| Arimae/Embera Puru is a co-mingled Embera and Wounaan Indigenous community located near the sleepy Darien capital of Santa Fe. It owns roughly 8,000 hectares of land, 2,000 of which is deforested. In 2007 Arimae became the first-ever indigenous community to partner with a private forestry business when it signed a 25 year leasing contract with Planting Empowerment as part of the Friends and Family project. For the 2008 Adelante project, Arimae signed another 25 year lease, and formally agreed to protect 5 hectares of their rainforest reserve for every hectare PE plants on their land.
Arimae's reserve is one of the few remaining places to spot the endangered Harpy eagle. Since the arrival of migrant farmers and loggers, Arimae's communal land has been under constant threat of illegal incursion.
 Lease Agreements (Spanish)
Arimae Contract Friends + Family.pdf
Arimae Contract Adelante.pdf
Arimae is also the home of Planting Empowerment's Field Supervisor, Liriano Opua. Liriano studied agro-forestry, and has been with us since early 2007. He hopes to continue on to The University of Panama for a degree in forestry, with the support of Planting Empowerment. |
