation can be a tool the hiker carries to the trail. the alltrails application is a technological innovation for navigation that, through an ongoing ecological tourism project, is being adapted to the trails around kalu yala.

app guides hikers, even offline

marie stringer, co-owner of tres brazos outfitters, has been working on this project for months. “it turns your cell phone into an offline gps tracker that tracks your points as you hike outside of cell signal. you can download the maps offline and then utilize your point on the map without wi-fi (or cellular service) to see the topography ahead,” said stringer, as she explained the purpose of alltrails.

the staff at kalu yala have been mapping the trails around the area to add to the app, founded by a group of bay area investors in 2010. as a result, “instead of requiring that a staff member or student know the trail, it allows people to go do this on their own,” stringer said. she is referring to the trails meant for beginners, indicated in the app as the less challenging ones — unlike the grueling 50-mile trail to the caribbean that required guides.  

discovering kalu yala via the app

alltrails will benefit the hiker as an individual and kalu yala as a community. stringer describes it as a social sharing app. “we’ve had people just show up on our property because of the trails that we mapped for our internal use,” she recalls. seeing as there aren’t many trails mapped around the area, people began to see kalu yala as a good place to stop for a break or even for the night.

more visitors at kalu yala could even help in the community’s mission. jimmy stice, founder and ceo of kalu yala, describes how this institution would achieve its most basic goal by spreading “environmental and social values to people who want to come here.

“what i’d really like, though, is to create an economy here where you don’t have to just come here to be a student or come here to camp for the weekend — you can apply for a job here like any real city.”

as kalu yala scales up to a larger community, people who would initially wander in using alltrails could learn more and spread the word about sustainable living. this expansion would lead to more guests and eventually, employees to help upkeep the sustainable ecological programs.

helping people experience nature

this app also solves the issue of accessibility. “what alltrails does is it allows hiking like that to be accessible to people that don’t have that sort of very specialized gear, because the gear that you need is your cell phone,” stringer said. the fact that the app is free also allows everyone to be able to access an outdoor adventure.

carter angel, a hiker and a recent graduate of the internships at kalu yala, recalls a time when she took a hike a saw a rare red frog. the app, by making hiking easier to access, allows more people to experience nature, in nature. “there’s things along that whole trail that you would never see anywhere else because you’re literally just, you’re there,” angel said.

however, angel believes that the paths she worked on are in an early developmental phase, and so she did not yet post many of the trails she mapped.

stringer reemphasizes this current challenge: “i have this amazing vision of it, but it requires actually a lot of time and energy on my part to make it what i want it to be.” she is planning to continue working on this project next semester.

a tool for education

the vision those at kalu yala have for alltrails extends beyond the mapping of a few hiking trails, however.

farm tours, usually given by the farm manager to kalu yala visitors, are being adapted into self-guided tours with alltrails, from the chicken coops to the red cranberry hibiscus bushes.

“i’ll go through and do the farm tour and add every plant that i know,” stringer said. “when people come here they can grab the brochure and then download alltrails, upload our farm tour and literally walk around the farm clicking on the pictures … getting an explanation of what that is, how it builds a soil and what sort of nutrients it needs.”

zoe st. john, the agriculture director at kalu yala, said the self-guided tours will give her more time to work on farm projects. “that means that i get roughly an extra, anywhere from an hour to six hours each week, just to work on the farm,” st. john said. “i am so thrilled.”

the alltrails app can be loaded with unlimited information. stringer explains that the project is not yet complete because she is still collecting “culinary information or any sort of medicinal information,” among other facts about the agriculture at kalu yala to include in the app before posting it.  

a living project

using the mapped trails and, in order to map others, angel created a ‘hiking challenge’ for the staff and students at kalu yala. she wanted to build something that won’t “just get eaten by the jungle,” meaning that it would last for years and get passed on, unlike some sustainability projects that require constant maintenance. 

angel created a point system showing scale of difficulty to encourage people to head out for that first hiking high. “if you think you’re going on a hike and your machete-ing the whole time, like, that’s not a hike — that’s a scramble. so i wanted it to be something that is fun and safe and enjoyable,” angel said.