One of the main threats to the environment is conversion of natural areas to cultivated lands or developments, particularly those close to major roads such as the Boyd-Rosevelt´s road and human settlements in Watershed Panama Canal. Whereas changes in land use impact on diversity and use of plant resources, the goal of this study was to establish and promote community strategies for conservation through ethnobotany. A descriptive-cross research was conducted from January to December 2105 in five communities at Boyd-Rosevelt´s road margin and near Panama Canal Watershed. Surveys and semi-structured interviews were applied. Collections of plant specimens were performed. A floristic inventory with 64 species belonging to 33 families was obtained; where the best represented families were: Malvaceae (8 species, 10.14%), Fabaceae (6 species, 7.25%), Anacardiaceae (4 species, 5.80%), Burseraceae (4 species, 5.80%). 7 ethnobotanical categories were identified, most mentioned categories were: medicinal, alimentary and ornamental. Index of use value was calculated by ethnobotanical category. Results presented aspects related to people´s knowledge, their culture, identity and territory among others; emphasizing the social, economic and environmental field with the aim of contributing to the identification and approach of productive alternatives, starting from the needs of the community. Although the reflections exposed in this work make reference in general to the 5 communities studied; the participatory strategies developed can be extended to other similar cases, recognizing the specificities of each group.