Patagonia vs. the dams: Travel companies offer a special trip to fight a destructive project

Picture this: two wild and scenic rivers rushing from the glaciers of the southern Andes, through dramatic canyons, ancient forests, and productive ranchlands, traveling through some of the most pristine landscapes on earth. Now picture those same rivers tamed by megadams, the surrounding landscapes marred by clearcuts, power lines, and new roads, the livelihoods of local people interrupted. That's what's at risk if the controversial HidroAysén project to dam the Baker and Pascua rivers in Chilean Patagonia is approved.

Located more than 1,200 miles south of the national capital, Santiago, Aysén is the most sparsely populated region in Chile. In addition to indigenous communities and local ranching families who have lived on this land for generations, the area surrounding Baker and Pascua rivers supports a thriving sustainable tourism industry based on river rafting, trekking, and sport fishing.

One of the principal tourism operators in Aysén, Patagonia Adventure Expeditions (PAEX) has been running rafting trips on the Baker River for over a decade and have established several new trekking routes in the region. PAEX founder Jonathan Leidig sees a tremendous potential for sustainable tourism to generate income for both local residents and Chile as a whole - a potential that would be seriously reduced by the construction of the dams.

According to Berkeley, California-based International Rivers, one of the many international and Chilean environmental groups that have formed an alliance against the project, the proposed two dams on the Baker River and three dams on the Pascua River would involve creating the world's largest clearcut in order to lay new transmission lines and build thousands of 220-foot-high transmission towers over a 1,500-mile-long corridor. The reservoirs created by the dams would flood an area of 23 square miles, including prime ranching and agricultural lands, as well as critically important wildlife habitats. The transmission lines would cross 64 communities and 14 legally protected conservation areas.

Not only would the dams destroy the pristine character and traditional lifestyle of the Baker-Pascua region, it would likely also negatively impact Chile's international reputation as an ecotourism and adventure destination.

Environmental groups call the dam project unnecessary, destructive, and shortsighted. Rather than building more dams, Chile needs to embrace more modern, forward-thinking energy alternatives, as noted in a 2008 New York Times editorial. Yet the HydroAysén dam controversy is more than just a Chilean issue. In fact, the project's backers include not only Chilean companies but also multinational corporations.

In an effort to increase awareness of the HidroAysén issue, PAEX has joined forced with Vaya Adventures, a Berkeley-based tour operator specializing in South America, to offer a special "Ice to Ocean Fundraising Adventure" trip to the threatened area. The trip, which runs from February 26 to March 12, 2010, will include trekking through glacial valleys at the edge of the Northern Patagonian Ice Cap, the source of the Baker River, as well as rafting the Baker River all the way to the ocean. Under the proposed project, the river would be dammed in two places, making such a rafting adventure impossible.

All net proceeds from the trip will go to the International Rivers Patagonia campaign. The trip costs $4,975, not including airfare. Participants who commit to raising $2,000 for the International Rivers campaign prior to departure will receive a $1,000 discount.

In addition to raising awareness and funds for the anti-dam campaign, Vaya Adventures hopes to highlight the region as a sustainable tourism destination. "The region is too special not to try to do something to protect it from needless harm," says Vaya Adventures founder Jim Lutz. "The potential long-term benefits to Chile from sustainable tourism in the area are immense."

For more on the International Rivers Patagonia campaign, visit the organization's website or check out this fact sheet. For more on the fundraising trip, including how to sign up, visit the Vaya Adventures website.

Photos courtesy of Vaya Adventures: An area of the Baker River that would be flooded by the dam (top); a proposed dam site on the Pascua River (bottom)

Green Living Project: Documenting sustainability around the world

Last night I headed over to the Seattle REI store for a presentation by Rob Holmes, founder of the Green Living Project. GLP documents sustainability in various parts of the world with the goal of supporting and promoting successful projects. GLP seeks out compelling sustainable and community-centered development projects and tells their stories through short documentary films, blog dispatches, and presentation across the United States.

In 2008, they traveled to east and southern Africa, where - among other projects - they visited a rhinoceros sanctuary in Uganda; a cultural village tourism enterprise in Zambia; a coffee co-op project in Rwanda; a new multi-day, locally guided hiking trail in South Africa; and a bicycle distribution program in Namibia.

Yesterday's presentation, entitled "Sustainability Across South America," focused on GLP's recent expedition to Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador, where they documented eight projects. For each project, Holmes spoke about the GLP crew's experiences and then showed the final video they produced in each place. The projects are:

Cristalino Jungle Lodge, near Alta Floresta, Brazil. A sustainable tourism project at the southern end of the Amazon basin, Cristalino offers simple but comfortable accommodations and plenty of ecotourism activities for visitors. They also focus on rainforest research activities and environmental education programs for local schools. The Cristalino area is home to roughly one-third of Brazil's 1,800 bird species.

Mountain Lodges of Peru, near Cuzco, Peru. This tourism company has developed a series of alpine lodges for trekkers along the Salkantay Trail to Machu Picchu. They work with the Peruvian nonprofit organization Yanapana on social and ecological development projects to raise incomes in the communities along the route. They also work with the Frankfurt Zoological Society on research and species conservation.

Amazon Conservation Association Brazil Nut Program, near Puerto Maldonado, Peru. This program focuses on income generation through the harvesting and sale of Brazil nuts, a renewable rainforest resource. The region is coming under increasing pressure due to the construction of a new highway through the rainforest, and the Brazil nut program provides an incentive for the preservation of a healthy forest.

Maquipucuna Foundation, near Quito, Ecuador. Maquipucuna established one of the first eco-lodges in the cloud forest region northwest of Quito. The foundation operates a small lodge in the heart of one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the world (home to nearly 400 bird species and more than 1,900 types of plants). Maquipucuna's programs include organic farming, tree planting (getting rid of introduced species and restoring native ones), shade-grown coffee plantings in previously deforested areas, an orchid seed project that grows orchids for sale to reduce the harvesting of wild plants, and biological research. The foundation has been very influential in getting other communities involved in ecotourism and conservation activities, and many of their efforts are being replicated elsewhere in Ecuador.

Yachana Foundation, Amazon Region, Ecuador. The Yachana Foundation focuses on community development in the Ecuadorian Amazon. They operate an eco-lodge, Yachana Lodge, in a private reserve along the Napo River, as well as a technical high school that trains local students in subjects such as ecotourism, sustainable agriculture, natural resource management, and sustainable microenterprise development. Yachana's focus is on giving local people the tools they need to make educated decisions on how they use natural resources and improve their standard of living. The foundation is also working with Global Vision International to document the biological diversity of the Yachana reserve in the hopes of obtaining national protected status.

Tierra del Volcán, near Mt. Cotopaxi, Ecuador. Tierra del Volcán operates three eco-lodges in the region surrounding Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the world. They offer adventure activities such as trekking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and ziplining. They have established agreements with local landowners in which the landowners promise to use their land sustainably in exchange for revenues from tourism activities on their property. Tierra del Volcán also works with the nonprofit organization Fundación Páramo on conservation projects and environmental education in local schools.

Equilibrio Azul, Puerto López, Ecuador. Located in a fishing community on Ecuador's Pacific coast, Equilibrio Azul is a startup nonprofit organization dedicated to marine conservation. The three critical issues that they have identified are overharvesting, garbage and other pollution in the oceans, and marine habitat destruction. The organization is working with local fishermen to try to find a balance between harvesting and conservation of marine resources. They are also conducting research and data collection that they hope will lead to additional incentives for conservation, at both the local and government levels. In an effort to change the attitudes of future generations, Equilibrio Azul also runs an after-school eco-club for local children.

The Green Living Project's "Sustainability Across South America" presentation will be visiting several other cities across the U.S. this fall. Check their events schedule for dates and locations. If you missed their previous presentations on projects in Africa, you can find the videos on the Green Living Project website under "Projects."

GLP is currently documenting sustainable development projects in the United States and planning future expeditions to Central America and other parts of the world. More information is available on the GLP website, Facebook page, or Twitter feed.

Information on how individuals can support the projects documented by GLP - whether through donations or as volunteers or simply by visiting or purchasing local products - is posted on the project pages on the GLP website and made available at presentations.

Photo Essay: Iguanas of the Galapagos

Almost prehistoric in appearance, the various species of iguanas inhabiting the Galapagos Islands are fascinating examples of how animals have adapted to different environments. This is the only place on earth where you'll find marine iguanas, unique among lizards in their ability to swim and feed in the ocean. The Galapagos are also home to various species of land iguanas, which tend to be much larger than their marine counterparts. Both types of iguanas vary greatly in coloring depending on which island they are from. These photos of Galapagos iguanas - some terrestrial, some marine - were taken at various locations throughout the archipelago.

New study of mosquito-borne threats to Galapagos wildlife highlights ongoing danger of introduced species to island ecosystems

According to a report published today in the online edition of the Proceedings of the Royal Society, British and Ecuadorian scientists have found strong evidence that mosquitos transported to the Galapagos Islands on tour boats and aircraft pose a serious threat to the archipelago's unique wildlife. According to a Reuters article about the new study, mosquitos first appeared in the Galapagos in the mid-1980s but were thought to be temporary visitors whose presence was little cause for concern. Now the researchers have discovered that the mosquitos are being brought to the islands on airplanes and dispersed throughout the archipelago by tour boats.

According to the article abstract, the researchers found that the southern house mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatus)

"is regularly introduced via aircraft into the Galápagos Archipelago....Tourist cruise boats and inter-island boat services are the most likely mechanism for transporting Culex mosquitoes between islands. Such anthropogenic mosquito movements increase the risk of the introduction of mosquito-borne diseases novel to Galápagos and their subsequent widespread dissemination across the archipelago."

The southern house mosquito is associated with such diseases as the West Nile virus and avian malaria. The scientists express concern that the continued introduction and breeding of this mosquito will have dire consequences for the unique wildlife of the Galapagos.

Island ecosystems have always been particularly vulnerable to threats from introduced species. The same isolation that has allowed unique species to evolve in island regions such as the Galapagos, Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, and Madagascar, also renders these species defenseless in the face of introduced species, whether through viruses, predation, or increased competition for food.

According to an article in Scientific American, recent studies by the New Zealand Department of Conservation found that wild populations of the country's national bird, the kiwi, are declining by six percent per year, primarily as a result of predation by the European stoat. The stoat was introduced in the nineteenth century in a misguided attempt to control the numbers of another non-native species, the rabbit, which was wreaking havoc in both New Zealand and Australia.

The stoat is only one of the many introduced species that are decimating New Zealand's native biodiversity. According to the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment:

"More than 25,000 plant species, 54 mammal species and about 2,000 invertebrate species have been introduced to New Zealand since it was settled. Nearly 2,000 exotic plant species are now established in the wild. Of the mammals introduced to New Zealand, a group of 31 species now dominates many of our landscapes."

In Madagascar, researchers from the French agricultural development organization CIRAD have identified 21 potentially invasive plant species. This number represents only a small percentage of the more than 400 species of trees and bushes that have been introduced to the country but includes those species most likely to become a threat.

Ironically, plants from Madagascar have become invasive species in other island ecosystems. In Hawaii, conservationists are fighting to eradicate numerous noxious weeds, including the fireweed or Madagascar ragwort, which not only threatens native vegetation but also is toxic to livestock. It is spread by wind, animals, vehicles, and even on the soles of hiking boots. Fireweed is only one of the nearly 50 high-profile invasive species identified by the Hawaii Invasive Species Council (HISC).

Fireweed is also a problem in Western Australia, where it is estimated to cost the cattle industry and the government more than $2 million per year. The Australian Government has extensive control operations in place throughout the country to combat invasive species, which include diseases, fungi, and parasites; feral animals such as rabbits, cats, and foxes; insects and other invertebrates; introduced marine pests; and weeds.

Of course, islands are not the only places where invasive species threaten endemic plant and animal life. However, the more isolated the population, the more vulnerable it is to introduced species. Tourism has the ability to protect wildlife and habitats by providing economic benefits to local communities. However, as so many cases have shown, travel without controls has its own environmental impact. The new report on mosquitos in the Galapagos only underscores the need for measures to prevent both deliberate and inadvertent impacts on native ecosystems.

Photo: The blue-footed booby - at risk for diseases transmitted by mosquitos?

Resources for exploring biological diversity

There are a lot of valid ways to look at the world's biological richness, but putting together a list of the most biodiverse places is a complicated endeavor. Should biodiversity be measured by country, despite the vast differences in size between nations? Or should it be measured by bioregion, regardless of national borders? In the end, a ranked list is hardly important. Here are some useful sources for exploring the topic of biodiversity.

One great source is the World Conservation Monitoring Center of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP-WCMC). Their website contains a wealth of information about various aspects of biodiversity, from parks and protected areas to international policy, from critical ecosystems to the effect of climate change on biodiversity.

The online version of UNEP-WCMC World Atlas of Biodiversity has a clickable map showing biodiversity levels throughout the world. By clicking in the list to the right of the map, users can filter the map by different types of biodiversity measurements, including such categories as vertebrate family density, endemic bird areas, vascular plant diversity, amphibian hotspots, and country-level biodiversity.

The Convention on Biological Diversity is an international agreement adopted in December 1993 to conserve biodiversity and promote its sustainable, fair, and equitable use. The extensive information on the Convention's website includes country profiles and thematic programmes and cross-cutting issues.

Many areas of high biodiversity are also among the world's most endangered places. Conservation International has identified 34 Biodiversity Hotspots - "the richest and most threatened reservoirs of plant and animal life on Earth." These regions include the Tropical Andes, the Horn of Africa, Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands, New Zealand, and the Mountains of Southwestern China. The website includes more information about hotspots in general, profiles of each biodiversity hotspot, and resources for further exploration.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List catalogues threatened species around the world.

Photo: Cloud forest in Ecuador, one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world