Blog explora

explora, and those behind the company, have always been committed to preservation and responsible, sustainable and low impact tourism. For many years explora and its employees have dedicated time, funds and resources to many social, cultural and environmental causes in the localities in which explora operates.

Support to the Atacama´s School District English programs, Consejo de Pueblos Atacameños, Internado Andino, Tapati Rapa Nui, clean-up of the costal line in Easter Island, Orito´s waste management and recycling center were among many of the initiatives we have been and continue to be involved in.

Over the years the extent of our outreach began to be impaired by our inability to properly channel and tackle the many opportunities that came our way and the many initiatives that we wanted to take on.

In 2008 Mr. Pedro Ibáñez, explora´s Founder and Chairman, resolved that it was the right time to set up a foundation in order to be able to focus the company’s efforts in a structured manner. Three years later and after a torturous administrative process, I am very pleased to inform you the upcoming launch of the Fundación explora.

Fundación explora, a one of its kind in South America, is a nonprofit organization whose mission centers on biocultural conservation, which we define as the safeguarding of the habitat, habits and inhabitants (human, fauna and flora), in the areas of outstanding natural beauty and historical or scientific interest that surround the explora destinations.

The foundation´s ultimate objective is to create a link between people visiting these areas and specific local projects which contribute towards conserving the natural and cultural surroundings and developing the local communities.

One of Fundación explora’s cornerstones and most exciting projects is the Puritama Reserve, the first private conservation area in Chile’s area of high Andean plains known as the Altiplano. It is a protected natural area situated in the Atacama Desert. The area encompasses the 8,446 hectares (20,870 acres) of the Quebrada Puritama, a property that has belonged to explora since the early 1990s.

Throughout 2009, a group of multi-disciplinary scientists carried out a baseline study to identify, characterize and evaluate the plant life, wildlife and cultural vestiges in the Puritama Reserve. This study confirmed the diversity of both animal species and plant life, in addition to identifying areas of great archeological importance. The study also confirmed the remarkable existence of new insect species and the presence of a feline currently on the red list of endangered species.

In response to this study, Fundación explora has developed a management and conservation plan for the Reserve allowing the protection of the biodiversity and archeological wealth of this high Andean ecosystem. The study has also allowed the foundation to appropiately establish and develop specific areas for scientific research, cultural immersion and special interest tourism.

We believe Fundación explora will set a new course in Latin America in terms of biocultural conservation and will provide our associates, travelers and business partners with the opportunity to directly contribute and participate in this project.

On March 1^st, 2012 Fundación explora will be officially launched to media outlets, and hope you can join us in celebrating this historic moment.

With kindest regards,

Jesús Parrilla