Cantalao Precordillera – Natural Park
“The most effective way to do environmental education is to do it in nature itself.”
Adriana Hoffmann
The city of Santiago is located in a valley surrounded by mountains, ravines, and rivers, ideal for planning new public green spaces. While for many years the city’s urban planning did not value the mountains except as a backdrop, the foothills have gradually gained importance as a transition zone between the city and the mountain range, understanding the fundamental role they play in the city’s environmental balance.
Throughout the foothills of the Metropolitan Region, there are several natural parks open to recreation, sports, relaxation, cultural gatherings, and education, surrounded by Mediterranean vegetation. One of them is the Cantalao Precordillera Natural Park in the commune of Peñalolén. This public space is the fulfillment of one of the dreams of the great Chilean biologist Adriana Hoffman, who, together with the group Defenders of the Chilean Forest, envisioned many years ago that this place would become what it is today: an environmental education center in the middle of the Mediterranean sclerophyllous forest.
Between 2016 and 2018, the Ministry of the Environment (MMA)—through the Environmental Protection Fund (FPA)—adopted Hoffman’s idea and launched three consecutive public tenders to develop a large Environmental Education Center in this park, taking into account and capitalizing on the attributes of the foothills landscape and generating the necessary infrastructure to support the environmental education program.
All three tenders were awarded by the Cosmos Foundation. Based on these, a master plan and an infrastructure plan for the park were developed, transforming pre-existing military infrastructure such as stables and ammunition dumps into classrooms, offices, and facilities for public reception. In addition, an environmental education program and a management plan for the park’s sustainability were developed. Finally, an aerial ropes and challenge course was designed and built to support environmental education activities.
This park and environmental education center responds to the need to provide new natural areas to the Metropolitan Region and facilitate access for all citizens to the foothills of the Andes mountain range.
Environmental education center
The parks managed by the Cordillera Park Association are conservation and recreation sites where environmental education is essential to raising public awareness about the value of the Andean foothills.
For this reason, the Cosmos Foundation’s main objective for the Cantalao Precordillera Natural Park was to implement an Environmental Education Center, which would also be an ideal natural setting for exploring and admiring the unique native Mediterranean forest of the central region. A place that would promote and foster Nature Education.
Once the master plan was executed, progress was made with the design and execution of the infrastructure for the Cantalao Precordillera Natural Park Environmental Education Center. This involved the restoration and/or renovation of some of the existing facilities, which were used as administrative and access infrastructure, including a park ranger’s lodge and a visitor center.
Management for the sustainability and operation of the park
To ensure the proper functioning of the new park, a management plan for park sustainability, an environmental education program, and infrastructure for outdoor activities were designed.
The proposed Management Plan aimed, among other things, to propose a management and operating structure for the park’s administration, which would include personnel, materials, security, and waste management, as well as a visitor revenue structure that includes programs, a members’ club, guided tours, and a revenue structure for maintenance.
The Environmental Education Program was designed to improve the understanding of environmental issues among park visitors and promote development models and lifestyles based on sustainability.
To make the site even more attractive and functional for the community, the project concluded with the implementation of a high ropes course, trails, suspension bridges, a zip line, and a climbing wall, all of which aim to stimulate leadership, challenge-solving skills, and teamwork.
After four years of exhaustive work, the Cosmos Foundation, together with the Ministry of the Environment and the Cordillera Park Association, successfully implemented the infrastructure, outdoor areas, trails, and appropriate equipment to develop the environmental education program—based on sustainability education—specifically designed for the Cantalao Precordillera Natural Park. The park is currently managed by the Cordillera Park Municipal Association.