Let’s Make the World Wild
While running the length of South America, we spoke to two amazing people, Kris and the late Doug Tompkins. Over the last twenty years they had conserved over two million acres of wilderness (more than any other private individuals in the world) in Chile and Argentina. Their motive, they said, was simply “To pay our rent for living on this planet.’ We ran through two of their parks, which they have since bequeathed to the Chilean government as fully functioning, restored and re-wilded national parks; Parque Pumalin and Parque Patagonia. The parks are breath-taking natural...
Read MoreThe Ecologist Magazine: Is there an alternative to this silent massacre?
British Adventure Ecologists Katharine and David Lowrie ask whether there is an alternative to this silent massacre…… Two thousand and eight hundred miles; the equivalent of running between Lands End and John O’Groats three times! This is the distance my husband and I have now run through the continent of South America. And nearly every step of the way has been alongside wire fences; enclosing the sheep, cattle and goats that graze vast tracks of Chile’s and Argentina’s woodlands, grasslands and savannas. Before starting our 5000mileproject expedition to run the length of...
Read More“The Ecologist Magazine”: Running into the Grassland Queen of Patagonia
People around the world acknowledge the importance of forests and trees to humankind and the survival of our planet. But grasslands; the wind-torn steppe of South America or rolling prairies of Northern America; surely these do not score highly in the global index of priority conservation habitats? Wrong. This diminutive habitat is in fact an important agent for carbon sequestration and provides crucial habitat to large herbivores, top predators and a plethora of species; many of whose populations are threatened. For nearly twenty years, Kristine McDivitt Tompkins and her husband Douglas...
Read MoreWinners of the Christmas Charity Draw Wildlife Paintings
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who entered our Christmas Charity Draw. We sold 98 tickets, raising a grand total of US$708, or GBP 442.50. This is now winging its way to Conservacion Patagonica our fantastic charity who are restoring extremely threatened wildlands and wildlife in southern Chile. The two lucky winners are: Gill Reid and Peter and Sue Lowrie!! An original painting (by Katharine) of a vizcacha and huemul deer will soon arrive at your doorsteps. For those who did not enter or win; we will be holding one final drawer in aid of our other charity Armonia, Bolivia (cousin of Birlife) ...
Read MoreGRAND CHRISTMAS CHARITY RAFFLE!!!
EXCITING NEWS!!! We are launching our GRAND CHRISTMAS CHARITY RAFFLE. TWO original art works (by Katharine) of two amazing South American mammals. All proceeds (100%) go to our charity. Click HERE to buy your raffle tickets NOW!! Thank you!
Read More“I’ve still got sand… in my shoes . . .”
… well, not sand but a little grit. 3 days back into the 20 mile-a-day grind but the memory of our 48hrs in Conservacion Patagonica is still super-fresh. Highlights of Valle Chacabuco: Fresh prints of puma: sharing our very same pathway during his night’s wonderings – we are waiting to see if the motion-sensor camera we placed with Luigi has recorded his presence on film . . . Austral pygmy owl slumbering during an afternoon siesta The vizcacha which was far too busy in its gallery to turn up, ensuring that at some point in the future we will have to return to...
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