Wetland recovery among the best environmental projects in Latin America
UC wetland recovery project was awarded seventh place in a regional competition in which social and environmental initiatives from 713 municipalities were considered.
The project to recover the coastal wetland of Pichicuy, located in the municipality of La Ligua, which was led a group of students from the Universidad Católica (UC), was recognized as one of the ten best works in Biodiversity and Fauna by the international event Green Latin America (Latinoamérica Verde).
The Engineering students, College of Natural Sciences students and Mathematics and Biology undergraduates from the UC received the award in Guayaquil, Ecuador, headquarters of the regional competition, after participating with 2,733 social and environmental projects from 713 municipalities in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The restoration of the wetland raised awareness in the local community, providing a concrete example of environmental stewardship. The project to recover the Pichicuy wetland in the Valparaíso Region was submitted to the regional competition last year through the Cverde corporation created by the university students.
“After four months of work in this coastal lagoon, the coscoroba swans reappeared, a species that the residents of La Ligua had not seen in the last ten years,” said Juan José Martin, the UC engineering student who led the project.
The future engineer said he valued the work of the 40 volunteers and the community in this initiative, which allowed the recovery of the wild fauna of the wetland. He also thanked Green Latin America (Latinoamérica Verde) for the recognition of the project’s contribution to the environment.
The Pichicuy wetland, located 25 kilometers from La Ligua, is a key area in the migratory process of birds. It is one of the first coastal lagoons that provides water to migratory birds after they cross the Atacama Desert.
People who camp and leave garbage in this area have damaged the ecosystem. Those who hunt, use dirt bikes/ATVs or extract plants to sell them have also contributed to the deterioration of the wetland.