2023 ANNUAL REPORT

We are pleased to present our 2023 Annual Report

Thanks to our teams' hard work and the generous support of so many individuals and organizations, 2023 saw more protected territories open to the public, more species reclaiming their habitat, and nearby communities growing alongside the parks.

We proudly say twenty-one free-roaming jaguars live in Iberá Park, representing 10% of the national population. The Province of Corrientes now harbors the third-largest jaguar population in the country. The resurgence of wildlife has established the region as a renowned wildlife-watching destination, boosting local families’ incomes.

Public infrastructure and tourism offerings continue to expand in all of our projects. The first section of La Huella Impenetrable—a five-day trekking trail immersed in the forest connecting four local communities—was constructed.

In Patagonia Azul, we opened a new public-access gateway, Bahía Bustamante, and built two new public camping areas and a glamping site. The Interpretation Center and Planetarium «Elsa Rosenvasser Feher» was inaugurated in Patagonia Park, and hiking trails now explore further corners of the canyons, attracting over 19,000 tourists this year.

We worked hand in hand with the communities bordering the parks to build local economies based on healthy natural ecosystems. Initiatives like the Nature Club and Entrepreneurs by Nature offer the opportunity to venture into nature tourism and regional production. Together, we continue to build a more sustainable economy that thrives in harmony with nature.

2023 by the numbers

Park Creation

Bahía Bustamante Gateway in Patagonia Azul. Photo by Lautaro March

In 2023, we helped create one protected area, inaugurated one public-access gateway, and incorporated 18,000 hectares for restoration. We built 9,5 kilometers of perimeter fences and 58 kilometers of fire-breaks.

Ecosystem Restoration

Guanacos from Patagonia Park Argentina roam the pamaps of Luro Park in La Pampa Province after a 21-hour journey. Photo by Franco Bucci

We witnessed the birth of 9 jaguar cubs in Iberá and El Impenetrable national parks, translocated 153 animals, and deployed 187 devices for monitoring wildlife. We conducted 14 active-management projects to increase threatened wildlife populations, 16 reintroduction projects to restore locally extinct species, and 16 projects to eradicate exotic species.

Restorative Economy

The first Hiking Meeting at Patagonia Park Argentina. Photo by Horacio Barbieri

We received 82,420 tourists, and created 3 environmental organizations. We added 65 new “Entrepreneurs By Nature”, and provided 145 training courses and 6 intercultural exchanges.

Community Wellbeing

Weaving workshop at El Impenetrable. Photo by Miranda Volpe

We conducted 3 socioeconomic surveys and provided 33 talks on rewilding to local communities. Additionally, 36 families benefited from cattle managing projects.

About Rewilding Argentina

Rewilding Argentina is a non-profit organization created to confront and reverse the extinction crisis, to restore the healthy functioning of ecosystems, and to promote the well-being of local communities. Founded in 2010 by Argentinian conservationists and activists, Rewilding Argentina is the offspring of Tompkins Conservation.

So far, along with Tompkins Conservation and other organizations and philanthropists, we donated over 407,000 hectares of land to create and expand 10 national and provincial parks that safeguard over 1.5 million hectares. This protected land sequestres more than 938 million metric tons of carbon. At sea, we helped protect 96,000 km2  of the Argentine Sea with the creation of the first two national marine parks in the country.

We are reintroducing 16 missing species to their natural habitats, and working with research and active management of 14 threatened species to increase their population numbers.

Our territorial conservation model positively impacts 6 ecoregions: the Iberá Wetlands, the Gran Chaco, the Patagonian Steppe, the Argentine Sea, the Yungas Forest, and the Patagonian Forest.

We are helping to create 4 nature-based tourism destinations: Iberá, El Impenetrable, Patagonia, and Patagonia Azul, where we are developing 14 park gateways with public-use infrastructure linked to local communities.