Villarrica National Park, Pucon Chile
The creation of a new science and nature tourist destination is opening up in the Araucanía Region. A campaign has been launched to convince Unesco to include Kutralkura Geopark within its global network of similar locations.
Chile’s wild and exuberant geography, in addition to the archaeological remains left behind by native populations, has laid the path for a campaign, similar in style to that of the recent campaign which hopes to turn the Chinchorro Mummies into a Cultural World Heritage. This geopark was once, thousands of years ago, the life and soul of both the Mapuche and the Pehuenche communities
Convinced of the park’s value, the National Geology and Mining Service has brought government organizations from the Araucanía Region together, alongside the municipalities of Curacautín, Lonquimay, Melipeuco and Vilcún, in a joint venture that’s designed to ensure Kutralkura Geopark is added to Unesco’s 84-strong worldwide network of geoparks. Unesco has laid out a number of prerequisites that must be presented as soon as possible, prior to consultations with the communities.
More information at: http://chile.travel/en/blog/kutralkura-geopark-will-run-unesco-recognition/