Saving the Critically Endangered Pygmy Sloths and their habitat, Escudo Island in Panama one step at a time...
The Island is rich in animal diversity. With our research on the island, we've learned of a number of endangered species on the island. However, the island is destroyed more and more each year with litter and logging. The Pygmy Sloth is declining in number rapidly. Down to 100 sloths from 500 sloths 15 years ago. The situation for these sloths and the island is dire.
We are working with the local Ngobe people to give them a sense of ownership over their island. Teaching them not to litter and starting a garbage collection service, educating through books i've written in spanish about their island, beginning a park ranger rotation for the island, putting up island signage about the rules on the island, giving out cooking stoves to the fisherman so they don't have to cut the mangroves to make fires for cooking.

In September, our trip to the island ended me in the village hospital with a deadly snake bite from the most poisonous pit viper in the world. When i survived the Ngobe people's most feared snake and walked out of their hospital 3 days later, they cheered, shook my hand, and the mayor and congressmen spent an entire day getting down from the mountains to meet with me. The entire town is now on board with this conservation of their island, and i want to keep the momentum going.