Looking at the role of local communities for wildlife conservation

Peter Damerell, a recent masters degree graduate from Imperial College London has recently arrived in Pucon. Peter intends to use a variety of research techniques including participatory film making to investigate the relationships that local people have with their environment. An additional study which looks at some of the past outreach work is designed to help future outreach programs maximize their potential influence.

Capacity building event for ecoturism guides

A training seminar was held in the Municipality of Pucon, 2, 5 and 6 July 2009 to develop capacity for sustainable tourism in the region of Araucania. Nico Galvez presented a comprehensive presentation on local biodiversity, particularly focusing on recognition of wildlife signs, such as tracks in the case of mammals and bird calls. The seminar was organised by environmental consultants, Camina, as part of the development of a network of ecotourism ventures, in which our field station in Pichares and the Kod kod restaurant are participating.

Güiña project is the project of the month at the IUCN Cat specialist group

Our Güiña project (Leopardus guigna) is the project of the month at the Cat Specialist Group of the IUCN.

You can access and see more at http://www.catsg.org/catsgportal/project-o-month/20_potm/home/index_en.htm

Puma (Puma concolor) predation verification workshop with SAG Officials of the Araucanía / Taller de verificación de predación por Puma (Puma concolor

On June Fourth, a workshop was held with Wildlife Service officials of the Araucanía Region as a capacity building activity for recognition of signs of Puma predation on livestock.  Fauna Australis together with  Fauna Andina went over Puma ecology, human dimension and management.  A key part of the workshop was a detailed description of diagnostic predation signs of Puma compared to dogs as well as a verification protocol.

El 4 de Junio, se realizó un taller con oficiales representantes de todas las oficinas SAG de la Araucanía sobre verificación de denuncias y reconocimiento de predación de Puma al ganado doméstico.  Fauna  Australis y Fauna Andina describieron las investigaciónes en curso relacionadas con la ecología, percepción humana y manejo del Puma en la Araucanía.  Parte importante del taller describió los signos característicos de predación por Puma, como también, una propuesta de protocolo de verificación.

Puma Density Study Underway

Good puma management requires knowledge of puma population density. Given their low densities and cryptic and crepuscular nature, biologists have long struggled with the challenges of censusing puma populations and have only overcome this problem through long-term radio telemetry studies that attempt to mark all the animals in the population. However, recently Kelly et al. (2008) developed a camera trapping methodology to successfully census pumas in Central America and a forested environment in South America. Currently, no reliable estimate exists for puma populations in temperate rainforest, nor have puma densities been estimated outside of a national park or reserve using camera traps. Considering the Darwin Initiative´s extensive experience with camera trapping, we are ideally placed to assess puma density in the Araucanía Lake Region. Camera trapping work began on April 20th and will continue until July 20th.

Subhira plays concert in aid of the Cañi Sanctuary

11 Feb 2009. Chilean singer-songwriter Subhira played tracks from his album "Cañi" to a full house at the Kod kod restaurant/bar. The event raised $CLP 100.000 towards improving infrastructure in the Cañi Sanctuary, a private land conservation initiative to protect an ancient landscape of Araucaria trees, a short (but steep) hike uphill from the restaurant.

Field station restaurant opens for summer season 2009

The new restaurant and bar, Kod kod, at our field station site in Pichares, Pucon opened for the summer season to the public on 12 January 2009. The restaurant is aimed at bringing tourists in closer contact with the local environment and the issues affecting its conservation. We had a very successful and lively summer with live music 4 nights per week. Our organic vegetable gardens, woodland walk, and adventure playground are a unique part of the Kod kod experience, which looks set to establish itself as an important new tourist destination in the future