A Smithsonian Institute scientific mission discovered some of the country's largest trees in the Darien Forest while seeking to establish an Ancestral Forest Observatory In collaboration with international scientists, the Emberá communities of the Balsa River and the National Border Service (Seafront)

The latest technology light aircraft capable of taking three-dimensional aerial photos were used to measure the size of the trees and estimate how much carbon is stored.

The results revealed that Darien's forests have over  130 tons of coal per hectare, the most developed in the country.

Part of the research seeks to discover if there are still trees that existed when the Spanish arrived in America more than 500 years ago.

The  Darién National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve (1981).