World Famous Architect Designing New Biodiversity Museum In Panama City

Frank Gehry, the world famous architect best known for the innovative Guggenhiem Museum in Spain, has designed a new biodiversity museum in Panama City. The “The Bridge of Life” Museum will house exhibits that showcase the diversity of life at the crossroads of two continents. Permanent exhibits currently being developed include an exhibit focusing on interdependent systems in ecology, an exhibit with full scale models of extinct animals that once inhabited the isthmus, and an exhibit on the separation of the aquatic ecosystems of the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean. The museum is in a partnership with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and will be the first international museum incorporated into the Smithsonian’s affiliations program.

The impressive architecture of the new building will surely bring prestige to the city, as Frank Gehry has become one of the most sought after architects in recent memory

The museum is being built at the Amador Causeway, a location only a few blocks from the main cruise ship port in Panama City. The area is currently being developed as a major tourist destination, with the Gehry designed biodiversity museum as the centerpiece. The impressive architecture of the new building will surely bring prestige to the city, as Frank Gehry has become one of the most sought after architects in recent memory. His buildings have included world famous landmarks such as the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the Experience Music Project in Seattle.

Panama City’s new biodiversity museum is currently slated to be completed in 2009, and once open will bring a level of prestige to the city through its world class architecture and affiliation with one of the most important tropical research institutions in the world.

Check out these pictures of the buildings design from the Bridge of Life’s website:

sources:

Panama City Tourism (Wikipedia.org)

Bridge of life: The building (Biomuseopanama.org)

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Governor of Bocas Del Toro Names Development “Most Environmentally Friendly In All of Panama”

Sunset Point on the Isla Colon has been named one of the “most environmentally friendly developments in all of Panama” by Esther Mena de Chio, the Governor of Bocas del Toro Province. The Bocas del Toro region is famous for its ecological diversity, and as a result has become an eco-tourism hotspot. The area is also home to the Bocas del Toro Research Station, a biological research station operated by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Station. According to the Smithsonian, “the Bocas del Toro province is a magnificent natural region with humid tropical forest, swamp forest and banana plantations in the terrestrial habitats and mangrove forests, seagrass meadows and coral reefs in the marine coast.”

Unfortunately Bocas del Toro has long held a reputation for having dishonest and often corrupt land developers. In this recent article on the subject, the author describes his past experiences with developers in Bocas del Toro attempting to sell isolated plots of land in the middle of a swamp. Fortunately the author claims that the Sunset Point development is a move in the right direction, as the developers have invested a huge amount in building the infrastructure of their project. According to the article, the developers have worked also with Smithsonian to make the project sensitive to the local ecosystem, and have planted native mangroves along the banks of the recently excavated canal. It is for these efforts that the Governor of the Province has given the development his praise.

The Sunset Point development is situated on a 200-acre piece of property that overlooks the Caribbean. According to their website, the community is planned to have 108 single family homes and 21 “villas” each composed of two or four units. The development is situated next to the largest living coral reef on the Isla Colon, and has a deepwater lagoon and marina. According to their website, the developers are looking forward to further cooperating with the Smithsonian, and hope to keep the reputation as one of “the most environmentally friendly developments in Panama.”

Click here for more information on Sunset Point, and check out this video from their website:

Sources:

Sunset Point does it Right in Bocas del Toro

Bocas del Toro Research Station

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Panama Gives Incentives To Foreign Investors Interested In Investing In Reforested Timber Plantations

The government of Panama provides many incentives to foreign investors interested in investing in reforested timber plantations, including tax exemption and visas for these investors. Timber is one of the most important natural resources in Panama, and the region is one of the few in the world that can support high quality teak plantations. Teak can be a particularly lucrative investment, and is used in a variety of products including many veneers, and due to its high oil content is a choice wood for boat decks. Due to the relatively fast growth of teak, it is renewable and can make an idea green investment.

Through investing in Panama’s reforested timber program, the investor is given complete tax breaks on any profits from harvested timber, a title for the timber property they own, as well as the option for a residency visa in Panama. Care must be taken though when investing in timber companies, as there have been cases of fraudulent activity in this sector. Thorough due diligence and accredited lawyers are recommended for anyone interested in these types of investments. More information on the reforestation program can be found here.

There are other options for investing in timber in Panama, including investing directly in timber companies. With any of these options, including the reforestation program, it is recommended that investors consider certified forestry practices to maintain and harvest their forests, such as those outlined by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). While becoming FSC certified can increase costs upfront, there is a payoff in the end as green certified products can be sold at a much higher market value than products without certification. With the right research and due diligence investing in Panama timber can be both a lucrative investment as well as a green investment, and can help to protect local biodiversity and sequester carbon, all while continuing to turn a profit for the savvy investor.

Teakwood has a high oil content and is ideal for making boat decks

source:

Timber investments in Panama (Nuwireinvestor.com)

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