HELP SAVE THIS FOREST HABITAT TO 256 BIRD SPECIES!
Donation protected
MORE THAN 50% HAS ALREADY BEEN DESTROYED
· The Baru Volcano rainforest is a very small Forest but it’s the most important forest of all of the Americas because it is the ONLY high-altitude migratory passageway that exists between North and South America. THERE IS NO OTHER.
· This forest covered 35,336 acres, but today, there are less than 15,000 acres of untouched forests left. More than 50% has been destroyed, and if something is not done to stop the deforestation now; at the current accelerated rate, it won’t be long before it’s all gone.
· Thousands of species inhabit these forests; more than 250 species of birds (like the Quetzal and the Three-wattle Bell Bird) and 86 species of mammals (including the Jaguar).
· More than 100 migratory species depend on these forests during their migration.
· It is habitat to many endangered endemic species that are found nowhere else on the Planet.
“I want the world to know my concern, feel my admiration and love for these birds and animals. Because I’m now restrained to this chair, I can no longer take people to see them; but I can use the power of the Internet to show them. If people knew what is happening to these beautiful animals, I know they would get involved”. Santiago “Chago” Caballero
Santiago “Chago” Caballero lost his leg but not his Dream: After losing his leg and entering a very depressive stage, losing everything and hitting rock bottom; he now feels has a reason to live. He realized he could still be useful and wants to help save the Volcan Baru Rain Forest and the hundreds of species that inhabit it.
His Dream: He wants to let the world to know what’s happening to this forest, how it is being destroyed and wants to STOP its deforestation because without this forest, many species will lose their habitat and many will even become extinct.
"We save this forest, we save it’s fauna,” (Santiago “Chago" Caballero)
Who is Santiago Caballero? Better known as “Chago”, for more than 40 years he had been an Ecological and Birdwatcher Tour Guide, taking as many as 3,000 persons in a single year to see the magnificent species that inhabit the Baru Volcano Rain Forests. He knows this forest like nobody else.
In 2014 he lost his leg to diabetes and with it, everything else, even his way of life since he could no longer work as a guide.
Over these 40 plus years he witnessed how this important habitat, the Cloud and Rain Forests of Panama’s Baru Volcano (bordering with Costa Rica) were being and continues to be systematically destroyed at an accelerated rate due to deforestation and fragmentation, mostly for agriculture and logging.
Chago, A pioneer, a teacher, an ecological protector, a mentor… I think this best describes who he is: In an interview with F4HF, when asked, “If you could do something to save these forests, what would you do”? His answer got our admiration and motivated us to get involved.
“I have been interacting with nature since I was 12 years old. I was an Ecological and Bird watching Tour Guide for more than 40 years: but due to diabetes I lost my leg and can no longer work as a guide. Having seen firsthand over the years what has and is happening to this extremely important habitat and the animals that depend on it, I decided that, with the help of my son Cesar (who is also an ecological and Bird watching guide), I was going to do everything I possibly could to create awareness of what’s happening to the most important rainforest of all the Americas and thus, help save the animals that inhabit and depend on it.”
We heard his story and after talking to many persons that know him such as; Renown Field Naturalists Richard Cahill and Hernan Arauz Torres from Ancon Expeditions (They not only know him, but also were actually trained by him in the early 90’s and worked with him for over 20 years), they told us “there is no other like Chago”. And, Hans Collins (son of the owners of the Renown “Panamonte Hotel”, ex-employers of Chago in the early 70’s) who told us that Chago was THE “bird watching pioneer of the Baru Volcano Rain/Cloud Forests”. Others even said he deserves a monument for what he has done for ecological-tourism and bird watching in the Baru Volcano Forests.
So, a group of us decided to get together and help Chago with his “UNSELFISH DREAM” and helped him create an Instagram (@quetzalespanama) and Facebook (quetzalespanama) account in order to help him get started with his dream of saving this forest, because by saving this very important habitat, the Baru Volcano Rain Forest we save its fauna. Now he can start showing the world, create awareness and get people involved.
We have setup this fundraiser in order to help Chago achieve his dream of Creating a Website “quetzalespanama.com” (This domain has been reserved) and buy the equipment he needs in order to take pictures and videos to show the world the beauties that inhabit this forest. He wants to create awareness of what is happening to their habitat and thus, help save the animals that inhabit and migrate thru it.
With your help, if all goes well with this crowdfunding, we’ll also get him a prosthetic leg so we can get him back into what he loves, the forest… showing people the birds and animals of this incredible habitat. When asked what he needed in order to achieve his dream, he mentioned many things but he never mentioned anything for himself, in fact, when we mentioned a new wheelchair he said: “No, my old one gets me around” (but, I can tell you it's in bad shape, just look at the picture).
Below is a list of what he needs in order to achieve his dream: Note: we have added additional money for a prosthetic leg and a new wheelchair… HOPE WE CAN RAISE ENOUGH FOR THIS TOO.
What he wants to do:
· Put up a website dedicated to the beautiful Quetzal, Three-Wattled Bellbird and other incredible animals that inhabit the disappearing Cloud and Rain Forest of the Baru Volcano.
· With the help of his son Cesar (who is also an Ecological and Birdwatcher Tour Guide), he wants to take pictures and videos of these beautiful animals in their habitat to show them to the world.
· Let the world see what’s happening to this important habitat and help stop it’s deforestation and hence, save many species from their extinction.
· Create awareness.
What he needs in order to accomplish his dream:
· Construct a good Web Site and show the world, create awareness.
· Professional photographic equipment to take pictures of birds and other animals that inhabit the forest and show to the world: Camera, Telescopic, Wide Angle, and Macro Lenses. Other accessories such as Filters and Tripods.
· Twelve (12) Special Waterproof Trail Scouting Cameras with infrared motion sensors, day and night vision, programmable for multi-pictures or video, with audio recording capabilities and tree mounting brackets to install inside the forest.
· Hire people to have these cameras installed deep inside the forest. (He can’t do it without his leg)
· Forty-eight (48) special rechargeable batteries and recharger.
· A computer and monitor with photo and video editing software.
· Hiking and camping equipment to go deep inside the forest and install the “Scouting Cameras”.
· Special Climbing equipment to install cameras close to the nests in treetops.
· Other expenses.
What he didn’t ask for but would be nice if we could get for him:
· If we do well with this crowdfunding, we will get a new wheelchair for Chago (the one he has is falling apart).
· A prosthetic leg so we can get Chago (Mr. Quetzal as baptized by Richard Cahill in 1991), back into the forest calling for the Quetzal (has he has done for thousands of bird lovers) and to show people that come from all over the world just to see them, all the birds and animals that inhabit this forest.
With your help and the assistance of his son Cesar, they will SHOW THE WORLD.
IMPORTANT: You will be able to see how you helped Chago save these endangered species by visiting the website (quetzalpanama.com) once it’s up and running: In the meantime, he has an Instagram (@quetalespanama) and Facebook account (quetzalespanama).
And Please, any amount you can donate, even $1 will help Chago reach his dream and help save the Birds and Animals that inhabit these forests.
· The Baru Volcano rainforest is a very small Forest but it’s the most important forest of all of the Americas because it is the ONLY high-altitude migratory passageway that exists between North and South America. THERE IS NO OTHER.
· This forest covered 35,336 acres, but today, there are less than 15,000 acres of untouched forests left. More than 50% has been destroyed, and if something is not done to stop the deforestation now; at the current accelerated rate, it won’t be long before it’s all gone.
· Thousands of species inhabit these forests; more than 250 species of birds (like the Quetzal and the Three-wattle Bell Bird) and 86 species of mammals (including the Jaguar).
· More than 100 migratory species depend on these forests during their migration.
· It is habitat to many endangered endemic species that are found nowhere else on the Planet.
“I want the world to know my concern, feel my admiration and love for these birds and animals. Because I’m now restrained to this chair, I can no longer take people to see them; but I can use the power of the Internet to show them. If people knew what is happening to these beautiful animals, I know they would get involved”. Santiago “Chago” Caballero
Santiago “Chago” Caballero lost his leg but not his Dream: After losing his leg and entering a very depressive stage, losing everything and hitting rock bottom; he now feels has a reason to live. He realized he could still be useful and wants to help save the Volcan Baru Rain Forest and the hundreds of species that inhabit it.
His Dream: He wants to let the world to know what’s happening to this forest, how it is being destroyed and wants to STOP its deforestation because without this forest, many species will lose their habitat and many will even become extinct.
"We save this forest, we save it’s fauna,” (Santiago “Chago" Caballero)
Who is Santiago Caballero? Better known as “Chago”, for more than 40 years he had been an Ecological and Birdwatcher Tour Guide, taking as many as 3,000 persons in a single year to see the magnificent species that inhabit the Baru Volcano Rain Forests. He knows this forest like nobody else.
In 2014 he lost his leg to diabetes and with it, everything else, even his way of life since he could no longer work as a guide.
Over these 40 plus years he witnessed how this important habitat, the Cloud and Rain Forests of Panama’s Baru Volcano (bordering with Costa Rica) were being and continues to be systematically destroyed at an accelerated rate due to deforestation and fragmentation, mostly for agriculture and logging.
Chago, A pioneer, a teacher, an ecological protector, a mentor… I think this best describes who he is: In an interview with F4HF, when asked, “If you could do something to save these forests, what would you do”? His answer got our admiration and motivated us to get involved.
“I have been interacting with nature since I was 12 years old. I was an Ecological and Bird watching Tour Guide for more than 40 years: but due to diabetes I lost my leg and can no longer work as a guide. Having seen firsthand over the years what has and is happening to this extremely important habitat and the animals that depend on it, I decided that, with the help of my son Cesar (who is also an ecological and Bird watching guide), I was going to do everything I possibly could to create awareness of what’s happening to the most important rainforest of all the Americas and thus, help save the animals that inhabit and depend on it.”
We heard his story and after talking to many persons that know him such as; Renown Field Naturalists Richard Cahill and Hernan Arauz Torres from Ancon Expeditions (They not only know him, but also were actually trained by him in the early 90’s and worked with him for over 20 years), they told us “there is no other like Chago”. And, Hans Collins (son of the owners of the Renown “Panamonte Hotel”, ex-employers of Chago in the early 70’s) who told us that Chago was THE “bird watching pioneer of the Baru Volcano Rain/Cloud Forests”. Others even said he deserves a monument for what he has done for ecological-tourism and bird watching in the Baru Volcano Forests.
So, a group of us decided to get together and help Chago with his “UNSELFISH DREAM” and helped him create an Instagram (@quetzalespanama) and Facebook (quetzalespanama) account in order to help him get started with his dream of saving this forest, because by saving this very important habitat, the Baru Volcano Rain Forest we save its fauna. Now he can start showing the world, create awareness and get people involved.
We have setup this fundraiser in order to help Chago achieve his dream of Creating a Website “quetzalespanama.com” (This domain has been reserved) and buy the equipment he needs in order to take pictures and videos to show the world the beauties that inhabit this forest. He wants to create awareness of what is happening to their habitat and thus, help save the animals that inhabit and migrate thru it.
With your help, if all goes well with this crowdfunding, we’ll also get him a prosthetic leg so we can get him back into what he loves, the forest… showing people the birds and animals of this incredible habitat. When asked what he needed in order to achieve his dream, he mentioned many things but he never mentioned anything for himself, in fact, when we mentioned a new wheelchair he said: “No, my old one gets me around” (but, I can tell you it's in bad shape, just look at the picture).
Below is a list of what he needs in order to achieve his dream: Note: we have added additional money for a prosthetic leg and a new wheelchair… HOPE WE CAN RAISE ENOUGH FOR THIS TOO.
What he wants to do:
· Put up a website dedicated to the beautiful Quetzal, Three-Wattled Bellbird and other incredible animals that inhabit the disappearing Cloud and Rain Forest of the Baru Volcano.
· With the help of his son Cesar (who is also an Ecological and Birdwatcher Tour Guide), he wants to take pictures and videos of these beautiful animals in their habitat to show them to the world.
· Let the world see what’s happening to this important habitat and help stop it’s deforestation and hence, save many species from their extinction.
· Create awareness.
What he needs in order to accomplish his dream:
· Construct a good Web Site and show the world, create awareness.
· Professional photographic equipment to take pictures of birds and other animals that inhabit the forest and show to the world: Camera, Telescopic, Wide Angle, and Macro Lenses. Other accessories such as Filters and Tripods.
· Twelve (12) Special Waterproof Trail Scouting Cameras with infrared motion sensors, day and night vision, programmable for multi-pictures or video, with audio recording capabilities and tree mounting brackets to install inside the forest.
· Hire people to have these cameras installed deep inside the forest. (He can’t do it without his leg)
· Forty-eight (48) special rechargeable batteries and recharger.
· A computer and monitor with photo and video editing software.
· Hiking and camping equipment to go deep inside the forest and install the “Scouting Cameras”.
· Special Climbing equipment to install cameras close to the nests in treetops.
· Other expenses.
What he didn’t ask for but would be nice if we could get for him:
· If we do well with this crowdfunding, we will get a new wheelchair for Chago (the one he has is falling apart).
· A prosthetic leg so we can get Chago (Mr. Quetzal as baptized by Richard Cahill in 1991), back into the forest calling for the Quetzal (has he has done for thousands of bird lovers) and to show people that come from all over the world just to see them, all the birds and animals that inhabit this forest.
With your help and the assistance of his son Cesar, they will SHOW THE WORLD.
IMPORTANT: You will be able to see how you helped Chago save these endangered species by visiting the website (quetzalpanama.com) once it’s up and running: In the meantime, he has an Instagram (@quetalespanama) and Facebook account (quetzalespanama).
And Please, any amount you can donate, even $1 will help Chago reach his dream and help save the Birds and Animals that inhabit these forests.
Organizer
Karen Gleichman-Abner
Organizer
San Antonio, TX