A series of articles in the February, March, April and July issues of Epocas on Fausto Bocanegra, assistant to director Martin H. Moynihan, at the research station for the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. Bocanegra was born in Buenaventura, Colombia, and arrived on Barro Colorado Island (BCI) in Panama in 1952 at the age of twenty-six. The Barro Colorado Island Research Station, in the Panama Canal Zone, was a tropical biology field station, established in 1923 and run by a consortium of universities and government agencies. Called the Canal Zone Biological Area (CZBA), it was transferred to the Smithsonian Institution in 1946 and was renamed the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in 1966. Bocanegra first came to the island as a temporary construction worker, building a new laboratory building. Over the years, Bocanegra served as the principal caretaker for a large collection of live animals kept by STRI Director Martin Humphrey Moynihan; a knowledgeable guide to the island; and one of the unarmed game wardens, capturing poachers in a number of instances. He also operated the launches, carrying messages and transporting materials and visitors between the mainland and BCI; cleared trails for general use; and attended to general maintenance on the island. Bocanegra retired in 1988 after thirty-seven years on BCI.
Smithsonian History Bibliography
Epocas is the historical and cultural supplement of La Prensa, one of Panama's daily newspapers.
Epocas (Newspaper)
Institutional History Division, Smithsonian Institution Archives, 600 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20024-2520, SIHistory@si.edu
2006
Biography
Number of pages: 8 total