San Antonio Province, Valparaíso Region, Chile.
The Maipo River Wetland Nature Sanctuary encompasses approximately 60 hectares dedicated to biodiversity conservation, environmental education, and the enhancement of the socio-ecological heritage of the Maipo River estuary. This area also serves as a meeting point between the municipalities of Santo Domingo and San Antonio.
This is one of the most important coastal wetlands in central Chile. It is home to more than 190 bird species —94% of which are native or endemic—representing approximately 35% of the country’s avifauna. This richness makes it a key habitat for nesting, feeding, resting, and refuge for birds, boasting the highest abundance of species in central Chile and the second highest in the country.
More than an ecosystem, the Maipo River Wetland is a sanctuary of life: a territory where natural, social and cultural values converge, forming part of an identity that connects the Andes mountain range with the Pacific Ocean.
As an urban, riverine and coastal wetland, it is also a meeting place for diverse communities that share a common challenge: to move towards the conservation and integral sustainability of this territory.
Within the Sanctuary lies the Río Maipo Wetland Park , a space open to the community that promotes infrastructure programs, community engagement, environmental education, and conservation. To schedule a visit and obtain more information, you can visit humedalriomaipo.cl.
Community conservation and restoration of the Maipo River estuary
After years of degradation—marked by its use as a branch dump and illegal landfill—in 2002 the Municipality of Santo Domingo took a pioneering step at the national level. Through a municipal decree, it granted protection to part of this territory, creating the South Bank Nature Park of the Maipo River Estuary . This initial milestone allowed for the surveying, recovery, and conservation of the area and its biodiversity.
From 2014 onwards, the Cosmos Foundation joined this process, contributing to the management and administration of the park under criteria of conservation and socio-ecological regeneration.
The collaborative work between both institutions was consolidated in November 2018 with the signing of a loan agreement, through which the Cosmos Foundation assumed the administration of the park , always maintaining the support of the municipality.
This joint process took a new step in January 2019, when the Cosmos Foundation and the Municipality of Santo Domingo requested the Ministry of the Environment to declare the area as a Nature Sanctuary .
Nature Sanctuary
The decree creating the Maipo River Wetland Nature Sanctuary establishes an approximate area of 60 hectares . This encompasses the entire municipal park and also includes approximately 20 hectares corresponding to a National Asset for Public Use associated with the Maipo River. Thus, the Sanctuary covers territories of the municipalities of Santo Domingo and San Antonio, making it an Intercommunal Sanctuary.
The decree also assigns Fundación Cosmos the responsibility of administering and managing this space . Under the supervision of the Ministry of the Environment, through the Regional Ministerial Secretariat of the Valparaíso Region, the Foundation leads decision-making and facilitates dialogue among stakeholders from the public, private, and civil society sectors, with the aim of fostering collaborative work in the region.
Understanding that the well-being of the ecosystem depends on the relationship its communities establish with it, and on the benefits of participatory, relevant, and legitimate management, a Sanctuary Governance structure has been designed. This structure involves public, private, civil society, and academic stakeholders, with the aim of jointly advancing research, education, conservation, tourism, and land-use planning.
“We have profound hope for the future as we begin to understand the true complexity and holistic nature of Earth’s systems, and we envision the integral role humanity plays in their stability and productivity.
Today we can create a new identity in society and be part of a constructive and regenerative system of nature.
New Landscape declaration – Landscape architecture foundation
Maipo River Wetland Park
Over the years of collaborative work between the Cosmos Foundation, the Municipality of Santo Domingo, and the communities associated with the ecosystem, the Río Maipo Wetland Park has become a national benchmark for management models and infrastructure for natural wetland parks.
The park covers more than 40 hectares, providing the community with a space for recreation and environmental education, and serving as a platform for the conservation of the wetland and its environmental services. The work has been organized around four main programs: environmental conservation, environmental education, community action, and infrastructure for sustainable use.
If you want to know more about the park, its schedules, activities, and programs, we invite you to visit the website humedalriomaipo.cl and follow us on our social networks .