Grant in the Spotlight: Puchegüín
Image courtesy of Rodrigo Condeza
The Wyss Foundation is excited to spotlight a $15,000,000 grant to The Nature Conservancy, a global conservation organization working to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. Alongside communities, The Nature Conservancy works to clear obstacles and find solutions to the climate and biodiversity crises.
This grant supports the acquisition and long-term conservation of Fundo Puchegüín, a landscape of more than 328,000 acres in northern Chilean Patagonia, encompassing native temperate rainforest, dramatic granite domes and walls, glacier-fed lakes, and free-flowing rivers. The property is now owned and managed by Fundación Conserva Puchegüín, a Chilean foundation established by project partners Puelo Patagonia, Freyja Foundation, and The Nature Conservancy.
Over the coming years, Fundación Conserva Puchegüín and its partners will establish a new national park on at least eighty percent of the property, with the remaining area managed as a multiple-use conservation landscape that supports sustainable community development and traditional land uses. Together, these protected areas will help fill critical gaps in one of Latin America’s largest biological corridors, spanning more than four million acres across Chile and Argentina.
“The protection of Fundo Puchegüín is an extraordinary accomplishment for conservation,” said Jennifer Morris, CEO of the Nature Conservancy. “It’s a huge win for biodiversity and for local traditions, cultures, and ways of life. The Nature Conservancy is honored to be a part of the Conserva Puchegüín alliance, and we look forward to what lies ahead for this incredible landscape and its community.”
“The conservation of Fundo Puchegüín is a powerful example of what is possible when vision, local leadership, and long-term stewardship come together,” said Molly McUsic, President of the Wyss Foundation. “The Wyss Foundation is proud to support The Nature Conservancy and its partners in protecting this extraordinary landscape in Chilean Patagonia, safeguarding critical ecosystems, strengthening one of Latin America’s great biological corridors, and ensuring these lands are cared for in perpetuity.”
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About the Wyss Foundation - The Wyss Foundation is a private, charitable foundation dedicated to supporting innovative, lasting solutions that improve lives, empower communities, and strengthen connections to the land.
About The Nature Conservancy - The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization working to protect lands and waters for people and nature. Guided by science, they develop practical, on-the-ground solutions to climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainability challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. They work collaboratively with communities, governments, and partners in 83 countries and territories to achieve lasting conservation impact.