Friends of Freyja: Rodrigo Condeza on Conservation, Community, and the Future of Cochamó

At Freyja, we believe the most effective conservation happens through collaboration. Across continents and biomes, we work closely with partners who are rooted in the landscapes they protect, weaving together local insights with our shared commitment to protect the natural world.

Today, we’re excited to spotlight one of these exceptional allies: Rodrigo Condeza, Director of Puelo Patagonia. Based in southern Chile, Puelo Patagonia is dedicated to preserving the natural and cultural heritage of the Cochamó region. Together, we’ve collaborated on several initiatives, such as our acquisition of a critical property at the entrance to the Cochamó Valley. Currently, we’re joining forces on the Conserva Puchegüín campaign – an international alliance aiming to permanently safeguard Hacienda Puchegüín, a vast, unprotected property in Cochamó encompassing irreplaceable ecological and cultural treasures.

Read on for Rodrigo’s insights on this vital work and his journey conserving the Cochamó region.

What inspired you to pursue a career in conservation?
What inspired me is the love that I feel for this place – the conservation career is an accident of that. I couldn’t avoid it; I felt I had to do everything I could to conserve and give something back to this beautiful land that I love and the people that live there.

What strategies do you use to engage local communities in protecting biodiversity?
I think the key is that communities benefit from conservation. The love for the land is there, the pride in the culture is there, and the beauty and the potential are there. The best park rangers are the neighbors, and they must benefit from conservation. 

How does protecting Chilean Patagonia help address global climate change?
Chilean Patagonia is a unique ecosystem in the world. The vast expanse of its native forests and peatlands not only store carbon, but do so in a way that few places on Earth can. Patagonian forests capture up to three times more carbon per hectare than the Amazon forests, which is remarkable considering the Amazon is often seen as the world’s lungs. In Patagonia, these forests and peatlands represent a real stronghold in the fight for climate stabilization. 

By protecting these areas, we are not only conserving iconic and biodiverse landscapes. We are keeping a natural system functioning that plays a crucial role in global climate regulation. The challenge of climate change is monumental, but concrete actions like Patagonia’s conservation offer clear solutions. By supporting campaigns like Conserva Puchegüín, we are not only safeguarding the present but also inspiring others to explore new ways of living in harmony with the planet. Patagonia is much more than a remote destination; it is a key piece in the global climate puzzle.

What iconic species characterizes the region where you work?
Undoubtedly the alerce tree, known for its longevity and size. This species is one of the largest carbon storers in Patagonia. With trees that can live for over 5,000 years and reach impressive sizes, alerces are a living testament to ecological history and have the capacity to sequester hundreds of tons of carbon in their biomass. The alerce forests of Hacienda Puchegüín, which house 10% of these trees worldwide, are crucial to our climate change mitigation efforts. Protecting and conserving these forests not only preserves an iconic species but also significantly contributes to carbon capture and storage.

What gives you hope when it comes to protecting the planet?
The planet is a vast territory, but it’s a limited one where there are not many places left to be conserved.  At the same time, it is becoming harder and harder to conserve places, and we are needing more resources and more willingness to do so. So when I see projects like Conserva Puchegüín, where local communities, local NGOs, international NGOs, and philanthropists – with the support of the government – are coming together to protect a place forever, that gives me hope. If we succeed, and we are going to succeed, it will be because of the way we are doing it, through collaboration. I think this model can be replicated in other places of the world, and we can be an example for conservation in other parts of the planet. That gives me hope.  

Learn more about Puelo Patagonia on their website, and join us in seizing this opportunity to protect Puchegüín, Cochamó, and Patagonia today through the Conserva Puchegüín campaign.