The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) has been in Panama since the beginning of the 20th Century, when the Smithsonian came to Panama around the same time that the construction of the Panama Canal began. In 1910, Smithsonian scientists carried out a "biological inventory" of the flora and fauna to study the impact of the Canal. The study ended in 1912, and thus began what has been a century of influential scientific research that has provided an important sum of data on the biodiversity of Panama.
In 1923, a small field station on Barro Colorado Island was established, in the middle of Lake Gatun, the freshwater passageway that is the Panama Canal between its Pacific and Atlantic locks. Barro Colorado has grown to be a site of major importance in the world of scientific research. From there, STRI scientists and fellows collect important data, focused on recent decades on the effects of global warming on tropical environments.
There will be many events beginning in October 2010 through February 2012 to celebrate the long and important relationship between the Smithsonian and Panama.
More information can be found at www.smithosnianpanama100.si.edu
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