The initiative, promoted by Las Torres Patagonia Conservancy in collaboration with regional authorities, aims to connect younger generations with conservation values through firsthand experiences in one of the country’s most iconic natural settings.

Puerto Natales, June 30, 2025. – “It is difficult to know how to protect what one has never seen.” Based on that idea, Las Torres Patagonia Conservancy—a nonprofit affiliated with Las Torres Patagonia, a family-owned business—launched a new initiative to connect local students with Torres del Paine National Park. The goal is to bring children to this natural setting, free of charge, to spend a day participating in conservation efforts at the nature reserve.

Each year over the next decade, the program will invite 450 seventh graders to participate in a full-day activity that combines environmental education and field experiences, with the goal of fostering a deep understanding of the importance of protecting the region’s natural heritage.

The initiative will benefit young people from several municipalities in the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica Region, including Puerto Natales, Torres del Paine, Laguna Blanca, Porvenir, Primavera, Río Verde, San Gregorio and Timaukel, as well as rural schools located in Puerto Edén, Seno Obstrucción, Cerro Guido, Cerro Castillo, Laguna Blanca and Porvenir.

The agreement, which was presented in April at Las Torres Patagonia’s Sustainability in Action event attended by Chief Executive Officer Josian Yaksic, was formalized this Tuesday at Coronel Santiago Bueras School in Puerto Natales. Participants at the signing included the Executive Director of Las Torres Patagonia Conservancy, John Ojeda, along with regional authorities led by the Regional Presidential Delegate for Magallanes, José Ruiz Pivcevic; the Regional Secretary of Education, Valentín Aguilera Gómez; the Regional Secretary of Environment, Enrique Rebolledo Toro; the Provincial Presidential Delegate for Última Esperanza, Guillermo Ruiz Santana; the Principal at Coronel Santiago Bueras School, Matilde Silva Ojeda; and other members of the educational community.

“The presidential delegation had been working with Las Torres Patagonia Conservancy for months to draft an agreement to bring seventh graders from our region, specifically the municipality of Natales, to visit Torres del Paine. During these conversations, we grew more enthusiastic and decided to include eight other municipalities: Torres del Paine, Natales, San Gregorio, Laguna Blanca, Primavera, Timaukel, Porvenir and Río Verde,” commented Regional Presidential Delegate José Ruiz Pivcevic. He noted, “The ten-year agreement allows 450 students to visit Torres del Paine National Park each year, regardless of any changes in public authorities. What matters is that students from our region have the chance to see this wonder firsthand. We believe that people take better care of what they have seen for themselves,” said the official.

The Regional Secretary of Education stated, “This is a milestone in education and nature. The Ministry will collaborate with the Regional In-School Physical Activity Coordination Office to support remote localities in their participation. Coronel Santiago Bueras School will be the first to join the program, set to start in October, that is expected to benefit nearly 500 students in 2025 and approximately 5,000 students over the next decade.” He added, “We appreciate the commitment and facilitation offered by the regional presidential delegation as well as the dedication shown by the NGO, Las Torres Patagonia Conservancy. With support from the Regional Secretary of Environment, they have helped develop an educational program that is truly meaningful for all the students who benefit from it.”

Ojeda, from Las Torres Patagonia Conservancy, remarked, “Our visitors over the coming years will be called to take over the care of this place. We are sowing personal, indelible connections to their land in these new generations so that, by their own conviction, they will take responsibility for protecting it in the future.

According to its organizers, the program is designed to fulfill educational and experiential objectives in a full-day format. The educational visits include same-day transportation to and from the park. The organizers also mentioned they are considering allowing some groups to stay overnight in Las Torres Patagonia accommodations when weather conditions permit. 

For more isolated communities, such as Puerto Edén, the plan includes specific logistical adaptations, like maritime transfers and accommodations, to ensure students have a safe, inclusive and educational experience.

There are currently 10 to 15 visits scheduled for the 2025-2026 season, during which approximately 448 seventh graders will learn about reforestation efforts, trail maintenance and the protection of local flora and fauna.

The first pilot program is scheduled for early October 2025, pending weather conditions and the school’s schedule.