Real stories, science, photography, and citizen participation came together in Panama City to remind us that knowing the importance of mangroves is the first step, and that protecting them also requires action.

Last Saturday August 8th Panama City was the setting for a meeting dedicated to looking at mangroves from the perspective of those who know them best: the people who live, work, research, educate, and build their lives around these ecosystems.

During the day a projection was carried out special of the three chapters of the documentary series based on the Restor scientific report about the David Mangroves bringing to the screen the human stories that exist behind the data.

Because behind every statistic about biodiversity, carbon, coastal protection or conservation there are people and communities who live daily with the mangroves of Chiriquí.

The stories behind science

The documentaries allowed us to approach the mangroves from another perspective, not only as an ecosystem that we must conserve, but as a living territory that connects nature, knowledge and communities.

Through its protagonists, we met people who work to understand, care for, and share the value of these ecosystems. The meeting also opened a conversation about the importance of the Chiriquí mangroves for Panama and for the world transforming scientific information into stories that can bring us closer to what is at stake when we talk about mangrove protection.

Looking at a mangrove can also be a way to protect it.

The experience didn’t end on the screen; the space also became a small gallery with a selection of 12 winning photographs of the Mangrove Photography Awards, an initiative of the Mangrove Action Project that documents the extraordinary biodiversity, beauty and relationship between communities and mangroves around the planet.

The images allowed us to explore other mangroves around the world and recognize something that should always be kept in mind: all mangroves are part of the same story of biodiversity, communities, and resilience.

Science, photography and documentary thus came together in the same experience to help us understand why protecting mangroves matters.

But knowing the problem is not enough.

The day also had a very specific objective: moving from knowledge to action. Currently, the Ministry of Environment of Panama maintains an open Public consultation on the proposal for the Alanje, David and San Lorenzo Mangroves Managed Resources Area, in Chiriquí.

Therefore, during the meeting,CIAM explained to the attendees how a public consultation works and why citizen participation is a tool to send comments and observations to the authorities.

Attendees were able to learn about the proposal, resolve doubts, and participate directly by sending their comments.

Many voices joined the public consultation

At the end of the activity,They collected signatures and commentsThese signatures were formally submitted to the Ministry of the Environment as part of the public consultation process. Each signature represents an individual who chose to translate what they learned during the day into active participation.

The mangrove protection doesn’t happen solely through scientific research, campaigns, or actions by environmental organizations. It also happens when citizens become informed, ask questions, participate, and use the available mechanisms to make their voices heard.

The mangroves need our voice

Mangroves are much more than just the trees we see above the water. They are interconnected systems where forests, tides, channels, sediments, biodiversity, and communities interact.

The events of August 8 reminded us that science provides us with evidence, stories allow us to connect, and citizen participation can transform that knowledge into action..

The public consultation remains open until August 14, 2026.

There is still time to participate.

Let’s set limits where nature needs them.

#DefendTheMangroves #PanamaMangroves #DavidMangroves #PublicConsultation #DefenseOfTheMangroves