History of La MICA Biological Station |
La MICA Biological Station has a short, but rich history. The idea for the development of a research facility within or near Omar Torrijos National Park was born soon after I arrived to conduct my dissertation research in the park in September 2006. I quickly noticed how amazing the cloud forest was and how desperately the local people sought sustainable work. Over the next couple of years I dreamed of the station and drew up rudimentary plans. Ideas came from my own research needs, suggestions from the local people, and input from other biologists and students. The name La MICA is an acronym for La Montaña para Investigación y Conservación Ambiental, or The Mountain for Research and Environmental Conservation. The park director suggested that I not name the Station after a snake as people may have fear to come. I used the full name for a while and then switched to the acronym; mica is the local name for the rat snake Spilotes pullatus. Our initial logo of a cloud and mountains represented the dream of the Station. Our current logo was designed by David Mizelle and was instituted when we became sure the Station could be developed. It wasn’t until October 2008 that things really began rolling. At this time Pablo Santana and I met with a lawyer in Panama City, thanks to Misa El, who put us in contact, and began to establish a foundation in Panama, which would help us develop La MICA Biological Station. The foundation, Centro de Investigación Biológica El Copé, S.A., was born in December 2008. I followed this with establishing a foundation in the United States called Amigos Support La MICA; it is a project of the International Humanities Center, a 501c3 nonprofit organization. IHCenter is our fiscal sponsor and allows for donations to be tax deductible. In early 2009 we began discussions of acquisition of land and Pablo mentioned that his father had a plot just outside of El Copé. We surveyed the area to find it on a steep slope, but along a beautiful river. We talked with his father and were given permission to use the land with the title to Pablo. The land was cleared of underbrush in April 2009. With the foundations established we began fund raising, a task that I have almost single-handedly undertaken. In July 2009 we had secured enough funds to build the cabin and followed this with the latrines in September. The dormitory, named El Bosque Dormilon by Dr. Marc Milne, was built beginning in October, after a fund raising drive which was highlighted by raising $1289 on 30 September (no donation on that day was greater than $100 and most were just $1-$2!). Funds from payment of our first visitors in 2010 allowed us to finish the dormitory, build the showers and classroom, and furnish the Station with essentials. Our 2009 donations totaled less than $7000, ranged in size from $1 to $500, and averaged just $60.54. These donations came from family, friends, students, and people interested in conservation. We received just one donation from a business and have not secured any grants (but came in second on two). We have no institutional support. Everyone involved in the project has sacrificed greatly. We all have very meager backgrounds. My father works in a cardboard box factory and my mother helps on the neighbor’s farm in northern Wisconsin. Macedonio Pérez did not have steady work before the development of La MICA. Alexander (Ander) Santana drove oranges when in season and drove for me during the time of my research. Pablo worked on his music (stage name Loco Boay) and drove for me. At one point Pablo, Ander, the three children, and I had just $10 in dimes and nickels for three days. The adults ate nothing but rice and water for this time. Macedonio worked many hours for free on the construction of the dorm and classroom because there were no funds. Our dish washers still are volunteering their time. Much remains to be done. La MICA Biological Station is incredibly young and vulnerable. We continue to seek funding so our development can continue, but as you may imagine, it is a difficult time to ask for donations or secure grants. However, we have already proven that dedication and personal sacrifice in light of the larger goal can make a very small amount of money go very far. Almost everyone told us this dream was impossible to achieve, but I guess they were wrong! Thank you for being a part of our history. |
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| La MICA Biological Station El Copé-La Pintada ● Provincia de Coclé ● Republica de Panama US Mailing Address: Julie Ray ● 12458 132nd Street ● Chippewa Falls, WI 54729 www.lamica.org ● la.mica@yahoo.com ● t: (011.507)6707.8900 (Panama) |