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Cleveland Metroparks is helping to round out the services provided by Parque Metropolitano by bolstering their environmental educational offerings. Armed with programs on topics like ants and songbirds, Wendy Weirich, a Cleveland Metroparks Outdoor Education Manager, was sent to Parque Metropolitano to evaluate and strengthen their current educational programs. Weirich discovered that Parque Metropolitano offered one program on tropical rain forests. The Panamanians were not interested in a micro view of nature such as classes on specific animals, they were interested in the overall picture. Weirich introduced a new curriculum and developed several new ways for Parque Metropolitano to teach tropical rain forest ecology using aids such as simulations and games for a lesson on survival. Another cultural difference Weirich discovered was the Panamanians reluctance to being outside in the rain. An ecology program to be taught indoors was developed to reduce downtime on rainy days. Once home in Cleveland, Weirich gathered materials and resources to be sent to Parque Metropolitano to reinforce the new curriculum.
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