There are few places as magical as Barro Colorado. A trip to this island in the middle of the Panama Canal will leave you absolutely awestruck at how amazing our planet can be. For those who haven't heard of this place yet, here's what you should know about this wonder of the world.

Barro Colorado is one of the most studied places on Earth. With its intact tropical rainforest, it is home to thousands of plant and animal species. It has been administered by the Smithsonian since 1946, however, it was declared a nature reserve in 1926. Together with 5 adjacent peninsulas, Barro Colorado Nature Monument hosts hundreds of scientists coming each year to study its biodiversity.

Learning about the environment helps us understand our role in the conservation and protection of the planet. Scientists on Barro Colorado are well aware of this, and want to share their knowledge by making it more accesible to a wider public, which is why they organise tours to the island. It is important to book in advance, because they usually have a long waiting list. Once you have a spot on the boat, make sure you wake up early 'cause this is a one-of-a-kind experience you won't want to miss!

Marcos Riquelme, our incredibly knowledgeable tour guide, told us more about the history of this special place on our way to the island. It is important to note, as he told us, that Barro Colorado used to be part of the mainland. The big change came when the waters of the Chagres river were dammed in 1913 in order to create Gatun lake, a major part of the Panama Canal watershed. A significant part of the existing tropical rainforest was flooded, but many hilltops survived as islands. In other words, Barro Colorado was made into a capsule of biodiversity.

The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute has a permanent research station here, and for over 8 decades Barro Colorado has been studied within a great variety of biological disciplines. The diverse ecosystem of the island has not been altered by humans, and its location makes it hard for loggers or poachers to reach, making it a perfect place to conduct research. BCI is also a part of the 50 hectare plot, which are areas of the rainforest that are constantly monitored to study the fluctuations of tree populations more precisely.

Upon our arrival on the island, we were expected by the warmest welcome committee ever: a group of howler monkeys!  During our 3-hour guided hike through the rainforest we had the opportunity to listen to howler monkeys, and be absolutely scared at the size of warrior ants. Listening to the howler monkeys was the highlight of the day for me. They live in family groups and howl to keep other monkey groups from entering their territory, in this case, a group of capuchin monkeys. The latter are actually aggressive, and we were told by Marcos not to smile, as they perceive this as a threat and get ready to attack. During our tour we also learned that rainforests soils are depleted of nutrients, which is quite fascinating because this forest type hosts large amounts and varieties of species.

Visiting this wildlife sanctuary was a life-changing experience, and I would recommend it to anyone. To understand our world is our biggest challenge, and to protect it, our duty.

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You can book your visit to BCI on the STRI website.