The Las Vertientes - Private Nature Reserve (Spanish: The Las Vertientes - Reserva Natural Privada) is a Private Nature Reserve on the western end of Los Muermos

Los Muermos

Los Muermos is a city and commune in Llanquihue Province, Los Lagos Region in southern Chile.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Los Muermos spans an area of and has 16,964 inhabitants . Of these, 5,707 lived in urban areas and 11,257 in rural areas...

 in Chile

Chile

Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

. The Private Nature Reserve was created in 2009 in order to protect the region's unique Valdivian forest ecosystem. The park is opened to a small number of people as it tries to encourage the return of endangered fauna and flora. Its the only private protected area in Los Muermos.

The Las Vertientes - Private Nature Reserve is an attractive ecotourist

Ecotourism

Ecotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...

 destination due to the remarkable biodiversity

Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...

 of its nearly untouched Valdivian temperate rainforest.

History

Las Vertientes - Private Nature Reserve was formed by renowned artist and architect with his family in 2009 with the aim of promoting wildlife conservation and environmental education for the children of the Northern Patagonia. In addition to naturally-occurring animal species such as birds and a variety of wildlife, flora, fauna. The philosophy behind Las Vertientes Nature Reserve is creating a place where endangered species can once again thrive, it has also created a rare experience for the small number of people who are allowed to visit.

The Las Vertientes - Private Nature Reserve's nursery roots go back to the 2008 when the owners began growing native plants in response to local environmental issues. Native ecosystems were being destroyed through forest clearance and development of subdivisions. The Family saw the need to reverse the destructive trend and started propagating natives as a hobby.

Fauna and flora

Some of the endangered Fauna that can be seen in The Las Vertientes - Private Nature Reserve include monito del monte, southern pudú, Puma, kodkod and the Magellanic Woodpecker.

Some of the endangered Flora that can be seen in The Las Vertientes - Private Nature Reserve include The Copihue, Native murta bushes

Ugni molinae

Ugni molinae, commonly known as Chilean guava, or strawberry myrtle, is a shrub native to Chile and adjacent regions of southern Argentina. The Mapuche Native American name is "Uñi"...

, Olivillo trees

Aextoxicon punctatum

Aextoxicon punctatum, the sole species of genus Aextoxicon and family Aextoxicaceae, is a tree native to southern Chile and Argentina....

 and the Alerce trees.