From private land to public parks: a Patagonian gift

Over about three decades, the American conservationist Douglas Tompkins and his wife Kristine Tompkins, formerly the chief executive of the outdoor-clothing company Patagonia, bought and protected large tracts of land in southern Chile and Argentina. Their goal was not to own wilderness but to hand it over: they wanted to see it become national parks open to the public.

The handover is described in the World Economic Forum's February 2018 summary and in National Geographic coverage of the same month. In March 2017, Kristine Tompkins pledged to donate more than a million acres to the Chilean state. On 29 January 2018, President Michelle Bachelet signed decrees creating Pumalin Park Douglas R. Tompkins National Park and Patagonia National Park, among five new parks, and expanding three existing ones. Reports describe the arrangement as the largest private land donation to a country. Figures differ between sources, so the acreage should be checked against official Chilean government statements before it is quoted.

The parks form part of what Chile calls the Route of Parks, a long chain of protected areas along the southern spine of the country; sources quote its length at about 1,500 to 1,700 miles. Tompkins Conservation has also run rewilding work, including reintroducing species such as huemul deer, and has reported rising puma numbers in the Patagonia Park area.

For travellers, the story is also an invitation: much of this land is open to visitors, with hiking, camping and lodging options. Treat it as a gift held in trust, follow park rules, and book through the official channels.