In May 2024, we set out to protect one of the planet’s last climate refuges. Today, we’re closer than ever to making it happen.
Learn more about our progress so far and join us..

Fundraising

Conserva Puchegüín’s fundraising campaign was designed to engage both large and small donors across Chile and the world. Guided trips to Puchegüín with potential supporters, one-on-one meetings, and a communications strategy that reached global audiences – including the front page of The New York Times – have all been key to highlighting the project’s international relevance.

Thanks to this approach, we’ve made significant progress toward our fundraising goal. Check out our progress to date below.

54%

of our US$78 million fundraising goal raised

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raised to date
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countries represented in our donor community

Conservation Plan

Our conservation plan is grounded in science and takes a holistic approach that protects flora, fauna, and fungi. Its aim is to not only safeguard biodiversity, but also preserve Puchegüín’s vital role in mitigating climate change, securing local water supplies and other ecosystem services, and connecting a nearly 1.6-million-hectare biological corridor across Chile and Argentina.

Learn more below about the progress we’ve made in advancing our conservation and monitoring plan.

Initial planning and design of monitoring proposal – 100% complete
Sampling campaigns and installation of wildlife monitoring equipment – 50% complete
Capacity building: participatory wildlife monitoring program – 70% complete
Equipment checks and maintenance during monitoring process – 50% complete
Wildlife sampling, including mammals, birds, and herpetofauna – 20% complete
Data analysis and reporting on species and their habitats – 50% complete
Annual follow-up and monitoring to evaluate results – 40% complete
Development of conservation proposals focusing on endangered, endemic, and invasive species – 50% complete
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hours of monitoring
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acres monitored
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wildlife species identified

Community Engagement

From its inception, community engagement has been at the heart of our initiative. Guided by the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation, we work to gather local communities’ perspectives, knowledge, and aspirations about the region’s future – building the foundation for a management model that combines world-class conservation with strengthening sustainable livelihoods.

Explore the stages of our community engagement plan below, including progress made and steps to come.

Community Participation 

Participatory conservation strategy development:

Initial outreach and local dialogue

(January 2024 – December 2024)

Before launching the initiative, we conducted interviews, meetings, and community gatherings to listen to local voices and understand their vision for the future of the area.

Participatory working groups

(April 2025 – December 2025)
While fundraising is underway, we are hosting Participatory Community Workshops to:

» Identify root causes of threats and explore opportunities.

» Integrate local knowledge.

» Co-design land use plans with community members.

Collaborative management of the Multi-Use Conservation Area

Throughout the planning phase and after the property is acquired, we will create additional participatory spaces to define an effective management approach for the area.

Promoting sustainable livelihoods

Once the plan is finalized and validated, we will work to strengthen traditional activities that are compatible with conserving the area’s cultural and natural heritage.

Building local capacity

To expand opportunities and support local employment, we will develop training and skill-building programs that foster leadership and good governance for the conservation of both culture and nature.

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interviews conducted
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informational meetings with community councils
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conservation strategy co-design workshops

For over a year, we’ve been working to secure Puchegüín’s permanent protection.
See what we’ve accomplished so far.

April 2024
Launch of community engagement and information gathering stage: we held initial interviews, meetings, and gatherings to listen to community voices and understand their vision for the region.
May 2024
We created the Conserva Puchegüín alliance and signed a purchase agreement with the property’s current landowners, helping us prevent threats to the area while we raise the necessary funds to buy the land and implement a conservation plan.
May 2024
Launch of fundraising campaign and strategy in Chile and across the world: the campaign goes global, holding meetings and earning press coverage across the world.
September 2024
Through our wildlife monitoring program, we identified three at-risk native species within the Puchegüín property.
September 2024
One of Conserva Puchegüín’s leaders Rodrigo Condeza participates in Climate Week 2024 in New York, presenting how Fundo Puchegüín’s ancient alerce trees can help address climate change.
January 2025
World-renowned professional climbers Tommy Caldwell, Dörte Pietron, Sean Villanueva, and Timmy O’Neill visited Cochamó to support and bring visibility to the Conserva Puchegüín campaign.
April 2025
One year after launching Conserva Puchegüín, we’ve made major progress in fundraising, community engagement, and conservation research.
June 2025
First stage of Community Workshops: we held working groups, interviews, and field meetings to integrate local vision into the long-term conservation plan.
July 2025
We established a Chilean nonprofit foundation that will be the legal owner of the land. Its bylaws ensure conservation, sustainable use, and local participation are safeguarded in the long term.
August 2025
We discovered a subpopulation of huemul – a critically endangered endemic species – within Puchegüín, reinforcing the urgency of protecting the area.

Time is running out, and protecting Puchegüín is urgent.

With your help, we can make it happen.