Valdivian Coastal Reserve

Southern Chile has a diverse ecosystem along its narrow strip of land crowded between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. This area contains the world’s second largest temperate rainforest and the only one in South America. The World Wildlife Foundation has designated the area Valdivian Ecoregion. The Lakes District lies to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and Patagonia to the south.

In 2003 the World Wildlife Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, and other national and international organizations purchased 150,000 acres of land in Chaihuín, creating the Valdivian Coastal Reserve. This is a private reserve open to the public, with 23 miles of oceanfront and beautiful white sand beaches.

The forest within the reserve contains diverse species of trees and wildlife but for many years was subjected to the destruction of native species and the planting of eucalyptus for commercial use in the early 1990s. Fortunately, the large companies who invested in these plantations went into bankruptcy, and the organizations devoted to preservation were able to purchase the land.

About 4,500 acres of ancient and native coigüe were burned to make room for eucalyptus plantations. This area represents about 3% of the coastal reserve. The invasive trees are being cut and chipped, and huge trucks carry these chips to Corral where they are loaded for shipment to other countries.

Marco González guides me through the Reserve. He relates information about trees, birds, animals, and medicinal properties of plants that his Mapuche grandfather taught him. The forest is struggling to recuperate after being burned. Huge fires raged through the area to make way for the eucalyptus plantations.

Coicopihue is in bloom, surrounded by a diversity of species in the forest

The giant alerce is now a protected species, and is very similar to the sequoia in California. They were exploited for timber and shingles, just as were the redwood in California. Many fine old houses in the south of Chile are made of alerce.

I can't see them, but I can hear the sounds of large machines and trucks cutting and hauling eucalyptus from the forest across the river.

And they haul the trees to this location near Chaihuín for chipping. Trucks then take the chips to Corral for shipment.

This area will be planted with native species in hopes of recovering the forest.