Almost a fifth of our territory is made up of incredible protected areas, where forests play an important role for the planet, with a wide range of endemic fauna and proud communities that protect this great natural heritage.
The nature of our country plays an important role in the future of Chile and the world, as well as the communities that live around them, who are the main responsible for their conservation and protection. Here, south of the south, we have 18.6 million hectares from north to south, where the natural and cultural heritage of the country is safeguarded. These areas, which correspond to 21% of the surface of our territory, are divided into 106 units recognized in the National System of State Protected Wildlife Areas, administered by CONAF, which in turn are divided into 42 national parks, 46 national reserves and 18 natural monuments.
These areas are home to unique inhabitants. Here there are 119 species of protected endemic fauna (considering only terrestrial vertebrates), such as the Juan Fernández hummingbird or the long-tailed chinchilla. In addition, there are 1,016 species of endemic flora, including the red michay, the Juan Fernández cinnamon tree and the Chilean palm, among many others. If we are talking about historical specimens, one of our parks is home to one of the oldest trees in the country and the world: the Alerce Milenario, which is about 3,500 years old and is a living witness to the history of the planet.
Lung of the world
One of our most important green lungs is in Patagonia. According to an analysis conducted by the Tompkins Conservation Chile Foundation with data provided by the National Geographic Society, the 17 parks that make up the "Patagonia Parks Route" store almost three times more carbon per hectare than the Amazon, demonstrating the key role of our Patagonian ecosystems.
Communities protecting our natural heritage
The inhabitants of the communities surrounding our protected areas are the true hosts of visitors and the protagonists in the care and conservation of these areas. A good example are those who live around the national parks of "The Route of the Patagonian Parks". In order to make visible the importance of these communities, Tompkins Conservation Chile launched the series "Hosts of the Parks Route", composed of 17 capsules that tell the stories of their inhabitants, highlighting their traditions and the pride of living near these pristine ecosystems.
Here are four of these stories of local pride with global relevance:
Ronny Barría:
Luchita Tampier:
Jorge Huenupan:
Myriam Garcia:
More information about the Route of the Parks: www.rutadelosparques.org
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