Environmental Management Administration Students Visit the Montuoso Forest Reserve

In recent days, students of the Bachelor of Environmental Management Administration at the Santiago Campus, accompanied by Professor Alexis Gómez, made an educational visit to the Montuoso Forest Reserve, located in the province of Herrera. This activity allowed students to directly observe the natural resources that the reserve guards, as well as understand how these resources are managed and their impact on neighboring communities.

During the visit, the students were received by the Chief Technician of the Reserve, Andrés González, who gave an introduction about the reserve and the route to be taken. The tour took place along the César Best trail. In addition to this, the reserve has three other trails: Los Tucanes, Cascada Río La Villa and El Talón del Mono.

Throughout the tour, students learned about the importance of the reserve, especially in relation to the source of the La Villa River, a crucial water resource for the Azuero region. The flower of the Holy Spirit, a species existing in the reserve and a symbol of the country, was highlighted, in addition to the benefits that the reserve offers the community and the challenges it faces, such as fires, tree felling and illegal hunting.

One of the most impressive aspects of the tour was the direct contact of the students with the ecosystem, many of them seeing species they did not know for the first time. The visit also highlighted the importance of the reserve for the conservation of the La Villa River, which faces pollution problems due to pig farming and the use of agrochemicals in agriculture in its middle and lower parts.

The activity not only allowed students to discover new opportunities for the development of scientific studies, but also recognize the potential of local tourism as a source of development for nearby communities. This educational visit highlights the importance of the interrelationship between academia, the conservation of natural resources and community development, promoting a comprehensive and sustainable understanding of the environment.