News
Fundación explora to launch conservation projects in Chile and South America
March 2012
A new venture from explora’s Founder and Chairman, Pedro Ibáñez
This venture, which has been in the pipeline since 2008, finally sees the light of day after receiving its legal statutes and appointing its board of directors. Its mission will be the conservation of the habitats, inhabitants and habits in the areas where explora is based, principally in the Atacama Desert, Patagonia and Easter Island.
(Santiago, March 1, 2012) _ Fundación explora is a private, autonomous, nonprofit organization that was recently set up by the Founder and Chairman of the explora lodges, Pedro Ibañez, to promote the protection of the natural and cultural heritage in the areas where explora is based. Its mission is biocultural conservation, which is understood to be concern for and care of the habitat, habits and inhabitants (human and non-human) in the areas of environmental, aesthetic, historical or scientific value where explora carries out its activities.
Fundación explora has a board of seven directors and a Project Manager. In addition to Pedro Ibañez, who has pioneered this venture, the majority of the directors are renowned academics and professionals in the field of natural and humanistic sciences from Chile and abroad.
The Fundación aims to bring together and regulate a series of environmental and social initiatives developed in recent years by the explora lodges, such as teaching English in schools in the Atacama region, collecting waste and collaborating with recycling projects at the Orito Center on Easter Island and working with homes for vulnerable children and senior citizens in Patagonia. Fundación explora is now looking to take on more projects and identify further opportunities for cooperation.
One of the Fundación’s most important projects has been the creation of the Puritama Reserve, a large, privately owned conservation area located in Chile’s area of high Andean plains known as the Altiplano. The Reserve is a protected natural area in the heart of the Atacama Desert, close to the famous Puritama Hot Springs, covering an area of almost 8,500 hectares (20,900 acres) that has belonged to explora since 1991.
In 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 baseline study confirmed the diversity of both animal species and plant life, in addition to areas of great archeological importance.
In response to this study, Fundación explora has developed a management and conservation plan for the Reserve to protect the biodiversity and archeological wealth of this high Andean ecosystem. The study has also made it possible to establish and develop appropriately planned areas of scientific and cultural interest and other areas for tourism.
One of the Fundación’s objectives is to broaden the base of scientific knowledge base regarding the places where explora operates. For this purpose, Fundación explora has developed volunteer programs and scholarship programs to support research theses at undergraduate and postgraduate level and for the development of advanced research in humanistic scientific disciplines related to conservation, protection and sustainability in this unique project in the Atacama Desert.
For further information, visit www.fundacionexplora.org
