In 1972, the UN Secretary-General, Kurt Waldheim, received a worrying letter from Argentine President Juan Domingo Perón. In the letter, Perón warned of “the suicidal march that humanity has undertaken through the pollution of the environment and the biosphere, the decay of natural resources, the unchecked growth of the population, and the overestimation of technology.” However, during the 1970s, the desire to protect the environment was not as strong as today.
Aware of the situation and supporting Perón’s letter, Waldheim declared October 18 World Nature Protection Day. Every year, the United Nations Organization promotes different causes, recognizing the importance of educating the population to achieve a more sustainable lifestyle.
From the Torres del Paine National Park, here in Las Torres Patagonia, we have echoed this call and developed many actions to care for nature in many different ways. This year, we have created new alliances to enhance our efforts and enrich our sustainable actions.
Oil Disposal
This year, aware of the problem with vegetable oils and their disposal in pipes, Las Torres Patagonia, entered into an important partnership with CirKular. This company transforms triglycerides into biodiesel. Now, the oils used at our hotel are stored, removed, and made into environmentally friendly fuels.
Trail Maintenance
Together with the American organization ConservationVIP, we continued working this year to improve the trails inside Torres del Paine National Park. Thanks to the work of the engineers and the NGO’s volunteers, we reconstructed the trail to Base Torres, which hikers and horses use. The updated shape, composition, and design of this trail will allow the passage of time, climate, and other factors to reduce trail damage and ensure that the space between nature and people is protected.
Regenerative Food
Our regenerative garden continues to expand. This year, we celebrate our harvest exceeding 3 tons during the last season, a record for sustainable agriculture and a milestone for this work in Patagonia. We treat our land with different techniques that, in addition to caring for the soil to prevent erosion and overuse, allow us to harvest healthy food free of chemicals and pesticides.
NGO AMA Torres del Paine
Additionally, thanks to the alliance we developed with the NGO AMA Torres del Paine, we celebrated the accreditation of 22 people in the Wilderness First Responder course a few weeks ago. With this certification of more of our team, we can remain safe while out in nature and under the necessary protocols for a calm and secure visit. Since taking care of ourselves is also taking care of our environment.
At Las Torres Patagonia, we continue to grow, and many other initiatives are in development or are ready to come to fruition. Our awareness of what Torres del Paine gives back to us affirms our commitment to protecting for decades to come.
