Quizapú Natural Park is the ideal environment for those nature lovers who are not afraid to venture into the mountains of Chile. This time we will tell you about its biodiversity, activities, tourism and conservation of Quizapú Natural Park.

From forests, rivers, rocks, foxes to woodpeckers… you name it. Quizapú Natural Park is home to fascinating life forms. Learn about them here!

3 curiosities about Quizapú Park

• Quizapú Natural Park is located in the central Andes of Chile, in the Maule Region, about three hours south of Santiago. The reserve covers an area of 2060 hectares, and was acquired in December 2019 by its current steward, TrekkingChile Foundation.
• A wide biodiversity ranging from small mammals to snakes and condors can be found in Quizapú.
• Recently, an exploration was carried out with the aim of gathering information about the fauna and flora in which dozens of species were recorded, about which we tell you below.

Did you know that…?

Its name comes from the enormous explosion crater Quizapú. Its last recorded eruption dates back to 1932.

How to Get Access to the Park

Although there are two entrances to the park, it can only be reached on horseback or on foot in the company of local guides. Permission must be requested in writing as it is a protected area.

In general, those adventurers who enter the park are mainly dedicated to training tour guides, hiking guides and ecotourism.

Research and tourism in the Quizapú Natural Park

While the Quizapú Park is still a relatively unexplored natural area, it is available for research activities, which are supported by the Trekkingchile Foundation.

Only the “Sendero de Chile” trail is accessible for limited guided tourism activities with local guides.

Biodiversity and conservation of Quizapú Park

Recently, an exploration of the park was carried out by Chilean specialists, with the objective of gathering information about the fauna and flora of the area.

During the expedition, which took place in the summer months, dozens of species were registered through the use of 20 trail cameras. These included herpetofauna, birds, mammals, flora and vegetation.

Mammals:

• Colocolo cat (Leopardus colocolo)
• Culpeo fox (Lycalopex culpaeus)
• Squeaking fox(Lycalopex griseus)
• Long-tailed mouse (Oligoryzomys longicaudatus)
• Long-haired mouse (Abrothrix longipilis)
• Olive-spotted mouse (Abrothrix olivacea)

Birds:

• Dabbling duck (Merganetta armata)
• Conch (Strix rufipes)
• Condor (Vultur gryphus)
• Black woodpecker (Campephilus magellanicus)

In total, ornithologist Daniel Imbernón recorded 31 bird species.

Herpetofauna:

• Concepción toad (Rhinella arunco).
• Weeping lizard (Liolaemus chiliensis)
• Long-tailed snake (Phylodryas chamisonis)
• Southern grumbler (Pristidactylus torquatus)
• Chilean Slender Snake (Tachymenis chilensis chilensis)
• Common toad (Alsodes nodosus)
• Garin’s lizard (Liolaemus carlosgarini)

Vegetation and flora:

• Peumo (Cryptococcus chilensis)
• Peumo (Cryptocarya alba)
• Soap bark tree (Quillaja saponaria)
• Litre (Lithraea caustica)
• Boldo (Peumus boldus)
• Romerillo (Baccharis linearis)
• Colliguay (Colliguaja odorífera)
• Coigüe (Nothofagus dombeyi)
• Hualo (Nothofagus glauca)
• Roble (Nothofagus obliqua)
• Ñirre (Nothofagus antarctica)
• Citronella tree (Citronella mucronata)
• Canelo (Drimys winteri)
• Hazelnut (Gevuina avellana)
• Mountain cypress (Austrocedrus chilensis)

What about the pudu?

Finally, although the presence of pudu (Pudu puda) has not been recorded in the park, it does meet the habitat conditions for the species, so together with the Chilean Pudú Conservation Committee, we are studying the development of an initiative to reintroduce the pudu, a vulnerable species, into the Quizapú Natural Park.

Quizapú and Lemu

At Lemu we encourage the reforestation of native species, which is why we also support the initiatives to protect the Quizapú Natural Park and TrekkingChile, with regards to ecological and conscious tourism in natural areas.

Without education, protected areas will continue to struggle under the threats presented by the pressures and effects of civilization. Therefore, environmental education is a high priority for us which is why at Lemu we believe in the visibilization and use of natural resources for a better tomorrow.

The Quizapú Natural Park project is currently uploaded to our app, where you can discover more about its biodiversity and conservation.

Visit le.mu to get early access to our app and learn more projects like this one!