The initiative aims to create the first UNESCO Geopark in the region, highlighting the impressive heritage of the province surrounding Lake Chelenko.
A journey into the deep past of the General Carrera Province (provincia de General Carrera) is what the traveling exhibit Geoheritage on the Road («Geopatrimonio en ruta») has offered. Led by the Chelenko Geopark Project (proyecto geoparque Chelenko), the program visited the towns of Puerto Sánchez, Puerto Río Tranquilo, and Bahía Murta last week. With an educational approach focused on strengthening people’s connection to their heritage, the initiative reached local schools to share knowledge with children and their families—through an exhibit showcasing a legacy that spans over one billion years.
“As the Chelenko Geopark Project, we want the residents of the General Carrera Province (provincia de General Carrera) to be the first to recognize their own heritage. And during our visits to the municipalities of Chile Chico and Río Ibáñez, we’ve encountered communities eager to learn about and enjoy the wonders of the land they inhabit. That enthusiasm is a powerful driving force to move this initiative forward,” said Gustavo Saldivia Pérez, Director of the Regional Museum of Aysén (Museo Regional de Aysén), the executing institution.
The promotion of local heritage is a fundamental part of this CORFO Public Good Project (Bien Público CORFO), funded by the Aysén Regional Government (Gobierno Regional de Aysén). Its goal is to establish the first geopark in the Aysén Region (región de Aysén). The initiative is led by the National Cultural Heritage Service (Servicio Nacional del Patrimonio Cultural), executed through the Regional Museum of Aysén, and commissioned by the Undersecretariat of Mining (Subsecretaría de Minería). Its main aim is to benefit and give visibility to the communities located within the proposed geopark area by strengthening their connection to and projection of their cultural heritage.
To date, beyond the recognition and public presentation of the project in different communities, the team is also working on the development of a governance structure and a management plan that will guide the main activities of the future geopark. Progress on this front was shared during the most recent ZOIT Chelenko meeting held on May 25 in Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez.
According to Juan Vásquez Alarcón, Aysén’s Regional Secretary of Mining (SEREMI de Minería) and the project’s commissioning authority, the Chelenko Geopark Project team also participated in the recent ZOIT meeting, where the proposed territorial boundaries and governance model were discussed. “The governance proposal will be in charge of preparing the official dossier to be submitted to UNESCO. These are good news, as they show how the Chelenko Geopark Project is increasingly becoming rooted in the community, which is beginning to recognize the richness that surrounds them,” Vásquez stated.
The Chelenko Geopark Project (proyecto geoparque Chelenko) will continue its outreach tour across towns in the province, and it will also take part in the upcoming anniversary celebration of the Capilla de Mármol Nature Sanctuary (Santuario de la Naturaleza Capilla de Mármol), to be held in June in Puerto Río Tranquilo.