By Molly Jo Krupkin of the University of Vermont
2/12/2024
On a sunny February day we headed out to Naturaleza Publica, a native flora and fauna farm, in Puerto Guadal to plant and sort seeds and learn about native plants, but the lessons we learned were far greater than I could have imagined. Victoria, Maria, and Vania are the three women who created and run Naturaleza Publica. The goal of their farm is to preserve native plants in Patagonia’s Aysen region, and to bring both organic produce and beauty to the local community. Maria and Vania started their professional journey as architects in Santiago and quickly found that something major was missing from their lives. They realized how important native plants are to communities and saw a major need for preservation and reinstitution of many of these plants in their own community. Their farm sits on the beautiful Lago General Carerra which is the second largest lake in South America! It was quite amazing to look up from the garden and see the crystal clear turquoise water. They rent their land from Huerto Cuatro Estaciones which commits a lot of time to educating others about native flora and fauna and how to successfully grow and care for these plants.
When we arrived at the farm we were given a tour of their space along with the organization’s background and mission. Although providing fresh and affordable produce to the community is a main priority, as seen by the impressive fruits and vegetables dominating the site, they also stressed the importance of beauty in their work. The produce is surrounded by plenty of colorful native flowers and plants that both look amazing and keep animals away. They expressed the need to reclaim public spaces with the beauty of native plants which will help to bring people joy.
Although it seemed that they had an abundance of plants, Vania explained how domesticating many of these native flora and fauna is difficult work. They have to do many trials when growing them while they monitor and record many different factors such as the name of the species, the germination time, where they received the seed, the first harvest site, etc. She also discussed how the key to growing many of these plants is to simply leave them alone, which is a lot harder than you may think. Most of the native plants do not need water, food, or protection from snow and rain. The key to growing many of these plants is to leave them and just let the elements do their job, with some occasional weeding. Most of the soil surrounding the plants is covered in wood chips. The woodchips trap moisture to keep the soil humid, they protect the plants from strong winds, help keep weeds on the top of the soil which makes them easy to remove, and protect the plants from heat and high temperatures. Seemingly small details like this are implemented all over the property and aid majorly in the success of their plants.
A major important aspect of this farm is the conservation efforts and tools the women are implementing around the land. Composting is a main asset they rely on to keep their soil rich and healthy. Along with composting food scraps and plants, they have composting dry toilets that provide essential nutrients and bacteria that is found in rich soil. Vania described compost as “the base of life”. Since many of these plants are not naturally found in places with high amounts of organic matter, using compost helps these plants to grow and thrive much faster than they typically would. Composting is a great way to lessen food waste and help the environment. What we may think of as waste and scraps contain vital nutrients that can help our ecosystem thrive. Not only do they incorporate many environmental conservation efforts, but they are also committed to conserving culture and nativity in their community. Preserving and replanting these native species helps them learn and teach others about their native culture and routines that many may otherwise forget.
After a quick lesson on basic plant morphology and identifying different floral species, we split into groups to help out around the farm. One group worked with Maria to collect the seed traps from plants on their property. The other group worked with Victoria to then separate the seeds from the rest of the plant. They used sieves and strainers to remove unnecessary leaves and branches, so the seeds will be easier to plant. The third group, the one I was in, worked with Vania to replant native grasses and wild strawberries into seed containers so they can become seedlings to be distributed to the community. We first mixed our soil with three separate parts; 50% compost, 30% coconut fur, and 20% perlite. We then separated the grasses that were found in a nearby pond, careful to keep the roots intact, and replanted them with our rich healthy soil into the containers. Working with Vania was such a great experience and our whole group was able to participate and get their hands dirty.
Our day at Naturaleza Publica was a very hands-on and informative experience. I walked away with a lot of new information about native flora and fauna in the Aysen region, but also with lots of admiration and awe on the amazing work Maria, Vania, and Victoria are doing every day. I learned that conservation does not only apply to the land, but it can be applied to culture, rituals and routines, relationships, and much more. Thank you to Naturaleza Punica and these women for their incredible lessons and I am looking forward to taking this information with me on the rest of my conservation journey.