Restoring rainforests in Panama, reintroducing the Great Green Macaw, and transforming cities — one tree at a time, one community at a time.
Located in the stunning archipelago of Bocas del Toro, The Panama Project is a living laboratory proving that integrated, community-driven conservation can simultaneously address environmental restoration, sustainable development, and cultural preservation.
Led by Steve Bender, it incorporates all seven areas of Rotary International's focus — bringing together Panamanians, Indigenous Ngäbe, Afro-Caribbean and Hispanic communities, Rotary clubs from across the Americas, and international volunteers.
3,500 native trees planted at Dolphin Bay on Isla San Cristóbal. 550 Almendra trees planted to support the return of the critically endangered Great Green Macaw.
Every initiative in Bocas del Toro is designed to be replicated globally — a comprehensive model that addresses the full spectrum of conservation challenges.
Restoring coral colonies bleached by warming seas on Isla Solarte, with community members building reef structures and cultivating specially grown corals.
Planting thousands of native trees — including the Almendra — in partnership with ITEC students and Panama's EPA to restore the Great Green Macaw's critical habitat.
Solar-powered water systems and microgrids providing clean water to remote island communities accessible only by boat.
Mobile dental clinics, fluoride treatments, and health education for 100+ children at remote island schools, in partnership with Floating Doctors and Ayuda International.
Partnering with One Earth One Ocean to teach recycling, recover plastic, and reduce marine waste across the archipelago.
Mass planting of Almendro trees, a captive breeding program, and community education — all working toward a self-sustaining macaw population by 2030.
Learn More →"We planted native trees — including the Allamanda Tree, which we hope will support the reintroduction of the Green Macaw. It was muddy, sweaty work, but worth it. Along the way, we encountered a bright orange poison frog, a venomous snake, a scorpion, and even a large rhino beetle!"
President, Rotary Club of Ojai West"We contributed to the ongoing reforestation effort by planting 3,500 trees at Dolphin Bay on Isla San Cristóbal. These ten days in Bocas del Toro were more than just a service trip — they were a testament to the power of collaboration, community, and shared vision."
Rotary Club of Ojai West"Diving the coral reef that my club contributed to clearly showed what we can achieve when we work together. We also planted 550 Almendra trees to help attract macaws and support their thriving in this island community."
Rotary Club of San Luis Obispo de TolosaOnce a vivid flash of emerald and crimson above the rainforest canopy of Bocas del Toro, the Great Green Macaw has all but vanished. Deforestation of a single tree — the Almendra (Mountain Almond) — brought this magnificent bird to the brink. The Panama Project's 2030 vision: bring it back.
With fewer than 1,000 adults remaining across the entire range from Honduras to Ecuador, the Great Green Macaw is Critically Endangered. Panama holds one of the last viable wild populations.
The solution is deceptively simple: plant the trees, and the birds will have a home to return to.
Initial surveys of remaining Almendro stands; first volunteer tree-planting missions begin with Rotary clubs and ITEC students.
3,500 trees planted at Dolphin Bay, Isla San Cristóbal. 550 Almendra trees planted across island habitats. Community nurseries established.
Construction of dedicated aviary facility. Acquisition of 4 mating pairs. Launch of formal Species Survival Plan in partnership with wildlife authorities.
Gradual release of captive-bred birds into restored habitat. Intensive monitoring via radio tracking and community wardens.
Goal: a self-sustaining breeding population of Great Green Macaws living wild in Bocas del Toro for the first time in decades.
Two forests. Two continents. One extraordinary legacy. From the boreal forests of Finnish Lapland to the tropical rainforest of Panama — both bearing his name, both legally protected, both sequestering carbon for generations.
Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland — Boreal forest on former peat fields. Certified carbon sequestration. Registered in Finnish property registry.
Dolphin Bay, Isla San Cristóbal, Bocas del Toro, Panama — 2 acres of rare native rainforest species. Dedicated to Trammell S. Crow.
"This collaboration is a cross-border climate act based on measurable and transparent impact. This is not a symbolic gesture: we are creating real carbon-sequestering forest." — Salomo Vilén, CEO, Carboreal — on the EarthX Forest Partnership, December 2025
Brian and Amy Wilcox arrived in Bocas del Toro and found something most people only dream about — a place so biologically extraordinary that protecting it became their life's work. BRRI is the result: a grassroots reforestation force that has planted tens of thousands of trees and inspired an entire archipelago to grow back its forest.
BRRI was launched on Panama's National Reforestation Day, June 26, 2021, with over 150 saplings of 25 different native species planted in a single afternoon at Dolphin Bay.
As the world's urban population surpasses 55% — and climbing — the trees lining our streets and filling our parks have never been more critical.
Potential cooling of urban neighborhoods through increased tree canopy coverage.
Reduction in urban heat island effect from existing tree cover globally.
Household energy savings a single tree can deliver within 15 years of planting.
Trees absorb CO₂ and release oxygen while trapping particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and other pollutants — acting as natural air filters.
Access to green spaces and tree canopy significantly reduces stress, anxiety, and depression. Studies link tree cover to lower crime rates and stronger communities.
Trees increase property values by 10–15%, attract businesses, reduce energy costs, and lower healthcare expenses in urban communities.
City trees provide essential habitat for birds, insects, and small mammals, creating wildlife corridors through otherwise impenetrable urban landscapes.
Tree roots absorb rainfall and reduce runoff by up to 30%, protecting cities from flooding and reducing strain on stormwater infrastructure.
Native trees support mycorrhizal networks — underground fungal webs that connect trees and enable nutrient sharing across the forest floor.
With 1.4 million members in 46,000+ clubs across 200 countries, Rotary International is one of the most powerful forces for community-based environmental action the world has ever seen.
In 2017, Rotary President Ian Riseley challenged every Rotarian to plant one tree — 1.2 million total. The response was extraordinary: Rotarians worldwide documented the planting of more than 4.3 million trees, exceeding the goal more than threefold.
In Romania, the government donated trees and Rotarians planted one million trees across the country in direct response to the challenge. In Iceland, Riseley personally planted a Rotary tree just uphill from one planted by Queen Elizabeth II.
"There's something about planting a tree that speaks to people in a very primal way. It shows a long-term commitment to the community. Somehow, planting a tree captures the imagination." — Ian H.S. Riseley, President, Rotary International 2017–18Visit ESRAG →
Government partnered with Rotary clubs to plant 1 million trees nationwide in response to Riseley's challenge.
District 9211 launched Mission Green, aiming to plant 5 million trees across two countries.
District 3830 planted ipil seedlings to reforest 5,000 hectares of the Irawan Watershed on Palawan Island.
Rotarians partnered in 2024, joining a city-wide effort to expand urban canopy in one of America's most heat-vulnerable cities.
Bocas del Toro Rotary Club plants native trees to restore Great Green Macaw habitat and protect the archipelago's biodiversity.
Whether you're a Rotarian, a conservationist, a student, or simply someone who cares about the planet — there is a place for you in The Tree Projects. Every tree planted is a long-term commitment to the community, to wildlife, and to generations not yet born.
