Panamas Summit Park-Bamboo Center

45 2010 AZH Conference Proceedings

PANAMAS SUMMIT PARK: A CENTER FOR

BAMBOO CONSERVATION AND EDUCATION:

GIB COOPER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BAMBOO OF THE AMERICAS: [email protected]

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.


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:


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.


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.

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.

QuickTime™ and a decompr essor

are needed t o see t his pict ure.


are needed to see this 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.

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.






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.

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

Guadua angustifolia QuickTime™ and a

decompr essorare needed t o see t his pict ure.




QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

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)

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


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.


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.

APPENDIX

Participants:

Marianne Akers, Overseers volunteer student work program and wants to establish a n

approved and recognized volunteer program, cell-6488-4195, [email protected]








Kyle Haley, Landscape architect, cell-6447-2877, wash. 206-810-2286, [email protected]

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, [email protected], Abel, Bainnson

Butz, LLP, ABB

Alicia Ibanez, Botanist-Biologist with Smithsonian Tropical Research Inst, tel. 6570-1896,

[email protected]

Allen Herve, Ecologist with Smithsonian Tropical Research Inst, h-314-9493, w-212-8504,

[email protected]

Lic. Iris Rojas S., Dir, of Horticulture, Jefa de Áreas Verdes y Jardín Botánico,tel 232-4850,

[email protected], www.summitpanama.org

Adrian Benedetti, previous director of Summitcell. 6618-5592

Ivan Ortiz, Ecotourism coordinator, tel 6688-1936, [email protected]

José Deago, Biologist, tel. 6447-3440, [email protected]

Dr. Don Windsor, Entomologist, [email protected], 6577-3853

Marco Riquelme, Forester, tel. 6700-9924, [email protected]

Mireya Correa, Dir. Herbarium, Univ. of Panama, tel. 223-6590, 213-0009, [email protected]

Jorge Lezcano, Student Botanist interested in native bamboo fieldwork,

[email protected]

Don Windsor, Entomologist, [email protected]

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

[email protected]

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.

mailto:[email protected]






http://www.summitpanama.org/









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


• 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 [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>

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


Documents

Panamas Summit Park-Bamboo Center