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The initiative helps improve management of protected areas by highlighting the importance of the people who safeguard them and their practical experience.
In a first for environmental management in northern Chile, 28 park rangers from the towns of San Francisco de Chiu-Chiu and San Pedro de Atacama were certified as part of an initiative developed in partnership with the Fulcro Center for the Assessment and Certification of Job Competencies. The initiative was spearheaded by ChileValora and the Municipality of Calama, with support from SQM and Nova Andino.
The process validated the knowledge they gained primarily through fieldwork, highlighting the experience and commitment of those who play key roles in protecting ecosystems.
Eliecer Chamorro, mayor of Calama, stated that “this is a key initiative, with a certification process that makes us feel very important, as it aligns with our urgent need to preserve the Alto El Loa Valley and the Lasana Valley, while also helping to build greater trust between the municipality and the private sector.”
For her part, María Inés Verdugo, regional director of ChileValora in Antofagasta, noted that “these are the first people to be certified as park rangers in protected areas, and they will be able to put the knowledge they have acquired into practice—knowledge they will continue to build upon thanks to this training.”
The certified individuals belong to the Alto El Loa and Atacama La Grande Indigenous Development Areas, which oversee indigenous participation in the region, covering the Salar de Atacama basin and communities in the interior of Calama.
According to Aníbal Abogabir, SQM’s Manager of Communities and Public Affairs, “This project aims to recognize the value and role of local guides—many of whom belong to Indigenous Development Areas—as key players in protecting the country’s natural and cultural heritage.” “Their knowledge, connection to nature and commitment to future generations are an invaluable contribution.”
TESTIMONIALS
Drawing on the experiences of participants, Carmen Gloria Cruz, who was certified as a protected area manager, noted that “through this certification, we feel our ancestral knowledge and our connection to the land have been strongly affirmed. This is extremely helpful in providing us with the tools we need to tackle the various professional challenges that arise during this process.”
Ernesto Morel, a former member of the Atacameño National Council, said, “I am very excited and proud to have been instrumental in making this happen.”
Through this initiative, SQM and the other participating institutions are making progress toward formally recognizing skills related to conservation and fieldwork, strengthening local capacities and helping to raise the profile of these trades in the Antofagasta Region.
