volunteer repair work @ bastimentos national marine park

Tranquilo Bay volunteered to do some dock repair work at Bastimentos National Marine Park. In recent months, in two different places, trees had fallen across the elevated wooden walking trail named Sendero Interprativo El Boque Detras del Arrecife on Zapatilla Key (translated as forest path within the coral reef). With permission from Hernandez Bonilla, ANAM’s Chief Park Engineer (which makes him the head of all protected areas here in Bocas del Toro for Panamas equivalent of the EPA), and coordination efforts from park employees, Blanford Constantino, Samuel Jimenez and Richard Hinz the date was set to make the repairs.

Our employees, Enrique Robinson, July Robinson and Adalberto Baker gathered up the necessary tools to fix the broken walkways and we set off in one of our boats for the Zapatilla Cayes. Upon arrival at the park we were met by Samuel and Richard. Samuel went about his regular duties of collecting park entrance fees and Richard accompanied the volunteers and helped with the repairs.

The first damaged spot was the worst. Four posts had been driven over a foot down into the soil by the weight of a fallen tree. Two car jacks had to be used to return them to the correct level. The lumber that was used to make the walkway is called Nespero. This is a particularly hard wood and much time was spent just pulling nails out of it and putting new ones in. About six nails were bent to each one that got put in. The first repair was finished at about 12:30 pm.

No one had expected the job to take so long and we still had another spot to fix. Coconut milk and coconut meat served as lunch.

The second damaged area was not as bad. Only two posts had been pushed down by a second fallen tree. The pulling and driving of nails was still a problem, but in the end the walkway was returned to its original state.

The crew packed up and headed back to Tranquilo Bay at about 4 pm.

Mr. Bonilla was coming out the following day to meet with his employees and have a look at the repairs.