Emerging Trail Leader Scholarship Recipient

Nicole Elizabeth Barrios Adames

Panama City, Panama

With the skills I learn at the 2019 International Trails Symposium and Training Institute, I will continue doing what I love but with more awareness. I have a dream to work to promote more sustainable practices in my country working with local communities to work towards sustainability in places where government has forgotten or left abandoned. I am planning on giving several workshops all over the country related to ‘’Leave no trace’’, sustainable trail building and the use of trails in eco-tourism. I believe that trail knowledge will prompt the conservation of biodiversity that my little country is so rich in and also will improve the quality of life of the most remote communities. Thank you so much for the opportunity to work with hikers to promote sustainability in my beautiful country.

Hola! My name is Nicole Barrios, and I am from Panama City, Panama. I started hiking in 2012 as a way to get out of the city and recover from depression. Through this sport I have discovered who I am, and I have fallen in love with the being out in wild places, I haven’t been able to stop exploring my country! I am very immersed in the growing hiking community. People ask me for tips about trips and I organize hiking activities. Also, I am one of the few women in Panama who have climbed some high altitude mountains in other countries in the region.

Since hiking has turned into my passion, I have worked to provide opportunities for the people of the small communities we were visiting during my weekend and holidays hikes / getaways. To give some context in Panama many of the people who live in rural communities still rely on subsistence agriculture to survive. In my trips I always try to bring an economic benefit to local communities and guides who in Panama are the trail builders. I have become a leader in this community, and have given speeches about topics ranging from national parks in Panama, to being prepared to sleep out in the jungle.