In Puerto Aysén, neighbors, children, and youth from the Litoral Austral neighborhood have become guardians of an urban peatland that is part of their everyday environment. Through participatory activities and community gatherings, their connection with this wetland has been strengthened, promoting its care and conservation. The project, led by Fundación Ayciencia and winner of the 2024 FMA Fund, proposed a transdisciplinary exploration that integrated art, science, and education to highlight its biocultural value and the ecosystem services it provides to the territory.
For the past five years, Fundación Ayciencia—formed by five women from Aysén—has been working to connect science with the community. Francisca Bahamondes, a member of the organization, explains that these wetlands have a deep relationship with local history and culture: “Peatlands retain large volumes of water, which allows this city to exist and be livable.”
However, she notes that there is still a great lack of awareness about their importance: “Many people still see them as land that should be drained and dried. Our project seeks precisely to change that perspective. We want to highlight other values of wetlands and the ecosystem services they offer,” she emphasizes.
This six-month initiative included educational gatherings and workshops with members of the neighborhood council and students from Escuela Litoral Austral. Walks were held with local residents to discover the species inhabiting the mossy peatlands, and a sound therapy session was conducted to showcase the therapeutic potential of this landscape.
In coordination with Escuela Litoral Austral, theoretical-practical workshops were organized to foster a closer connection between students and their natural surroundings. Through sensory and observational exercises using microscopes, they explored the moss Sphagnum magellanicum to learn about its characteristics and discover its impressive water absorption capacity. At the end of the session, each student received a magnet recognizing them as a “Peatland Guardian.”
The project also explored the artistic dimension of peatlands through two fabric printmaking sessions led by Sebastián Peña from Taller la Chalupa. Using screen printing and pompom stamp techniques, participants created a collective artwork expressing the emotional bonds that emerge around the peatland.
As a closing milestone, the “Peatland Corner” was inaugurated—a space featuring educational infographics about the ecological role of these ecosystems and their contribution to the health of other territories. This space will remain permanently open to the community as an educational resource, where learning and outreach activities will continue to take place.
Amparo Irarrázaval, strategic learning coordinator at our foundation who accompanied the project, praised its territorial and community impact: “This initiative is an inspiring example of how art, science, and education can intertwine to strengthen the bond between communities and their ecosystems,” she said.
Each year, Fundación Mar Adentro’s competitive grant seeks to fund and support projects that address nature conservation in a transdisciplinary way, with potential for replication in other territories.
Awareness and Action for a Peatland
Peatlands, formed by moss such as Sphagnum, act as natural sponges: they regulate water, store carbon, and mitigate river flooding, making them key allies in reducing the impacts of climate change. In the face of increasing pressure on these ecosystems, initiatives like this one are essential for imagining more sustainable and respectful ways of inhabiting our territories.
