Flora and Fauna

      Mount Totumas Cloud Forest Reserve is a vital corridor connecting the cloud forest habitats of the bordering national park with the lower montane rainforests still present in the valley below. The reserve has a 500 meter elevation gradient ascending from about 1,500 meters at the entrance of the reserve to roughly 2,000 meters at the border of La Amistad National Park. In this zone there is intact cloud forest and three riparian areas. Many species common on the reserve, like the Resplendent Quetzals or Three-Wattled Bellbirds, are altitudinal migrants whose movements during the seasons follow their food sources. Preserving this important corridor on the reserve will insure healthy local populations
of these species. With each visit, we add to our bird list.
      Owing to the convergence of flora from North and South America, there is a high level of diversity of plant species in La Amistad NP. Epiphytes are abundant on most trees including orchids, bromeliads, ferns and lichens. Endemism is also high, in particular for amphibians, birds and Lepidoptera. The area is one of the last refuges in Western Panama for keystone species like the Baird's Tapir and all the feline species found in Central America: puma, ocelot, jaguar, tiger cat and jaguarondi. We do not yet know if these species are present on Mount Totumas Cloud Forest Reserve. However, knowing that they are present in the bordering national park adds a quality of wilderness when visiting the reserve.
     Mantled Howler Monkeys' calls on the Reserve amplify in their mist-shrouded cloud forest habitat. Morning echos the calls of these monkeys bouncing amongst the hills. This is a daily reminder that we are in a pristine habitat--reinforcing our goals of stewardship of the land, with preservation as the foundation for all of the site activities we plan.

Photo by Joan Miller