Erick Rodríguez

Eric Rodríguez was born on November 7, 1994, in Los Llanitos de San Carlos, Panamá Oeste province. His passion for birdwatching began in 2018 when he started to come across groups of visiting birders in his hometown, Mata Ahogado, located near El Valle de Antón. It was then that he met Danilo Rodríguez, an enthusiastic guide from the Canopy Lodge, who fostered Eric’s curiosity about birdwatching and sharing Panama’s birds with visitors from abroad.

To learn more about birds, Eric went to the local library and found a book about the birds of Central America. He made color copies of the relevant pages and used them for over a year and a half to identify birds in his town and nearby areas. He eventually realized that not all of the species in his area were included in those pages, so he approached Danilo for information on how to obtain the most up-to-

date bird guide for Panama. With the new book in his hands, Eric set out to learn the names of birds in English and translate them into Spanish to better understand the birds he observed. His interest grew so much that he decided to study alternative tourism at university.

During his early years in university, he had the opportunity to undertake a 30-day internship at the Canopy Lodge, where he could put his knowledge into practice and learn more about birdwatching, local ecosystems, and bird behavior and vocalizations. Later, to complete his degree, Eric had to complete a 3-month internship, so without hesitation he returned to the Canopy Lodge. After three months he successfully conveyed his passion and love for birds through his final project, which received a high grade. In 2022, Eric graduated with a bachelor’s degree in alternative tourism from the

Universidad Nacional de Panamá. In addition to his work as a guide, Eric has also managed to share his love for birds with his family. His cousins now regularly consult him about the common names of the birds they see in their backyard. Eric lives with his parents, José Rodríguez and Digna Vergara, who are very proud to see him graduate and become part of the Canopy Family team. Currently, Eric works as a guide at the Canopy Tower, where he continues to learn from other guides about birds and nature. His presence on our team fills us with pride, and we are happy to have him with us.