The green of the tropical forest was turned into a neon blue as hundreds of blue morpho butterflies floated around us.
The scene was interrupted by a series of loud chirps from the canopy above. A pair of orange-tinted Azuero spider monkeys were looking for fruit when I saw them.
We were here because of this incredibly rare subspecies. We had finally found them after six torturous days trekking through Panama's tropical dry forest.
There was a fleeting sight. The primates were startled by the sound of cows and retreated deeper into their forest home.
The country's only remaining tropical dry forest is located on the Azuero Peninsula, a square block of land that juts out 50 miles into the Pacific Ocean.
In Azuero, the dry forest has been fragmented by cattle ranching and the clearcutting of coastal trees to make room for luxury homes, leaving isolated pockets of forest scattered across an otherwise treeless landscape. The Azuero spider monkey is one of hundreds of animal and bird species that are found nowhere else in the country.
The primatologist at Oxford Brookes University estimated that only 145 Azuero spider monkeys remained in the wild, making them one of the most rare types of primate in Central and South America. Animals that are seen as pests are also hunted and poisoned by local farmers.
In the fall of 2017, I traveled to the Azuero Peninsula to work with Pro Eco Azuero, a organization that helps local people make informed and sustainable decisions about their environment.
P.E.A. has developed a community-oriented approach to conserve that includes working alongside farmers to replant trees, working with local teachers to create lesson plans, and partnering with local supporters.
I was embedded with the P.E.A. for a month and split my time between the forest and the sea. In the interior, I joined a team of local volunteers and students from the University of Panama during an informal survey to document the health of known spider monkey families. I took photographs that could be used in community education programs.
Guided by local farmers and students, we trekked through dense undergrowth and up waterfalls in search of the elusive primate. We went to rural schools at night to give slide shows about what we had found, sharing pictures of wildlife that many children had never seen, despite having lived with the animals in their own backyards.
I followed the efforts of P.E.A. and Tortugas Pedasi to document the stunning Pacific coastline. The groups were teaching students about the benefits of marine conservativism while trying to get national protection for the coastal Pablo Arturo Barrios Wildlife refuge.
In an impressive exhibit of eco-minded camaraderie, members of the local communities worked alongside these organizations.
The creation of a wildlife corridor stretching 75 miles and 62,000 acres across the Azuero Peninsula was one of the first projects started by P.E.A. The corridor will increase the size of available habitat by connecting several islands of forest that are currently isolated from one another. P.E.A. hopes that the increase in forest habitat will allow for the expansion of animal populations.
It took several years before the idea gained traction, since rural farmers were skeptical about sacrificing valuable grazing land to regrowth forests.
Looking ahead. The travel industry hopes this will be the year that travel comes roaring back after governments loosen coronaviruses. What to expect.
There is lodging. Travelers discovered the privacy offered by rental residences. They hope to compete by offering stylish extended-stay properties, sustainable options, rooftop bars and co-working spaces.
Rental cars. Travelers can expect higher prices and older cars with high mileage since companies still haven't been able to expand their fleets. Are you looking for an alternative? Car-sharing platforms might be more affordable.
Cruises. Demand for cruises remains high despite a bumpy start to the year. Because they sail on smaller ships and steer away from crowded destinations, luxury expedition voyages are particularly appealing right now.
There are destinations. Travelers are eager to visit a city like Paris or New York. Some resorts in the U.S. are experimenting with an almost all-inclusive model that takes the guess work out of planning a vacation.
Experiences. Sexy travel options include couples retreats and beachfront sessions with intimacy coaches. Trips with an educational bent are becoming more popular with families with children.
When we first started, we thought it would be easy to make a difference, as long as we knocked on people's doors.
P.E.A. started a series of educational programs after discovering that teachers were the key to earning the villagers trust. Over 700 students were taught by them each year. As P.E.A. fosters a new generation of young environmental activists, parents began to hear and digest the importance of conservativism through conversations with their family.
It is more meaningful when our children say we need to protect nature.
Over 400 farmers have pledged land for the project. A hundred acres of new trees will be planted on donated land. The coastal Pablo Barrios refuge gained national protection through the collective help of local organizations, students and community activists.
The Azuero is facing serious threats, including the re-institution of large-scale mining across the region and the introduction of new legislation that could allow development on protected lands. Ms. Vasquez is still positive about the power of teaching.
She told me that the greatest impact was the way we changed people's minds.
Matt Stirn is based in Boston and Jackson Hole. You can follow his work on social media.
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