EcoFinca: Restoring Land, Growing Hope in Panama

Project Story

EcoFinca is more than a restoration project, it is a living classroom, a scientific learning space, and a hopeful vision for how people and nature can thrive together.

Located in La Chorrera, Panama, EcoFinca is transforming a conventional agricultural site into a vibrant regenerative landscape where degraded soils are restored, biodiversity is welcomed back, and young people reconnect with the land through hands-on learning and citizen science.

Money raised through this campaign will directly support the restoration of EcoFinca into a model of agroecological resilience and environmental education, where students, researchers, farmers, and communities can come together to learn, restore, and grow a healthier future.

Our Mission

At EcoFinca, we believe that restoring ecosystems begins with restoring relationships — between people and the land, food systems and biodiversity, education and nature.

Our mission is to transform EcoFinca into a living model of regenerative agriculture that demonstrates how food production, ecological restoration, scientific research, and education can work together.

We envision a future where young people do not simply learn about ecosystems in a classroom — they experience them firsthand by planting trees, restoring soils, monitoring biodiversity, and witnessing environmental healing in real time.

Through regenerative practices, scientific monitoring, and community participation, EcoFinca seeks to inspire a new generation of environmental stewards while creating a practical model for climate resilience and sustainable food systems.

Background & Problem Statement

Across Panama and much of the world, conventional agriculture has degraded soils, reduced biodiversity, increased erosion, and weakened ecosystem resilience. Agricultural systems that rely heavily on external inputs often leave behind compacted soils, nutrient depletion, reduced biological activity, and landscapes increasingly vulnerable to climate change.

At the EcoFinca pilot site, a conventional pineapple production cycle recently came to an end. Rather than continuing with business as usual, we saw an opportunity to do something different — to transform this land into a model of ecological restoration and regenerative agriculture. This transition period presents a unique window to restore soil health, improve water retention, reduce erosion, increase biodiversity, and create a practical demonstration site that can inspire broader change in Panama and beyond.

At the same time, local schools and universities are seeking meaningful opportunities for hands-on environmental education. EcoFinca bridges this gap by creating a real-world space where restoration becomes education, and education becomes action.

Our Solution

EcoFinca is implementing a regenerative restoration process designed to bring life back to the land.

Through ecological restoration practices, we will:

Restore degraded soils through composting, organic amendments, fungal inoculation, and living ground cover
Reduce erosion and improve water retention through vegetated drainage systems and landscape restoration
Establish agroforestry systems with trees and productive species that support biodiversity and long-term resilience
Create habitat for pollinators and beneficial organisms that strengthen ecosystem health
Integrate citizen science and scientific monitoring to track ecological recovery
Provide hands-on environmental education opportunities for students and youth

Students and university researchers will actively participate in restoration activities, learning how ecosystems function while helping monitor biodiversity, soil quality, water regulation, and ecosystem recovery.

EcoFinca will become both a restoration laboratory and a place of hope — demonstrating that degraded land can recover when communities work with nature rather than against it.

The Opportunity

EcoFinca presents a unique opportunity to create a replicable model of regenerative agriculture and ecological restoration in Panama.

This project will serve as:

🌱 A Living Restoration Laboratory — testing practical regenerative methods that improve soil, biodiversity, and climate resilience.

🎓 An Outdoor Classroom — where school students and university researchers engage in hands-on ecological learning and citizen science.

🌍 A Demonstration Site for Sustainable Agriculture — inspiring farmers, institutions, and communities to adopt regenerative practices.

🤝 A Community Space for Environmental Stewardship — bringing together scientists, educators, farmers, youth, and local partners.

By supporting EcoFinca, donors help create something that extends far beyond one hectare of land — a model that can inspire restoration throughout Panama and across the region.

How We Regenerate

EcoFinca integrates multiple regenerative strategies to restore ecosystem health:

Agroecological restoration through living mulch, agroforestry systems, and biodiversity-friendly planting
Soil regeneration using compost, fungal inoculants, and organic matter to rebuild life below ground
Water and erosion management through vegetated drainage systems and hydrological restoration
Citizen science and ecological monitoring led by students and researchers to track measurable change
Environmental education through practical field experiences for youth and local communities

Our approach is grounded in the belief that ecological restoration must be participatory, educational, and deeply connected to local realities.

Tracking Impact

EcoFinca will use rigorous scientific methodologies to monitor ecological recovery and demonstrate measurable impact.

We will track indicators including:

Improvements in soil health and biological activity
Increased vegetation and living soil cover
Reduced erosion and improved water regulation
Growth in biodiversity, including beneficial arthropods and soil organisms
Number of students and educational visits participating in restoration activities
Community and institutional engagement

Students will participate directly in ecological monitoring through citizen science activities, helping generate meaningful environmental data while learning practical conservation skills.

We believe impact is not only measured in numbers, but also in transformation — the transformation of land, ecosystems, and people.

Our Vision

We imagine an EcoFinca full of life:

Healthy soils covered with vegetation.
Trees providing habitat and food.
Students learning outdoors with curiosity and purpose.
Researchers generating knowledge for restoration.
Communities reconnecting with the land.

Every donation helps make this vision possible.

When you support EcoFinca, you are not simply funding a project — you are helping restore ecosystems, inspire young environmental leaders, and demonstrate that regeneration is possible.

Join us in bringing life back to the land.