Meganoticias.cl | From garbage dump to sanctuary: This is the Maipo River Wetland

Chile is home to nearly 40,000 wetlands, ecosystems where water, flora, and fauna coexist in balance and represent a tourist attraction. Among them, one stands out and is even recognized as a nature sanctuary: the Maipo River Wetland.

Located between San Antonio and Santo Domingo, about 90 minutes from Santiago, this wetland was for years a dumping ground for branches and waste. However, it is now undergoing a new phase of restoration.

Maipo River Wetland: Nature Sanctuary

As the municipality of Santo Domingo indicates, the restoration gained definitive momentum in 2014, when the Cosmos Foundation took over its management and joined the community to develop conservation and environmental education actions.

“This wetland is one of the most valuable ecosystems in central Chile (…) it is the second wetland with the highest number of registered species in the country,” the foundation states in a documentary it made about this project.

The study highlights that the Maipo River Wetland is home to more than 190 species of birds, along with mammals and reptiles. After arduous work to remove branches and debris from the area, reforestation is now underway using local seeds and plants.

“What happened here is that, indeed, there was an awareness and a will to regenerate or to have a public space again,” highlighted Diego Urrejola, executive director of the Cosmos Foundation.

Read the article at megatiempo.cl