The Lanín National Park, created in 1937, celebrates this May 11 its 89th anniversary as the largest park in Neuquén, with 412,000 hectares of Andean-Patagonian forests, lakes, volcanoes, and wetlands.
The coordinator of the Huemul project, María Rosa Contreras, emphasized that “nature needs help,” and therefore restoration projects and conservation of emblematic species like the huemul and the pehuén are being promoted.
The return of the huemul
After more than 20 years without records, the park celebrated the sighting of a huemul in areas such as Hua Hum, Chachín, Pucará, and Lake Queñi. The project is developed in conjunction with the Huilo Huilo Foundation (Chile), which breeds and releases specimens. Although today there is only one, the goal is to achieve a stable population in the future.
One of the main threats to the species is domestic dogs, which can attack them or cause stress. Therefore, visitors are urged not to bring pets into the park.
The biocultural ecosystem of the pehuén
The pehuén (Araucaria araucana) is an ancient tree and cultural symbol of the Mapuche people. Its seed, the piñón, is part of traditional food. The challenge is to reconcile ancestral use with the conservation of the species.
The park promotes restoration efforts in areas affected by fires such as Ñorquinco and Tromen, together with Mapuche communities, INTA, Conicet, NGOs, and volunteers. Plantations and forest management are carried out to recover damaged areas.
Post-fire management in the Magdalena Valley
The largest fire in Lanín’s history affected pehuén forests, lenga, and high-altitude grasslands. Burn severity maps were developed to define management measures and recovery timelines.
Since these are summer grazing fields used by Mapuche communities, work was done with producers to prevent livestock grazing in burned areas, constructing a large number of protective fences.
Conservation of special species
The park also protects species native to the Valdivian forest, such as the tineo and laurel, which depend on high precipitation and are concentrated in the southern area. These projects aim to address the effects of climate change and the increased frequency of fires.
Three management zones
The National Parks Administration organizes Lanín into three areas:
- Northern zone: borders Aluminé, hosts extensive pehuén forests and places like Ñorquinco and Tromen.
- Central zone: with Junín de los Andes as a reference, includes the Lanín volcano, high-altitude steppes, lakes, and summer grazing fields.
- Southern zone: near San Martín de los Andes, with rainy sectors like Hua Hum, Chachín, Pucará, and Queñi, where the huemul recovery project is developed.
The anniversary of Lanín Park reflects a historic commitment to conservation. From the return of the huemul to the restoration of the pehuenes and post-fire management, each project seeks to ensure that this natural heritage continues to be a refuge of biodiversity and culture in the heart of Neuquén.
