A grassroots reforestation force growing back the rainforest of Bocas del Toro, one native tree at a time.
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 already 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 a tree-planting ceremony at Dolphin Bay where over 150 saplings of 25 different native species were planted in a single afternoon. Co-founded by Brian and Amy Wilcox of Dolphin Bay Hideaway, together with Dr. Peter Lahanas and Leonor Ceballos Meraz of ITEC.
Today, between Dolphin Bay Hideaway and ITEC, tens of thousands of saplings have been planted across the Bocas del Toro archipelago. BRRI plants up to 2,000 trees a month, with a minimum goal of 1,000 trees per year on the Dolphin Bay property alone.
"There is ample opportunity for low budget, low commitment work that makes a huge impact — albeit down the road." — Brian Wilcox, Co-Founder, BRRI
To bring together like-minded individuals and organizations interested in establishing forests on their property in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago and adjacent mainland — with the intention to produce renewable resources, sequester carbon to mitigate the effects of global warming, and reestablish the original biodiversity of the region.
To see a future where trees are established on regional lands no longer in use, a country where its original biodiversity is returned, and a world returned to its normal atmospheric levels of carbon.
The Association is open and free of charge to anyone with an interest in planting trees. Members benefit through the exchange of ideas, information, and trees.
A forest restoration library has been established at the Institute for Tropical Ecology and Conservation (ITEC), available to all Association members along with information on horticultural techniques and methods.
Join BRRI on Facebook →
Nestled in the jungle of Isla San Cristóbal, Bocas del Toro, Dolphin Bay Hideaway is one of Panama's most beloved eco-lodges. Run by Brian and Amy Wilcox, the B&B sits at the edge of rainforest that — thanks to Brian's relentless planting — is measurably fuller, wilder, and more biodiverse than when they arrived.
Guests don't just visit a beautiful place — they witness living conservation in action. Many guests have joined planting days, snorkeled Rotary Reefs, and returned home as advocates for Bocas del Toro.
The Tree Projects is partnering with BRRI to establish and dedicate a 2-acre rare native tree forest at Dolphin Bay, Isla San Cristóbal — honoring Trammell S. Crow as the second forest in a growing global series bearing his name.
From the boreal forests of Finnish Lapland to the tropical rainforest of the Caribbean coast of Panama, these two forests will stand as a testament to Crow's lifetime of environmental philanthropy — one in the far north, one at the equator, both bearing his name, both legally protected, both sequestering carbon and restoring biodiversity for generations to come.
The Dolphin Bay forest will focus on the most critically needed indigenous species of the Bocas del Toro rainforest: rare trees that support endangered wildlife including the Great Green Macaw, anchor fragile hillside soils, and rebuild the original biodiversity lost to decades of logging and cattle grazing.
The forest will serve as a living model and destination — a site where future volunteer groups, researchers, Rotarians, and EarthX partners can plant trees, witness restoration in progress, and connect the dots between a Texas philanthropist's vision and a Panamanian rainforest growing back to life.
Dedicated to Trammell S. Crow
Support BRRI's mission to restore the rainforest of Bocas del Toro. Offset your carbon footprint with a trusted partner that has planted tens of thousands of native trees.
