How to protect 14 million acres by Kristine Tompkins

Nearly three decades ago, my late husband Douglas Tompkins and I explored the lush temperate rainforest of Chile’s Northern Patagonia, a green universe of waterfalls, delicate ferns and rugged forest that left us enchanted and amazed. Here are some of the last remnants of alerce, ancient trees that can live over 3,000 years. Pure splendor. How could none of it be protected?

The plan hatched to protect as much land as possible, first in Pumalín, and later throughout the Southern Cone of South America. Doug brought expertise and boundless energy to the endeavor. As founder of The North Face and co-founder of Esprit, he was wildly successful in the business world. But his visionary ambition belonged in the great outdoors. In 1989, he cashed in his shares to defend one of the last wild places on earth: Patagonia. In the early nineties, I quit my role as CEO of the clothing company Patagonia Inc and joined him

It was no retirement. We rolled up our sleeves and got to work: evaluating key areas for conservation and envisioning the transformation into parklands. In Pumalín, we also created sustainable farms in the buffer zones. In what would become Patagonia National Park, we pulled up invasive weeds, removed livestock and allowed the grasslands to come back from a century of overgrazing. With each mile of fencing removed – and there were hundreds – more native wildlife began to return and follow established corridors of movement.

Conservation proved to be a controversial act, but Doug also saw it as a great opportunity. Rumours had pegged us as spies or threats to national security who would remove Chilean cows to replace them with American bison. The lack of an existing tradition of wildlands philanthropy made our stated ambitions seem suspicious and even outlandish, allegations which finally subsided once we began donating parklands. To date, we have helped to create 11 national parks in Argentina and Chile, protecting 14 million acres and counting.

National parks are the gold standard of conservation, providing the highest form of environmental protection. Democratic in nature, parks are for everyone. It does not matter who you are or where you come from. Nature and beauty are integral to our existence. Spending time out in the wind, cold and tired, these are the hard-won experiences that bring us clarity. Wildlands help us to understand our roots, the role we play in the great scheme of this living planet, and to thrive.

At Tompkins Conservation, we believe in our duty to fight the extinction crisis. A national park can only become complete when its ecological community is whole and intact. This is why rewilding has become an important focus of our work. In the Iberá wetlands in Northeastern Argentina we are working to bring back ten species which are endangered or locally extinct, including the jaguar, the green-tipped macaw and the giant anteater. In Patagonia, we have become a worldwide leader in the recovery of grasslands, and we are also helping to bring back Darwin’s rhea and monitor vulnerable populations of huemul deer, an iconic species of the southern Andes with only 2,000 individuals left.

Parks have an important economic impact on local communities. In order to ensure a positive future for Patagonia, we are helping to implement the Route of Parks, a vision which enshrines Chile’s commitment to a sustainable model for the region, with tourism as a consequence of conservation. Ranging from Puerto Montt to Cape Horn – roughly a third of Chile – this 1,700-mile expanse protects 28 million acres of land in 17 national parks. By visiting these parks and their gateway communities, the visitor plays an active role in supporting their long-term protection. Everyone benefits: the people, nature, and you, when you lace up your walking boots to head out exploring.

Doug did not see his dream come to fruition, yet his legacy extends throughout the Southern Cone, making way for future generations to thoughtfully engage with some of the most beautiful and fragile places on earth. Tompkins Conservation, along with dedicated partners and governments, continues our commitment to protect these last wild places.

For more information about the conservation work of the Tompkins Conservation, visit tompkinsconservation.org