Episode Transcript
[00:00:04] Speaker A: The rain hits like a wall of water as our plane descends into Porthemont. The landscape below transforms from clear skies to a thick blanket of clouds. And by the time we land, we're engulfed in a downpour so intense I can barely see the road ahead. As we drive to Puerto Valares, I dash from the car into the COVID of trees.
Fernando, Andres and David from Fundacion Legado, Chile, are waiting for us at the entrance to the forest. Raindrops cascading from the rain gear as they lead us onto a wooden boardwalk cutting through dense moss covered forest. I'm struck by the green.
Every shade imaginable.
Moss carpeting every surface. Ferns unfurling from fallen logs. The forest floor springy beneath our feet.
This isn't the Patagonia of travel brochures with its dramatic towers and glaciers. This is something equally spectacular but often overlooked. The wetlands and sunken forests that form the northern gateway to Chile's route of parks.
And at its heart swims a creature so elusive that even the dedicated team who spent years looking for it has never seen one in the wild.
What makes the team dedicate years to protecting an animal they've never actually seen?
And what does the fate of this ghost like creature tell us about the overlooked wetlands that form form the northern gateway to Chile's rude parks of Patagonia?
I'm about to find out.
Welcome back to Rewadology.
I'm Brooke Mitchell and today we're at the northern gateway of Chile's remarkable root of parks of Patagonia, the Moyin River Basin near Puerto Valares in the country's lake district.
In previous episodes, we explored the iconic landscapes of southern Patagonia. The towering peaks of Torres del Paine, the windswept plains where pumas roam, and the dramatic fjords of Cape Forward.
But today we're searching for a creature far more elusive than Patagonia's famous pumas, the southern river otter, or weighing.
Our journey begins in a hexagonal wooden pavilion nestled within the forest.
Inside, the warm pine interior contrasts with the dark greens of the wetlands, visible through floor to ceiling windows that surround us.
Rain taps gently on the roof as I join the team from Fundacion Legado, Chile, around a circular wooden table.
This pavilion, part of the KEEPX facility, serves as both a meeting place and a perfect introduction to the ecosystem they're working to protect. Visible through every window, yet sheltered from the relentless downpour.
Fernando Lagado, Chile's interim executive director, introduces the team.
[00:03:26] Speaker B: So I would like to introduce David. She is working with financial very important part this is the conservation department.
[00:03:38] Speaker A: Nice.
[00:03:39] Speaker B: And the foundation is what created in 2014.
At the beginning, we choose the wetlands in Yankiwe, that is a town pretty close here to bring the people closer to this ecosystem.
[00:03:57] Speaker A: Like the canary in the coal mine, the Hua Yin's presence or absence reveals the health of the entire river ecosystem.
As a top predator, it represents the culmination of a complex food web. If it disappears, the entire ecosystem is in trouble.
Andres, who serves as the natural resource and wildlife specialist at Fundacion Lagadochile, has devoted years to studying and protecting this endangered masculinity. He explains the detective work involved in tracking an animal almost no one ever sees.
[00:04:31] Speaker C: We talk about the conservation of the programming that the foundation have in the region, but in Chile, for making this kind of work, we need to have conservation objects. And one of the conservation objects that we have is the wetland and some species of animals.
River otter. Yes, we call it the Chilean name. And in one of the our project we're trying to find this otter in the river.
It's really hard because it's in danger, extinction, the species.
[00:05:10] Speaker A: Oh, so it's listed as endangered?
[00:05:12] Speaker C: Yes. So in the river the number of wings are around 15 or more.
So it's very difficult to find it. We put some cameras around the river.
It's really hard because we need to put the camera and two months before we come to recollect the imaging.
[00:05:33] Speaker A: So.
[00:05:34] Speaker C: And also it's difficult for us because we have houses and companies around the river. So the animal is not for the best.
[00:05:47] Speaker A: Instead of direct sightings, Andres and his team rely on an extensive network of camera traps placed strategically along the river and in the surrounding forest.
These motion activated cameras have become their eyes, capturing glimpses of wildlife that human observers rarely see.
He shows me footage from these cameras on his laptop.
But instead of the elusive weeing, the screen fills with image after image of another far more common creature, the American mink.
[00:06:22] Speaker C: And some animals that we can find here in this area and also in the river.
This is the most popular animal here in Chile. Actually in the actuality, you know what it is?
[00:06:33] Speaker A: Oh, that's the mink. The American mink.
[00:06:35] Speaker C: Yes, the American mink.
[00:06:38] Speaker D: So from these trap cams have been set for a bit more than six months and like the images have been able to find are very convincing that like the, the mink is a real problem. Was it 90% of the images were.
[00:06:55] Speaker A: Yes, 90%.
[00:06:59] Speaker D: So every time the cam trap activates, it's because it's a mink.
[00:07:04] Speaker A: These invasive predators Weren't just accidentally introduced. They escaped from fur farms established throughout southern Chile.
With no natural predators and a remarkable ability to adapt to different habitats, the American mink has become one of the most successful invasive species in Patagonia.
What makes them particularly devastating is their opportunistic hunting style. They'll eat virtually anything they can catch, from birds to amphibians to small mammals.
For the specialized huen, competing with such a generalist predator is nearly impossible.
As I watch the footage, I ask if the minks are competing for food or attacking the otters.
Oh, is that a fish?
[00:07:48] Speaker C: No.
[00:07:48] Speaker A: What was it taking?
[00:07:50] Speaker C: Camaradeones.
And it's the same. It's the same food that the river otter. The river otter. So it's the more.
[00:08:00] Speaker D: It's not just maybe that they're attacking the river otter, they're actually taking their food.
[00:08:05] Speaker A: This is proof.
[00:08:06] Speaker C: Yeah. We tried to study the ecology of the animal also with the project, so we know now that the mink have the same food at the outer river. So it's a very problem.
[00:08:21] Speaker A: The camera traps revealed not just the invasive mink problem, but but other unexpected ecological imbalances.
The pudu, South America's tiniest deer, Rarely appears in their footage, despite being expected in these forests.
[00:08:37] Speaker C: And also we're trying to find another kind of animals. In the imaging that we see before, we didn't see the small deer that we have here, the buddha. So we try to find the budou now. And from the ecology of the area, we need to have a lot of deer, but we didn't see. So it's a problem now, actually.
[00:09:02] Speaker A: As we continue our conversation, Andres suggests we step outside to see one of their conservation tools firsthand. Despite the persistent rain, we follow on a wooden boardwalk from the pavilion to the edge of the Moyin river, Where the dark water flows quietly past banks of dense vegetation.
At the muddy shoreline, Andres crouches down to show me a simple wooden box with a metal cage door. A mink trap. Placed strategically where the riverbank meets the water, the trap sits partially buried in the solvent earth, Positioned to intercept mink as they travel along the riverside hunting routes. It's a humble device for tackling such a significant ecological threat.
The team's dedication to protect this ghost otter hasn't wavered.
Their search has revealed not just the challenges facing this individual species, but the complex web of ecological relationships that define the health of the entire Moyne river basin.
To understand why this elusive creature matters so much, we need to explore the unique wetland ecosystem it calls home.
An environment as Overlooked as the otter itself, but just as essential to Chile's ecological heritage.
[00:10:20] Speaker C: Now we have in the Sankirt forest also we don't see the water, but we have water inside the forest or behind the forest. In Chile we have different Type of Forest Ecosystem 9 actually this is one of their. Sanker forest is from Coquimbo. You know where is Coquimbo? It's in the north of Chile.
Yes, to the Magallanes region.
But yeah, we have Sunker forest only in this region. So the other forests direct extinct.
So for, for this reason it's important to conservate this kind of forest. And also the. The vegetation that we can found here is very special because we have in a latitude a very specific vegetation. Yeah, this tree you can find only in Chile or in Argentina, but no more in other countries.
[00:11:18] Speaker A: A sunken forest is exactly what it sounds like. A forest where the boundary between land and water blurs.
This ecosystem that we're standing in is also known as a Valdivian rainforest.
[00:11:32] Speaker C: This kind of forest, we call it Valdivia Temperate forest or rainforest Valdivian and have many names. Yeah, but it's a hot spot from the, from the vegetation here.
[00:11:45] Speaker D: Yeah. Like this climate is a temperate climate, like a rainy temperate climate.
[00:11:50] Speaker C: Yeah. And also you can, you can find the Valdivia rainforest in south of Africa, in the north of Australia, in the south of New Zealand.
It's the same latitude.
[00:12:01] Speaker A: The Valdivian temperate rainforest we're exploring is one of the rarest forest types on earth, Found only in a handful of places at this latitude.
What makes this area even more remarkable is its unique biodiversity.
Our guide Rafa explains why these wetlands often receive less attention than Patagonia's more famous landscapes.
[00:12:26] Speaker E: The Mauyin river is one of the most biodiverse spots in Chile.
Yeah, it has more than. Just as an example, it has more than 180 species of birds. Is the last remain of submerged forest that we have in the country.
We had a lot of this kind of forest in many places in North Patagonia. Not anymore, unfortunately.
So the object of conservation are really, really very easy to identify. If you are into conservation and you want to do something for the planet here.
If you evaluate a little bit what it's been preserved.
The forest site like Pumalin that we're going tomorrow is covered in a way, you know, because we have rewilding foundation. We have other NGOs working in the protection of the temporary rainforest, especially the national father creation of the root of the park, second etc. This is not as fancy as a conservation.
[00:13:27] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:13:28] Speaker E: You know, I'm not saying that the other one, it's. I work for the other one too. But this is not as fancy. So it's not as easy in order to attract money and attract commitment.
But we know that it's.
It is the most important hospital biodiversity of the Lake District with fauna, with different species of fish, birds. It's a very rich environment also for local community that depend on the health of the river for their subsistence economic activities.
[00:14:01] Speaker A: Yet these less glamorous ecosystems play a crucial role in the health of the entire region.
The Moyin river begins at Lake Yongkiwe and the town of Yongkiwe and and flows 85 km to the Pacific Ocean.
Along its course, it creates a network of wetlands that serve as critical habitat for hundreds of species. Purifies water and buffers against increasingly intense storms and floods.
This creates a vital ecological corridor connecting the Andes to the Pacific. A smaller scale version of the rood of parks concept we've been exploring throughout Patagonia.
Just as the larger root of Parks of Patagonia aims to connect diverse ecosystems from Port A Mont to Cape Horn, these wetlands connect mountain forests to coastal ecosystems, allowing wildlife to move between habitats and maintaining ecological processes that would otherwise be disrupted.
The area's rich biodiversity faces multiple threats beyond just invasive species.
Andres and David explained that the Lake District's population has exploded in recent years, particularly since the pandemic, with numbers nearly doubling as people flood urban areas seeking homes in this natural paradise.
This rapid growth brings cascading environmental challenges to the ecosystem.
Agricultural runoff from farms intensifies, waste management systems struggle to keep pace with the growing population.
And forests are increasingly cleared for new housing developments and infrastructure.
As we observe the river, signs of these pressures were visible along its banks. Areas where native vegetation had been removed right up to the water's edge, eliminating the critical buffer zones that would naturally filter pollutants before they reach the water.
Some areas have been so degraded that the water runs murky with dangerous levels of agricultural chemicals we can't see.
[00:16:06] Speaker D: But there's also many farms next to the river. So like they've been here for more than 100 years.
[00:16:11] Speaker E: Pollution for agricultural chemicals?
[00:16:14] Speaker A: Yeah, like a lot of, like estrogen pollution or like fertilizer pollution.
[00:16:19] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:16:19] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:16:20] Speaker D: And also poo from the cows. Like there's a lot of nitrogen. Because of that.
[00:16:25] Speaker A: I ask if the increase in nitrogen has caused a drop in the river's oxygen levels.
[00:16:30] Speaker D: It's close to critical.
It's really low, like from the levels that we saw last week, they were.
[00:16:40] Speaker C: Close to critical, yeah, with hormone levels than before.
But the problem is in the beginning of the river, yeah, they have the problem with the pollution in the water and also you can see the different colors in the water.
[00:16:59] Speaker A: And yet, despite these challenges, the team remains optimistic about the potential for conservation success.
[00:17:07] Speaker E: Our ecosystems in the south of Chile are still pretty healthy. If you compare same situation, for example.
[00:17:15] Speaker C: In Europe or in Africa.
[00:17:17] Speaker E: Or in Africa, the ecosystems in Europe are lost.
They are doing a work of rewilding, you know, know, because rewilding Europe, they need to. They need to be very, very. From the beginning, basically, because they lost everything.
The water is polluted. There's no more life in the waters.
There is no more large herbivores that are the base of the rewilding efforts here. We got all that still, despite all the problems that we have. So here we have a hope basically also to revert the situation is not an easy. It's not easy, but it's easier than in other places where the ecosystem were lost.
So this, I don't know if that explains why we chose this place, but yeah, I think that the place also chose us.
[00:18:10] Speaker C: Yeah, we have the opportunity to conservate the area.
[00:18:19] Speaker A: This perspective is crucial to understanding the importance of the Moyin river basin.
The team at Lagado, Chile, isn't trying to rebuild something that's been completely lost.
They're working to prevent that loss in the first place. Preserving ecological functions that, once gone, are nearly impossible to restore.
The Weiyin, though I never actually see one, embodies the stories of both fragility and resilience.
If this endangered top predator can be protected, it signals hope for the entire ecosystem.
And as I'm about to learn, the strategies for saving both the otter and its habitat involve far more than just ecological science.
Fundacion Legado Chile has developed a holistic approach to conservation that extends far beyond monitoring wildlife and water quality.
Their work spans environmental education, community engagement, waste management, and partnerships with private communities, creating a multifaceted strategy to address the complex challenges facing the Moyne River Basin.
[00:19:33] Speaker D: What's important about what we do is we try to do it always in a holistic way and with different disciplines. Like, it's not only conservation, it's also with the help of education, also relating with the community. So we need different professionals for that. And also we've had architects working with us before. We have journalists.
You need all sorts of help to get things done. So voluntary work is really important for us.
That's three. Three types of Work reforestation. So planting new trees, it's cleaning like preparing the area for new new trees that are going to be planted. And also this maintenance work.
And as a additional work we also do with people from the area would like to is also the bird censuses or bird monitoring.
So that's most usually two times a year.
[00:20:32] Speaker A: This recognition that environmental problems require social solutions is particularly evident in their educational programs. Their Escuela Naturalista or naturalist school works with 6th grade students from surrounding communities, bringing them to places like the Kepex Forest to learn about local ecosystems firsthand.
[00:20:56] Speaker D: We do education programs in schools in Yankee where all the wetlands are. So these are kids from sixth grade and they know that those wetlands, maybe they don't value them as much as we would like. But the idea is to through all these different projects, reforestation, working in the schools. We can maybe have this Vito as we call it in Chile.
It's like we can plant a, plant.
[00:21:23] Speaker A: A seed in the kids also.
[00:21:25] Speaker D: And they need to know first of all, know what they have around them. Like you can't take care of something you don't know or you don't appreciate.
[00:21:43] Speaker A: But education is just one piece of the puzzle. Another major focus has been improving waste management in the region.
They've established recycling centers in Puerto Valares and Yongkiwe, addressing one of the most visible forms of pollution affecting the river and its wetlands.
[00:22:02] Speaker D: We started a waste management facility, Punta Olympia, we call it in Puerto Vallas, so so the neighbors can recycle. And now we also helped the municipality of Yankee to start a new waste facility in Yankeewe. So now there's the second one and that's also another way we can help. So we see that there's all this waste. So well, we can maybe give a solution for people like maybe you can start bringing it here.
[00:22:33] Speaker A: Perhaps the most innovative aspect of their work is how they've engaged the private sector in conservation.
The very place where we're conducting our interview, the keepx facility exemplifies this approach.
This agricultural company has set aside a portion of its property for conservation, established walking trails through the forest and allowed Lagado Chile to install camera traps and conduct research on their land.
[00:23:03] Speaker B: Thanks to some companies like Kim, for example, where we are now Bert Chile. They bring the clients to rewilding activities and they help us to clean up planting and all the things that we do. And other companies in other places that they are asking us to help them to improve the environment of the companies.
That's a new point that is important.
[00:23:32] Speaker A: For us Also, all of these initiatives, education, waste management, private sector partnerships, and coordination with government agencies come together in their flagship project, the protection and restoration of the Moheen River Basin's wetlands.
As we walk along the riverbank, the team points out areas where they've removed invasive plants and replaced them with native species, creating wildlife corridors that connect fragmented habitats.
These seemingly small interventions can have outsized impacts, restoring ecological processes that have been disrupted by human activity.
What strikes me most about Legado Chile's approach is its patience and persistence.
They recognize that meaningful conservation occurs on a timescale of decades, not months or years.
The educational programs they're conducting today might not bear fruit until today's sixth graders become tomorrow's decision makers.
The trees they're planting may take years to provide meaningful habitat.
[00:24:41] Speaker D: It's a slow process, but it will give results, maybe in 10, 20 years.
[00:24:48] Speaker A: This long term perspective is essential for addressing the complex environment, environmental challenges facing the Moyin river basin.
And it offers an important lesson for conservation efforts throughout the route of parks of Patagonia and beyond.
A rainbow back there.
Yeah. Oh my gosh. Another one. Yes.
[00:25:10] Speaker D: And there are two.
[00:25:12] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, there's second one.
As our day with Fundacion Lagado, Chile draws to a close, the rain that greeted us has softened to a gentle drizzle.
A rainbow arches over the Moyin river, its colors reflected in the dark water.
It's a fitting metaphor for the work being done here, finding beauty and hope amidst challenging conditions.
Standing by the river, watching the ripples made by raindrops, I'm struck by how this place embodies both the challenges and and the opportunities of conservation in the 21st century.
This is the true genius of conservation corridors. Like the root of parks of Patagonia, it doesn't just protect the most dramatic landscapes, but creates connections between ecosystems along the lengths of Patagonia. From the wetlands of Puerto Valares to the windswept plains of Tierra del Fuego. Each habitat, each species species plays a crucial role in this interconnected web of life.
The Huiyin embody this interconnection as a top predator in the river ecosystem. Its presence or absence tells us something essential about the health of the entire watershed.
By working to protect this elusive creature, Lagadochili is protecting an entire ecosystem and the human communities that depend on it.
Next time on Rewildology, we'll continue our journey through the lakes district and explore Pumaling Douglas Tompkins national park, one of the jewels in Chile's conservation crown.
We'll explore how one man's vision helped catalyze a conservation revolution that would eventually lead to the creation of the Rudolph Parks of Patagonia itself.
Until then, I'm Brooke Mitchell and this has been another adventure on the root of Parks of Patagonia.
Remember, conservation isn't just about protecting the spectacular, it's about recognizing the value in every ecosystem, from the smallest wetland to the highest peak.
I want to invite you to become part of something bigger than just this podcast.
This series is actually one pillar of a larger initiative called rewildology's Project Patagonia where conservation truly meets adventure.
Project Patagonia is built on three Listen, Experience and protect.
You're already participating in the first pillar by listening to this podcast series, but if you're inspired to go deeper, you can join us in the feedback field for the second pillar experience.
In April 2026, I'll be leading a small group of just 10 people on an unforgettable expedition to trek Pumas and explore the majestic mountains of Torresta Paine National Park.
This intimate adventure includes expert led Puma tracking, meetings with conservation researchers, hiking through breathtaking landscapes, and even kayaking to the magnificent great Glacier.
You'll literally follow in the footsteps of the stories you're hearing in this podcast.
The third pillar, protect, is where your passion can translate into direct conservation impact.
Through our partnership with Panthera, the global wild cat conservation organization, your support helps fund crucial work to protect pumas and their habitats throughout Patagonia.
Your donations help bridge divides between fragmented habitats, develop solutions for human wildlife conflict, implement wildlife corridors, and support cutting edge research.
Whether you choose to listen to this series, join our expedition, make a donation, or all three, you become part of a community dedicated to preserving one of Earth's most spectacular regions.
To learn more about Project Patagonia and how you can get involved, visit rebotology.com projectpatagonia Together, we can ensure that the root of parks of Patagonia continues to thrive for generations to come.
