As we start to gear up for the summer season, the countdown starts on the Patagonia National Park project. We’re now just over two years away from the park’s grand opening, slated for January 2015. At that point, we’ll welcome visitors from around the region and the world to a fully-functional park. The ecosystem of this biologically key area will be well along the road to recovery and balance after decades of ranching, and the structures will be in place to share the economic benefits of conservation with local communities.
Over the next thirty months, we will finish all trails, campgrounds, and visitor facilities in the Chacabuco Valley–that means completing three to four trail systems, developing three major campgrounds, and finishing all key facilities at the park headquarters. Our Community Outreach program, just wrapping up its pilot year, will have solidified new projects and collaborations, and our wildlife recovery program will have developed new strategies for protecting key species such as the endangered huemul deer, the Andean condor, and the puma.
Interest in the future park is growing, throughout the region and internationally, so we’re eager to complete the work required to establish and open this new 650,000 acre flagship park. Our skilled on-the-ground team has gained momentum and is tackling projects with greater speed and expertise than ever. But we need your help. Please consider joining us to support the ambitious work ahead. When you get the chance to walk across these spectacular landscapes, we hope you’ll feel proud to be part of this historic conservation effort. There just aren’t many places like this in the world.
Warmly,
Founder and President, Conservacion Patagonica
Below, you get the photo highlights of the past two months at Conservacion Patagonica. Click the photos or captions to read the full story on our blog. If you would like to receive this newsletter in your email inbox every two months, please subscribe to the newsletter here.
The art of horse-training at Valle Chacabuco
“How many people, when they think about Patagonia, imagine the Gaucho on horseback, exploring vast expanses of wild, untamed nature! I believe many do,” ponders Luigi Solís, in this reflection. MORE
PNP Celebrates Fiestas Patrias!
Local kids and their families put on a celebration and show for Fiestas Patrias, considered by many the most important national holiday in Chile. MORE
Maps for Good to design innovative maps for Patagonia National Park
Marty Schnure and Ross Donihue, two young geographers, plan to spend the Austral summer designing a unique place-based portal for the future Patagonia National Park. MORE
Species Profile: Calafate
Once you taste the Calafate berry, you are destined to return to Patagonia. MORE
I can’t wait to taste those Calafate berries when I visit!
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My son Colin Cummings has just finished a semesters work with Round River Conservation who has assisted your organization. He has had a life changing experience working for the past 3 months toward this cause. His reports home, blogs for Round River, and photos have been inspiring and absolutely full of pride that he is making a difference. I know the growth he has experienced during this past 3 months will forever shape his future.