The project to clean up and recover the mangroves of Costa del Este, Panama City, consisted of collecting the waste accumulated among the mangroves that affect this important ecosystem. Much of this waste comes down from the communities surrounding the middle and upper watershed of the Matías Hernández River and reaches the coast, accumulating with other waste that is brought by the marine currents.

We worked with the Jesús Luz de Oportunidades Foundation, who supported us with collection personnel and, from Monday to Friday, we picked up this garbage in plastic bags and took it to Cerro Patacón for due process. As of March 2020, more than 140,000 bags were collected, equivalent to about 400 tons of garbage.

Among this waste were found all kinds of items such as toilets, refrigerators, washing machines, mattresses, car parts, tires, shoes, toys and much more… but mainly plastic bottles and utensils, which take hundreds of years to degrade.

This project helped us recover the health of the mangrove swamp and its ecosystem and raise awareness among those involved in the collection and cleanup. But, despite our efforts, with the rain and currents, new waste always arrives to the mangroves.