Patagonia was ablaze. A tourist had started a fire that would end up consuming more than 17,000 hectares of Torres del Paine National Park. The drive to restore it mobilized many people, including Suzanne Wylie.

The fire broke out on December 27, 2011. For three days, fire crews were unable to reach the point where the fire started. It wasn't until late February of the following year that the disaster was brought under control.

That's when Reforestemos Patagonia was founded. Without knowing much about reforestation, Suzanne and a group of people set out to plant one million native trees. The recovery would take years, and they were still learning how to do it.

But they decided to get started. They called it a “citizens’ crusade.” The initiative, led by Suzanne Wylie, was met with an outpouring of support. Whatever they didn’t know about forests, they would have to learn as they went along.

Ten years later, they began to see results. The forest was gradually returning, and with it, the ecological value of Torres del Paine National Park.

That initial momentum gave rise to Fundación Reforestemos, a nationwide organization with a regional presence. Its work in restoration, protection, and reforestation aims to address the impact of climate change in Latin America.

Sources: País Circular, Reforestemos

We are Suzanne Wylie.
We are Chile.