Photo: Lucas8W8L | Wikimedia Commons
As governments consider protecting 30% of the planet for nature, successful examples of landscape-scale restoration are vital but rare. South America's second-largest forest, the Gran Chaco, which stretches from Bolivia to Argentina and Paraguay, is one of them. Starting in 1997, Kris Tompkins, former CEO of outdoor clothing company Patagonia and her late husband, Doug, co-founder of North Face, bought 765,000 hectares of land in Argentina and Chile. Their conservation model has since shown what is possible when nature is given a chance to recover. Restored land is typically given to government as a protected area on condition that the returning flora and fauna are conserved. Support of local communities -- many with a strong hunting tradition -- is crucial to rewilding as the climate changes. "Our achievements in Argentina, where environmental damage has been profound, should give hope that there’s still time for South America and the rest of the world," says Sofia Heinonen, CEO of Rewilding Argentina.
|
|
More:
