Paul & Brad return to TropicRiverWoods, in Bocas del Toro Province, Panama. Our team has expanded to include Filibert Reid, the prior owner of the land.

The latest digital photographs are "in", folks!! As followers of this ambitious project, we hope that you will agree that they capture the flavour of a land that is muy bonito, AND convey the essence that will be quintessential TropicRiverWoods!! Enjoy them as our progress continues, web friends!

A Panoramic View of The Proposed TropicRiverWoods Bio-Reserve Garden!

The core team for this proposed rainforest bio-reserve project took a leap forward with the savvy addition of Filiberto Reid. Our tasks during this trip included planning where the pole residence/visitors' centre will be located on the finca...and planting another 500+ tropical hardwood, fruiting & flowering trees. It was quite a work session. Yes, we all have the sore backs as a testament towards achieving some key goals at the finca, in Bocas del Toro Province, Panamá.

Filiberto has been faithfully tending the seeds, planted in February, for four months now. Germination has been expectedly slow (due to variability of rainfall), but about 1/4 of the total HAVE SPROUTED, even with the spring rainfall deficits! The summer rains will undoubtedly aid in allowing germination of many more of the earlier batch of seeds as well as the latest set of seeds planted during this trip. (We certainly hope so!) Say a prayer for them all, friends! It couldn't hurt!

Three toed sloth. Photo courtesy of Kevin Schafer Photography We also had the pleasure of seeing our first resident, a three-toed sloth (Bradypus torquatus), sleeping atop one of the Laurel Trees. As we could not get a good picture of him/her WAY up in the tree, a picture of a three toed sloth is at left.

Photo courtesy of world renowned Kevin Schafer Photography!

Near the end of our second day of planting, Filiberto, knowing we were thirsty, took four green coconuts and, with his mighty machete, sliced down the side of each one, opening a hole big enough for us to drink from. We also enjoyed the taste of our own cocoa fruit and fresh lemons from the trees already located on the finca. Not only were they refreshing, it was made all the more enjoyable knowing that we were taking pleasure in the gifts nature had given us on this land.