Smithsonian Barro Colorado Island

The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), a nonprofit entity with headquarters in Panama City, Panama, is a division of the Smithsonian Institution. STRI is known worldwide as a leading center for tropical biology research. With nine research facilities in Panama and projects in many other tropical countries, STRI maintains a Visitors Program that contributes to its institutional mission: to increase understanding of the past, present, and future of tropical biodiversity and its relevance to human welfare. Discover the splendor of the tropical rainforest! Barro Colorado, the largest forested island in the Panama Canal waterway, is part of the Barro Colorado Nature Monument (BCNM) and the site of an internationally recognized biological research station. You will learn about research in progress and the rich natural history of the BCNM. We hope to pique your interest in tropical forests because you are essential to the protection of this natural environment.