Hernán Torres (1946-2017): A Great Nature Lover

by Marcela Torres

It was January 2000 and my dad and I were sitting on top of a rocky promontory in Torres del Paine National Park, in southern Chile, withstanding the strong cold Patagonian winds that pierced through our parkas, gloves and hats. But we were on a mission: To photograph the elusive Andean Condor.

We were fortunate enough to stay at a park ranger post, where the staff gave us tips on the best spots to find the Condor. Since this is a scavenger bird, they suggested we take with us some really stinky cat food that would surely do the trick of attracting it to us.

Following their instructions, we trekked for hours through the tall grasslands of the “pampa” to reach one of the hills they had recommended. It was a rocky mount, completely barren, but after climbing it we discovered it provided a great lookout point. There we sat, with our stock of smelly cat food, and waited, and waited, and waited…

As we waited, I remembered how we came to be there on the first place. In 1982, the BBC produced one of my dad’s favorite documentaries, “The Flight of the Condor”. Mind you, he got a copy and played it over and over again. Being just a girl, I was more into cartoons and Michael Jackson videos, but I ended up liking this incredible film about a bird that is a national symbol in most Andean countries, including Chile, where we lived.

In fact, it wasn’t the first time I had enjoyed a national park with him. My dad had been Regional Director for CONAF, the agency in charge of Chilean protected areas, in Arica between 1974 and 1985. As a child, I traveled with him many times to Lauca National Park, in the high Andes, during his field visits. He taught me about the Vicuña, the Flamingos, the Vizcacha, and the Condor.

It was so much fun that I never paid attention to the cold and loved accompanying him while he photographed nature, which was his passion. When I turned nine, he gave me my first camera, a Polaroid that I still have, and taught me how use it. I was so happy that I took pictures of everything!!

Thanks to him, my family and I enjoyed living in Ann Arbor, Michigan; San José, Costa Rica; New Haven, Connecticut; and Arlington, Virginia. This gave us some unforgettable experiences, such as camping around the Great Lakes and visiting all of the beautiful national parks in these areas.

Torres del Paine had always been on my wish list. So, when he offered to take me in 2000, I said yes immediately! And there we were, waiting for the condor…

A couple of hours had gone by and we had almost lost all hope when suddenly, out of nowhere, a huge bird appeared flying straight towards us. It was a Condor! We quickly ditched our gloves and grabbed our cameras, getting ready to take great shots of this amazing animal. But in only a few seconds it was right on top of us!

As it came, and we realized how low it was flying, we instinctively leaned back until we lay flat on the rock.  It was such an awesome sight, having this massive bird glide only a meter above us, that we completely froze. We could see all the details of its belly and the long wings. When we snapped out of our awe, we realized we had not taken any pictures! So, we quickly rolled over on our bellies and started shooting with our cameras to try to catch at least a glimpse of the Condor. It was too late! We were only able to capture a tiny speck that was quickly flying away from us towards higher altitudes.

We stayed there a while, letting the experience sink in. It had been so amazing! Finally, we grabbed our cameras and the stinky cat food and walked back to the park ranger post. At night, while we sat with the rangers around a fire sharing a “mate” (muh-teh) –a typical Patagonia herbal tea-, they laughed at our adventure.

Our common love for nature led us to co-author two editions of the Guide to Chile’s National Parks (1999and 2004), in Spanish, and to work together in the development of the firstsustainable visitor center in a protected area in Chile, in Los FlamencosNational Reserve, between 2005 and 2006. That experience made me decide to study my Master in Ecotourism at James Cook University, in Cairns, Australia, in 2009.

My dad always supported my endeavors and often contributed with photographs for my blog. He was a member of several professional associations and chaired for many years the IUCN South American Camelid Specialist Group, promoting the conservation of the vicuña until the end of his life. I will continue contributing as well, honoring his memory.

He passed away on Saturday, February 18, 2017. It is still so recent that it’s hard to believe… I still feel him close… He will be with me forever… And my love and gratitude for all that he taught me will remain…

HERNÁN TORRES BIO

Hernán held a Master of Environmental Studies from Yale University and a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources from The University of Michigan, both in the United States. He was Regional Director for CONAF (1974-1981 and 1984-1985); team leader for protected areas management plans at the CATIE, in Costa Rica (1986-1988); Protected Areas Specialist of The Nature Conservancy’s Caribbean Region Department (1995-1998); and an accomplished international consultant in protected area planning and management, sustainable development, ecosystem services and biodiversity, working with multilateral agencies, such as the UNDP, UNEP, World Bank and RAMSAR, and actively participating in IUCN initiatives until the end.

International Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC) 2012

Celebration of Cultures Party, ESTC 2012

by Marcela Torres

Last week I had the opportunity of participating for the first time in the International Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference, held in Monterey, California and organized by the International Ecotourism Society (TIES).

It was a great honor for me to be able to deliver, precisely on the day of Chile’s Independence, a presentation on the experience of contributing to developing ecotourism at the Chaxa Lagoon, in Los Flamencos National Reserve in the Atacama Salt Flat. The project, which we developed for CONAF Antofagasta and the Lickan-Antay Indigenous Community of Toconao with the Torres Asociados Limitada consultancy firm, consisted of building the first sustainable Visitor Center in a protected area in Chile and implementing a set of bilingual materials to interpret the natural and cultural values of the area.

The interest of attendees in learning about this experience gave me great satisfaction because it was that project which made me realize that I wanted to dedicate my life to ecotourism and motivated me to study a masters in the topic.

The International Ecotourism Society has been promoting ecotourism for over a decade and working to ensure that tourism activity generates benefits for both the host communities and the environment of the destinations where it operates. This version of the Conference was attended by representatives from such diverse countries as Argentina, Botswana, Canada, Ecuador, Guyana, India, Italy, Japan, Kenya and the United States, to name a few. All of us analyzed issues such as how to fund sustainability initiatives, development and empowerment of local communities, the role of ecotourism in promoting the conservation of endangered species and the unique opportunity of the travel industry to contribute to eradicate poverty.

During the meeting, the International Ecotourism Society also launched the guidelines to regulate “voluntourism”(volunteer tourism), which it developed together with the Planeterra Foundation. The document can be downloaded from the TIES website.

The Celebration of Cultures party, the closing event of the Conference, was the highlight since it allowed attendees to share with the rest some aspects of their culture, such as music and typical outfits, and it emphasized the importance and the great potential of tourism to unite people from so many different countries around a common goal: A better quality of life for all.

This entry was originally posted by the author on September 23, 2012.

Hope for Torres del Paine

Native forests in Torres del Paine National Park.

© HernánTorres

by Marcela Torres

The disastrous fire that razed 17,606 hectares (43,505 acres) of forests in Torres del Paine National Park between December 2011 and January 2012 inspired many people in Chile and other countries to help.

For example, some firefighting brigades from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Australia, came to provide assistance in controlling the emergency. Other people, in turn, raised their voices through the social networks demanding greater responsibility in tourism and support for the reforestation of Patagonia. Response was quick and in this entry we highlight two initiatives that bring hope for Torres del Paine National Park.

Rotem Zinger and the “Black to Green” Campaign

Who is Rotem Zinger? The Israeli tourist who caused the last fire in the Park. To avoid extending the trial against him, in February 2012 Zinger settled with the Puerto Natales Court a payment of 10 thousand United States dollars in compensation for the damages resulting from his actions and he will have to work as a volunteer between one and two years for the international non-governmental organization Keren Kayemet LeIsrael –which specializes in reforestation and has an office in Chile- taking over the role of coordinating the campaign “Torres del Paine, from Black to Green”.

The aim is to raise funds to reproduce at least 50,000 plants of native forest species in greenhouses in Puerto Natales that are owned by the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) –government agency that manages protected areas in Chile- in order to use them in the reforestation of the National Park. Zinger is forced to promote the initiative through different media, particularly among the Jewish community in Chile and its website, replicating the campaign carried out in 2011 to reforest Mount Carmel in Israel. In addition, he will need to present progress reports every three months to CONAF.

Although public opinion in Chile did not initially believe he would see this campaign through, something has already been done. On April 22 the initiative was officially launched with a call to the Chilean Jewish community in to continue showing its loyalty to Chile and Israel by supporting this effort to bring back the green to Torres del Paine.

Donations are being received in the following account:

Corporación Keren Kayemet Leisrael FNJ Chile

RUT 65.009.118-3

Banco Corpbanca

Cuenta Corriente Nº 3331692

Let’s Reforest Patagonia

At the beginning of May, a campaign called “Let’s Reforest Patagonia” was launched by several governmental institutions and non-governmental environmental organizations. This original initiative seeks to organize citizens to donate 1 million native trees that will be planted in the Torres del Paine and Laguna San Rafael national parks and in the Lago Carlota and Cerro Castillo national reserves during 2012.

How does this work? For each US $4.00, people making donations will be able to have a tree under their name in Patagonia. A grid is displayed on the website with green trees and burnt trees. To make a donation, a person must click on a burnt tree. Once the transaction has been made, the person receives a certificate with the coordinates of the place where the tree will be planted.

So far, the campaign has obtained funds to reforest more than 67,000,000 trees, according to the website’s counter. Therefore, there’s still time to help restore the beautiful Chilean Patagonia.

Let’s do it! Hope is not lost yet!

This entry was originally posted by the author on June 6, 2012.

Impacts of Fire in Torres del Paine

Tourist testimonial in Torres del Paine, 2012. 

© Sernatur

by Marcela Torres

More than 16,000 hectares (39,537 acres) were destroyed by the fire caused by the irresponsible conduct of a tourist that forced Torres del Paine National Park to close between Thursday, December 29, 2011 and Wednesday, January 4, 2012. Until last week, CONAF –the government agency in charge of managing protected areas in Chile- still had firefighters putting out new fires in different sectors of the park.

Although most of the fire is now under control and the park is slowly picking up its normal pace, a permanent environmental damage has been caused in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Because the only person accused or starting the fire is an Israeli citizen and this is the second time in 2011 that a tourist from that country caused a disaster in the park, the Government of Israel announced that it will send a delegation of experts in reforestation who will pass on the experience obtained from recovering forests in the Carmel area, a year ago. In addition, it will make a direct contribution in trees, by setting up a greenhouse especially designed for the reforestation of Torres del Paine.

However, the native forest that was destroyed is composed of trees that grow very slowly and reach maturity when they’re approximately 200 years old. They also need to be protected from the cold, the wind during the winter and the dryness during the summer.

Therefore, it’s not just a matter of replanting small trees, but also of providing them the necessary conditions to grow. In addition, it’s important to consider that large part of the fire was expanded underground and affected the area’s soil. Wildlife living in the park will probably return to the damaged sectors only to find them completely barren and will have to move elsewhere in search of food and shelter.

Several national and international teams of researchers are already studying the environmental impacts of the fire in order to contribute to prepare an effective recovery plan.

Economic Impact

The forced closure of the park also affected local economy, which largely depends on incomes generated by thousands of foreign tourists that visit the area during the high season, between November and February.

It is estimated that tourism business owners lost $2 million dollars, although this is still a preliminary figure to which we need to add what they will have stopped receiving during the season. Many of them have made great efforts to avoid lay-offs because their employees were relying on the salaries they would obtain these months.

Despite the park’s partial opening, data provided by the authorities reflect that visits have dropped 50% in January. The Chilean Government has allocated resources to support micro and small tourism enterprises in the area and has launched an aggressive international promotion campaign to maintain the flow of visitors to the park in 2012 and 2013.

Opportunity for Responsible Tourism

This sad experience in Torres del Paine National Park reminds us once again of the importance of promoting responsible tourism. The lessons learned apply both to the destination and its visitors, revealing the need to carry out awareness campaigns with all stakeholders involved in order to ensure that future generations can enjoy this beautiful place in Patagonia.

This entry was originally posted by the author on January 28, 2012.

New fire in Torres del Paine

by Marcela Torres

We are ending 2011 with sad news as a result of the irresponsibility of a tourist. A new fire is affecting Torres del Paine National Park, which has burnt 5,700 hectares (14,085 acres) of vegetation and has forced authorities to evacuate tourists and close the national park, as you can see in the video.

Once more, this disaster reminds us that greater precautions need to be taken to practice responsible tourism in protected areas, in order to avoid damaging them and ensuring they can be enjoyed by future generations.

The Government of Chile, through its Ministry of Interior and the National Emergency Office (ONEMI), is working to contain the fire and looking for support from specialized firefighting units. It is very difficult to control fires in Torres del Paine, however, because the strong Patagonian winds propagate fires very quickly.

I’ve already discussed in a previous blog the need to practice responsible tourism at the national park and to be careful with bonfires that are lit during the night. However, it seems necessary to take more extreme measure to prevent and mitigate the impacts of tourism in Torres del Paine.

Among other measures, it would be wise to forbid camping in the national park. There are already enough places to stay in within the park and more alternatives can be promoted in the nearby town of Torres del Paine. Apparently there is also a need for greater resources to patrol the area and control tourist activity.

In this context, it is worthwhile to remember that the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF), the government agency in charge of managing protected areas in Chile, has clear regulations for visitors that are available on the website in Spanish and English. It seems worthwhile to be reminded of some of them to make sure that we act as responsible tourists when visiting a natural area:

• Follow the instructions given by park rangers, including times for visiting, signs and maintenance of facilities in the Protected Wilderness Area.
• Follow rules for safety. Walk only along marked trails and roads. In case you are planning a long hike, do not go alone, and take the appropriate equipment and clothes. Inform the park rangers about the route and time of return of your trip.
• Make fires only in the places provided for doing so. After making a fire, put it out using large amounts of water. Wildfires and people with a careless attitude are always a potential danger to nature.

We hope that measures are finally taken and that tourists be more careful so that we will not have to witness another disaster such as this one in a place that attracts thousands of domestic and foreign visitors each year because of its unique beauty, wildlife and fantastic trails.

This entry was originally posted by the author on December 30, 2011.

Indigenous Communities and Tourism: The Benefits of Co-Management

Lickan Antay Guide at the Soncor Sector of Los Flamencos National Reserve.

© Hernán Torres

by Marcela Torres

Co-management of protected areas by the State and local communities is one of the best ways to guarantee that tourism will provide economic and social benefits to many people who would otherwise be marginalized, at the same time that it ensures protection for the environment on which these communities rely on for their income. An excellent example is the Soncor Sector of Los Flamencos National Reserve, in the Atacama Desert of the Antofagasta Region, in northern Chile.

Los Flamencos National Reserve is located within the Atacama La Grande Indigenous Development Area, which was established in 1997 to promote sustainable development of the ancient territories of the Lickan Antay peoples. Since then, the Lickan Antay communities have strengthened their ancient rights to use the resources, in many cases using traditional ways and in others, applying modern natural resource management techniques.

When the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) began charging entrance fees to visit the Reserve, at the begining of the 2000 decade, the Lickan Antay Community of Toconao cut off the road to access Laguna Chaxa, in the Soncor Sector, to demand that tourism, carried out in their ancient territories, would also benefit the descendants of this ethnic group that live in this nearby town. Their action brought about a revision of the plan and CONAF and the Lickan Antay communities signed co-management agreements for four of the seven sectors of the Reserve: Soncor, Miscanti and Miñiques Lagoons, Moon Valley and Tambillo.

Income generated from the entrance fees to these sites, which attract national and foreign visitors, has allowed the communities to strengthen programs to aid elderly and disabled people in their communities. At the same time, a significant amount of these incomes is invested in the management of each sector and staff salaries. The inclusion of local community personnel in the management of these sectors has allowed CONAF to redirect its staff to sectors and activities that were previously left largely unattended do to the lack of personnel and resources that affects the institution.

First Sustainable Visitor Center

Because of the increasing interest shown by tourists arriving from the nearby town of San Pedro de Atacama, the community decided to improve the site’s infrastructure and visitor information. To that end, in 2006, it partnered with CONAF and SQM mining company, which exploits lithium in the Atacama Salt Flat, to develop the first sustainable Visitor Center in a protected area in the country.

The project included the architectural design and construction of the Visitor Center, incorporating techniques such as reuse of grey water and electricity generation through solar panels and wind mills. The roads were also repaired and the parking lot expanded.

At the same time, a group of local guides was trained, all of them members of the Lickan Antay Community of Toconao, in interpretation techniques, to convey effectively to visitors the natural and cultural values of the area. To support this, 5 bilingual signs were developed for the interpretive trail and 18 for the inner hall of the Center. A documentary video was also produced, in Spanish with English subtitles, to complement information provided to visitors.

The results could not have been better. Visitors to Laguna Chaxa comment that it is a pleasure to pay an entrance fee because you can see that the revenues are invested in the people and in improving the place, where you no longer find garbage lying around and there is good infrastructure. In addition, tourism has provided local people with a new source of income and each day more and more Lickan Antay Community members seek training to be part of the benefits of responsible tourism.

This entry was originally posted by the author on October 6, 2011.

Be careful with that bonfire!

Torres del Paine National Park.

© Hernán Torres

by Marcela Torres

All over the world there are protected areas of great natural beauty and we need to be careful not to damage them when we visit so that they can be enjoyed by future generations. Fire out of control is one of the greatest risk factors, particularly in forests and grasslands.

In February, 2005 a forest fire that lasted 10 days in Torres del Paine National Park destroyed more than 13,000 hectares (32,000 acres), approximately 7% of its area. The cause was the inflammation of a gas stove a Czech tourist used in a grassland area where camping was not authorized. The disaster was such that the Czech Republic quickly offered help to restore the damaged sectors and sent Czech experts. The forest cooperation project “Assistance to renew Torres del Paine National Park ecosystems damaged by the fire” ended in December, 2010. It ran for five years and included forestation with 180,000 Lenga (Nothofagus pumilio) plants.

Torres del Paine National Park is one of the nature tourism icons in Chile. Located in the Chilean Patagonia, it covers a total of 181,414 hectares (448,284 acres) and is among the preferred worldwide destinations for trekking, particularly for its famous W circuit. In 1978 it was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, because it is among the most representative regions of the different ecosystems in the world that also provide opportunities to measure human impacts on the environment.

The rock formations known as the “towers of Paine”, the Grey and Dickson glaciers, the numerous waterfalls and lakes and its abundant wildlife, that includes endangered species such as the Condor, the Puma and the Huemul deer, are among the main attractions of this protected area. After the 2005 fire, it was believed that tourists would have learned about the importance of staying in the areas set aside for visitors.

However, in February, 2011 a new fire was again cause for grief. An Israeli tourist that lit a bonfire in an unauthorized area initiated another fire that did not have the same catastrophic consequences as the previous one because the rain that was falling helped control the flames. The tourist was expelled from the National Park and declared an unwelcome visitor because of his irresponsibility.

The National Forestry Corporation (CONAF), the government agency in charge of managing protected areas in Chile, has clear regulations for visitors available on the website in Spanish and English. It seems worthwhile to be reminded of some of them to make sure that we act as responsible tourists when visiting a natural area:

• Follow the instructions given by the park rangers, including times for visiting, signs and maintenance of facilities in the Protected Wilderness Area.
• Follow rules for safety. Walk only along marked trails and roads. In case you are planning a long hike, do not go alone, and take the appropriate equipment and clothes. Inform the park rangers about the route and time of return of your trip.
• Make fires only in the places provided for doing so. After making a fire, put it out using large amounts of water. Wildfires and people with a careless attitude are always a potential danger to nature.

Now that the high season for tourism in Chile is approaching, we hope we will not have to witness a new fire in Torres del Paine National Park. Conserving our wonderful natural heritage for future generations is a task for all of us.

This entry was originally posted by the author on September 20, 2011.

Easter Island, the most interesting place in the world

Moais in various conditions at Rapa Nui National Park, in Easter Island, Chile.
© Hernán Torres

by Marcela Torres

A couple of weeks ago, the travel blog of the prestigious Forbes business magazine highlighted Easter Island, in Chile, as “the most interesting place in the world”. According to blogger Larry Olmstead, he is surprised that people do not hear more about the island, considering that –in his opinion- it is much more compelling than other remote and exotic destinations such as Machu Picchu, the Maya ruins or the pyramids in Egypt.

What makes Easter Island so special? Olmstead says it’s the mystery and enigma surrounding the Moai statues. The author states that although the Machu Picchu buildings and the pyramids are impressive, we know quite a lot about who built them and for what purpose. This is not the case of Easter Island.

In his blog, Olmstead also mentions that in the island you do not see the big crowds of tourists that take away attraction to many other destinations that are overcrowded. We have already commented on the importance of avoiding excessive use of tourist attractions previously in this blog.

The good news is that in Easter Island, although tourism is the main source of income, both the local population and the government authorities have shown interest in promoting the development of sustainable tourism.

Proof of this is the Sustainable Visitor Center that opened in May this year within Rapa Nui National Park, which covers a large part of the island. This is the second of its kind –the first was built in 2006 in Los Flamencos National Reserve, in northern Chile- and a great step forward towards responsible tourism.

With technology such as solar panels to provide electricity and reinforced safety measures for people visiting the place, the total cost of this infrastructure was 468,000 U.S. dollars that were contributed by the Valparaíso Regional Government, American Express –through the World Monuments Fund (WMF)- and the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF), the government agency in charge of managing protected areas in Chile.

This is part of the Chilean Government’s strategy to promote sustainable tourism in Easter Island, with initiatives that include an ecotourism training program carried out in 2009 jointly with UNESCO and the National Tourism Service’s (Sernatur) current campaign to provide a sustainability distinction, a kind of certification that will be applied as a pilot project in the island with the intention of replicating it in other destinations within Chile.

All of these improvements and the well-deserved acknowledgement of Easter Island in Forbes magazine’s travel blog are, no doubt, important to promote responsible tourism in this magical place so that it can continue to be enjoyed by future generations.

This entry was originally posted by the author on August 17, 2011.

Does accessibility to tourism make progress in Chile?

Accessible trail in the Petrohué Falls sector, Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park, Chile.
© Marcela Torres

by Marcela Torres

Accessibility to tourism for people with disabilities is one of the principles of the Cape Town Declaration on Responsible Tourism (2002). In 2009, the UNWTO adopted the Declaration on the Facilitation of Tourist Travel, calling for member states to guarantee accessibility to ensure the accessibility of tourism establishments, the availability of special facilities for persons with disabilities at no additional cost, the publication of detailed information on the availability of such services and the special training of tourism staff.

How much progress has Chile made on this topic? Pretty much, but more can still be done. According to the National Disability Service (Senadis), in Chile 12,93% of the population has some kind of disability in different degrees (2.068.072 people). A new law was passed at the beginning of 2010, Law 20.422 which sets standards about equal opportunities and social inclusion for people with disabilities. This new regulation defines universal design as the basis for the new integration guidelines.

Chile’s government agencies had already been taking action before the law was passed. For example, the National Tourism Service (Sernatur) edited in 2005 the Accessible Tourism Manual, although its impact in the tourism sector was not significant. In fact, there is no systematic information about what establishments or providers have facilities or services with accessibility for this population.

Along the same line, the National Forestry Corporation (Conaf) has an Accessibility Manual for people with different abilities in the State’s Wild Protected Areas and has been implementing Accessible Wild Protected Areas throughout the country since 2006, facilitating movement of people with disabilities in trails and lookouts and adapting public toilets for people who use wheel chairs, although until now this accessibility is only present in part in just 12 of the 100 protected areas managed by this government agency.

The Senadis also has an Accessibility Manual that can be downloaded from the website and has public funds for physical access projects, but these only finance initiatives presented by public agencies, city halls and not for profit organizations. Therefore, tourism businesses must take o the costs of any adaptation for accessibility with their own resources, which probably will not happen unless they view it as a profitable investment.

Some countries, like Spain, have a headstart in this matter. Last year saw the launch of the Guide of Monuments, museums and tourism interest spots accessible for all, sponsored by the Fundación ONCE, which groups people with visual disabilities, and Vodafone Foundation. The publication gathers information about 167 accessible monuments, museums and tourism interest spots in all Spanish provinces, as well as specific details about the accessibility they provide.

In that country there are strong organizations that represent people with disabilities and have a long history of promoting inclusion. It is, no doubt, a great example for Chile which, thanks to this new law, has a unique opportunity to take a significant step forward to boost, among all stakeholders involved, a new paradigm where accessibility for people with disabilities is considered a right and not a privilege.

This entry was originally posted by the author on July 19, 2011.