For immediate release
June 20, 2025
A biodiverse Chilean Island that once attracted interest from the coal mining and timber harvesting industries is no longer on the market for destruction, thanks to Re:wild, the Jeff and Marieke Rothschild Foundation, the Wyss Foundation, Art into Acres, Cultiva, and WWF Chile, who recently purchased the majority of the Guafo Island from a private owner. Re:wild aims to donate the property to Chile to convert it into a Chilean National Park, ensuring that it is conserved in perpetuity for future generations.
“Guafo Island’s diverse coastal forest has never been logged and no non-native livestock have ever grazed there, which means its ecosystems are healthy,” said Karl Campbell, Re:wild director of strategic initiatives for Latin America. “We saw a great opportunity to ensure that the island’s new land title holder would protect—rather than destroy—this special place and the diversity of life that calls it home. Guafo Island is a unique and ecologically important place—we’re committed to protecting it permanently, through a process that includes consultation and explores participation opportunities with all relevant stakeholders.”
Guafo Island is a Key Biodiversity Area, which means that it is critical to the global persistence of biodiversity and the overall health of the planet. Significant breeding populations of several seabirds depend on the islands, including the world’s largest breeding colony of the near-threatened sooty shearwaters and a breeding colony of Magellanic penguins. It also boasts the northernmost colony of southern fur seals and a breeding population of endangered marine otters, and is part of a highly productive marine ecosystem that supports massive congregations of endangered blue and sei whales, among other whale species.
“We are excited about this opportunity for Chile,” said Guilermo Scallan, board president at Corporación Cultiva. “We thank Re:wild for taking the first step and are proud to be a part of the next steps in this project.”
As part of the legal process to establish a Chilean National Park, the next step is for Re:wild, Cultiva and WWF Chile to work with the Chilean authorities and local partners on formal consultation that includes exploring collaboration opportunities with local communities, Indigenous Peoples, local and regional government, and other stakeholders.
“Once the purchase was finalized, we were invited to join the process,” said Ricardo Bosshard, director of WWF Chile. “We chose to participate, recognizing both the complexity of the challenge and the unique opportunity to contribute to the conservation of a territory where we have worked for many years. We are aligning ourselves with local efforts—primarily led by Indigenous communities—to protect the area. Our aim is to support and strengthen these initiatives, and we will actively promote a consultative participation process with Indigenous communities and other local stakeholders."
“The Wyss Foundation is proud to support the purchase and protection of Guafo Island, home to untouched forests and numerous wildlife populations essential to the ecosystem of South-Central Chile,” said Wyss Foundation President Molly McUsic. “While the acquisition is a step forward, we are hopeful to see the area designated as a national park, which would safeguard the area’s immense biodiversity and permanently protect the site’s cultural and spiritual values. We are grateful for the efforts of all those involved.”
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Photo: Chile’s Guafo Island is a Key Biodiversity Area, critical to the global persistence of biodiversity and the planet’s overall health. (Photo by Evelyn Pfeiffer, WWF Chile)
Re:wild
Re:wild protects and restores the wild. We have a singular and powerful focus: the wild as the most effective solution to the interconnected climate, biodiversity and human wellbeing crises. Founded by a group of renowned conservation scientists together with Leonardo DiCaprio, Re:wild is a force multiplier that brings together Indigenous peoples, local communities, influential leaders, nongovernmental organizations, governments, companies and the public to protect and rewild at the scale and speed we need. Learn more at rewild.org.
Cultiva
For the past 25 years, Corporación Cultiva has worked hand in hand with people and communities to help positively transform the world through nature. Our efforts focus on the regeneration and conservation of native forests, the creation of educational forests, and the improvement of public spaces. We are proud and deeply grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Re:wild in advancing this important conservation initiative for Chile.
WWF
WWF is an independent conservation organization, with over 30 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. Visit www.wwf.cl for the latest news in Chile.
The Wyss Foundation
The Wyss Foundation is a private, charitable foundation dedicated to supporting innovative, lasting solutions that improve lives, empower communities, and strengthen connections to the land. Since its establishment in 1998, it has helped governments, indigenous communities, and other charitable organizations protect more than 100 million acres of land and more than 3 million square kilometers of ocean. These lands and waters are now conserved in perpetuity for current and future generations to enjoy and explore. The Wyss Foundation leverages the expertise of grantees to establish partnerships with like-minded organizations and accelerate conservation efforts. For more information about the Wyss Foundation, visit https://www.wyssfoundation.org/.
Contact
Lindsay Renick Mayer
Re:wild
lrenickmayer@rewild.org
512-686-6225
Lindsay is the Director of Media Relations for Re:wild and has a particular interest in leveraging communications to inspire conservation action. Lindsay is passionate about species-based conservation and finding compelling ways to tell stories that demonstrate the value of all of the planet’s critters, big and microscopic.
