This Thursday, August 1st, we celebrate Pachamama Day, a traditional festivity honoring Mother Earth and celebrating nature. This tradition dates back centuries and involves various activities carried out throughout the country to express respect and gratitude for nature. Taking advantage of this occasion, the Tierras Patagónicas Foundation has disseminated useful information to raise awareness about the care and preservation of forests and water sources.
Our rivers and lakes, our coastal, marine, and groundwater, constitute resources of paramount importance. We use them for our survival as a species and to produce food: in crop irrigation and livestock farming. We use them as a means of communication: we travel and transport what we produce and what we need. We also use it as a source of energy and recreation: a significant source of income in Patagonia is tourism activity in rivers and lakes. Unfortunately, we often misuse it. We pollute water bodies by dumping sewage and industrial waste into them. Considering that only 3% of the world’s water is potable, we must commit ourselves to the challenge of caring for this natural resource for humanity.
One of our main focus points is the conservation of water sources and access to clean drinking water. Recently, we have delivered a collapsible pool to the Volunteer Firefighters of San Martín de los Andes and another to the Volunteer Firefighters of Junín de los Andes; we donated an 8000-liter tank, pump, and hoses to the Curruhuinca Community; and we provided fixed prevention signs to the Municipality of San Martín de los Andes. Additionally, we have developed and are implementing a comprehensive water care plan together with the Neuquén Applied Ecology Center (CEAN), the Provincial Directorate of Fauna and Protected Natural Areas, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and the Neuquén Province Fishing Guides Chamber.
The Patagonian Andean forest extends for 2,200 kilometers along the Andes mountain range. Due to its geographical and climatic conditions, water is scarce, especially during the summer months. In recent years, as a consequence of climate change, the number of forest fires has increased significantly. This problem is one of the areas where the Tierras Patagónicas Foundation contributes the most.
Another of our pillars of work is the prevention of forest fires through the application of technology and the installation of high-definition cameras for early detection through continuous monitoring. We are working on the remediation of the forest on Cerro Comandante Díaz, on fire prevention in Altos del Chapelco, and on the regenerative plot in Paraje Trompul. Three years ago, we formed the first fire prevention and fighting brigade with young people from the Mapuche communities of Vera, Curruhuinca, and Cayun. This year, together with the Provincial Fire Management System, we are working on the creation of two new brigades with the Atreuco and Linares communities.
Furthermore, since the beginning of 2023, the Tierras Patagónicas Foundation has been working on the conditioning of its Operations and Fire Monitoring Base, on a plot of almost 8000 m2 located on Route 237 at the height of Chapelco Airport: “We hope to make this space better known in the coming months and for the community to get to know our work in depth,” they concluded.