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Eco-Museum in Patagonia

Region: Latin America
Author: Lucas Chiappe, Proyecto Lemu, Chubut, Patagonia, Argentina
Consortium Member: Ashoka: Innovators for the Public
Status: Needs Funding Budget: $4840 Collected: $40 Needs: $4800
Goal: to organize community volunteers to create an "Eco-Museum"
Comment: The museum will present the interactions of people and the natural environment in the region over time. Through public awareness, it will promote conservation of the fragile biological diversity of the Patagonian native temperate forests.
Donors: Anonymous, Illinois [July 2002]; Michael Vondra, Wisconsin [October 2002]

To introduce ourselves:

Proyecto Lemu (Lemu means forest in the aboriginal Mapuche language) is a bioregional grassroot organization working in the valley of Epuyen, Chubut, since 1990. Our main goals are to:

• Raise awareness of the importance of native forests within the biodiversity of this region, calling attention to the danger of extinction to which many species are exposed;
• Spread our educational work to small towns and rural areas all along the Patagonian Andes; and
• Promote and set the base for the Interconnection of all the Parks and Protected Areas from Neuquen to Chubut.

Photo taken by Lucas Chiappe: Lenga tree (Nothofagus pumilio) in autumn - June 2002 - on top of Piltriquitron mountain, near the valley of El Bolsón.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For information about the group's leader, Lucas Chiappe, who is the author of this proposal, and for more of his photos of this unique region, see the lead article in Changemakers Journal, March 2002

Our headquarters, financed by Saild, Italy (1990), in the small rural valley of Epuyen, is a communal center for all activities related to ecology, culture and other social needs.

Our Newest Project is to establish an "Eco-Museum" in Epuyen Valley in Chubat, Patagonia.

In this Eco-Museum we would display/show in a few square meters, the natural and social evolution of this valley, including items related to the conservation of our native forests. The museum would also tell the story of the relatively short colonization period that started in the late 19th century.

The site we think is best for the Eco-Museum is located on 3 hectares of land, 300 meters from the lakeshore and a few meters from the only small road that leades towards the lake, surrounded by a native tree nursery. It is a very nice site, beside a busy tourist road (visitors guaranteed in summertime), 500 meters from Epuyen's biggest school, easy to supervise and keep it safe. Right now, this is private land. To solve any distrust about the ownership of the land, we can make a legal contract with the Asociacion Lihuen-Antu/Proyecto Lemu, to lend this land for free, for as long as the Eco-Museum will last, and add as many conditions as requested.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The group originally planned to convert an abandoned stone grain mill building to house the Eco-Museum. But in response to the prolonged Argentinian economic crisis in 2001-2002, instead they have worked to restore the old grain mill to working condition, so that local farmers can bring their grain there to be ground into flour. This keeps the food supply in the local area, and also reduces transportation costs for the farmers. In addition to the now-functioning grain mill, a fruit and vegetable drying center and a small hydro-electric power device are being added. This entrepreneurial effort is testimony to the energy and vision of this group, and their ability to involve many sectors of their community.

The Volunteer Base of Proyecto Lemu

We'll need the help of many people(from mason builders to carpenters), but as we have plenty of social experience with the Asociacion Lihuen-Antu, we can guarantee that once we start the project our volunteers will perservere until it is finished. One of our recent voluntary experiences was building an 80 meter- long bridge on a local river that was a nightmare to cross even with cars when the water started to rise (each winter). The work has been so rewarding that we know we have a strong and proven volunteer base to carry out construction activities.

Regarding "the exhibition", that involves another network of community contributors. Over the past few years, I have contacted many people around the valley who have old belongings from their families (most of those are lying ignored and almost forgotten in barns or in the fields). Many of these people have offered to contribute these heirlooms to the Eco-Museum. In addition to all these "antiques" from our farming heritage, the Eco-Museum has obtained a collection of artifacts from our aboriginal cultures (Mapuche-Tehuelche) presently in storage in Bariloche. The main theme of the exhibitions will be the varied and at times conflicting relationships between Nature and Society in Patagonia. So the "fragile biological diversity of Patagonia" will be the focal point. Conservation actions arising from knowledge and respect are our ultimate goal.

Therefore we have the chance that this eco-museum could spread our conservation message and offer proper information on the biodiversity that lives within the southern ancient forests of the world.

Regarding the actual work on the building, that is what we are seeking financial support for.

The actual building work will be done by volunteers (most of them young neighbors) and we hope to spend most of next spring-summer (September - December)in this communal effort.

The Epuyen Municipality very much encourages the idea. With the current Argentinian economic crisis, however, the value of the support they can contribute is in question. Therefore, their support is not factored into the following budget.

Expected time-frame: Four months

Budget
Contribution Requested from Virtual Foundation

Concrete floor to cover a platform of 6 x 10 meters	$500
A complete wood and tin roof	$1200
Carpentry work (windows, doors, etc.)	$900
Sanitary installations for one bathroom	$800
Transport all the necessary wood and stones to build the walls; buy concrete sacks	$600
Glass (for windows and doors)	$400
Subtotal	$4400
Virtual Foundation administrative fee	$440
Total requested from Virtual Foundation	$4,840
Voluntary Building Assistance
Masonry building work	$2,000
Carpentry work	$800
Electric installation	$500
Exhibition furniture (display cases, etc.)	$500
Development of park area	$300
Total value of volunteers' work time:	$4,100
Total Cost of Entire Project:	$8,950

More information about Proyecto Lemu

Actions in fulfillment of our main goals:

• Goal: Raise awareness of the importance of native forests within the biodiversity of this region, calling attention to the danger of extinction to which many species are exposed. Action: Our publications on this issue are extensive and varied. They include bulletins on general ecology and forest issues, newsletters with information on native forests, school texts and teaching materials, a 30-minute TV Documentary, "The Dream of the Forest", and two books of photography.

• Goal: Spread our educational work to small towns and rural areas all along the Patagonian Andes. Action: Many annual workshops for children and tteachers have taken place in the past decade, in many different local schools. Trekking and camping in the forests help kids and tteachers to recognize different species, collect seeds, and start small tree nurseries. We are also involved in a joint experience of outdoor education with our Chilean colleagues from "Ceal" in both countries.
• Goal: Promote and set the base for the Interconnection of all the Parks and Protected Areas from Neuquen to Chubut. Action: This region has at the moment 4 National Parks and 3 Provincial Parks. We are promoting the designation of biological corridors, which could be the embryo of an International Sanctuary for sub-Antarctic Forests below Parallel 40 degres South.

Our programs have received national and international awards for their work on native forest issues, including:

• "1994 Faro del Fin del Mundo" from the Government of Tierra del Fuego
• 1996/99 Ashoka grant: "Environmental Social Entrepreneur"
• 1997 ATVC (Argentinian National TV) Awards: "Best Documentary of the Year "El Sueno de los Bosques"; Best Environmental TV Spot: "Aves de la Patagonia".

The project has received support from national and international foundations, including: Deep Ecology Foundation, Ashoka, Unicef Argentina Patagonia, The Island Foundation, WWF, Foundation for Ecology and Development, Land Ethic Action Foundation, Human-i-Tees, Ancient Forest International, The Turner Foundtaion, Global Greengrants, the Tides Foundation, Rainforest Information Center, Eco Conciencia, Ministerio de Cultura y Educacion de La Nacion Argentina.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OF OUR WORK, PLEASE ENTER OUR WEB SITE: http://www.geocities.com/proyectolemu or contact us at "Proyecto Lemu" Epuyen 9211, Chubut, Argentina. Fax 54-2945 499050. E-mail: lemu@ebolson.com