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Home to some of the oldest trees and most unique species on Earth, this strip of land is one of the most fascinating conservation areas in the southern hemisphere.The Valdivian Coastal Reserve or as the locals call it, Reserva Costera Valdiviana, is located in the Los Rios Region in Chile. It occupies a stretch of 50 000 hectares along the coast.As one of the few temperate forests that remain after surviving the last Ice Age, and more recently, a threat due to urbanization and a planned highway, it is thanks to interventions by organizations such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/">The Nature Conservancy (TNC)</a>&nbsp;which act as a steward that promotes the protection and conservation of the reserve’s rich and unique ecosystems.<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/lemu-web-dev/v6c_R_Bqi_E6oc_Q_Re3xv_Yi_NGA_bb3f0d782e/v6c_R_Bqi_E6oc_Q_Re3xv_Yi_NGA_bb3f0d782e.jpeg" alt="v6cRBqiE6ocQRe3xvYiNGA.jpeg" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/lemu-web-dev/thumbnail_v6c_R_Bqi_E6oc_Q_Re3xv_Yi_NGA_bb3f0d782e/thumbnail_v6c_R_Bqi_E6oc_Q_Re3xv_Yi_NGA_bb3f0d782e.jpeg 245w,https://storage.googleapis.com/lemu-web-dev/small_v6c_R_Bqi_E6oc_Q_Re3xv_Yi_NGA_bb3f0d782e/small_v6c_R_Bqi_E6oc_Q_Re3xv_Yi_NGA_bb3f0d782e.jpeg 500w,https://storage.googleapis.com/lemu-web-dev/medium_v6c_R_Bqi_E6oc_Q_Re3xv_Yi_NGA_bb3f0d782e/medium_v6c_R_Bqi_E6oc_Q_Re3xv_Yi_NGA_bb3f0d782e.jpeg 750w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>VCR is home to some of the oldest trees and most unique species on Earth</figcaption></figure>The Valdivian Coastal Reserve is now a conservation area that provides for several educational and scientific projects. It is also open to the public, who can enjoy trails through the forest, dunes, wetlands and beaches.If you enjoy exploring nature reserves and conservation areas, you might also be interested in<a href="https://blog.le.mu/discover-quizap%C3%BA-natural-park-los-andes-many-treasures-b4c443b3d4e9">&nbsp;Quizapú Natural Park</a>&nbsp;which offers guided tours on horseback.When it comes to Valdivian Coastal Reserve, what makes its conservation so important is that it is home to several flora and fauna species, such as:<ul><li>The<a href="https://blog-es.le.mu/el-mayor-tesoro-de-chile-10daf1fe33d4">&nbsp;Alerce</a>&nbsp;(Fitzroya cupressoides), along with the Olivillo, it’s one of the oldest tree species in the world.</li><li>The&nbsp;pudu&nbsp;(Pudu puda), which is the smallest deer species in South America</li><li>The&nbsp;colocolo opossum&nbsp;(Dromiciops gliroides) —&nbsp;the oldest kind of marsupial in South America.</li><li>Güiña&nbsp;(Leopardus guigna)&nbsp;the smallest wildcat in America.</li><li>Magellanic&nbsp;Woodpecker&nbsp;(Campephilus magellanicus)&nbsp;it’s associated with the Evergreen Forest of the Valdivian Coastal Reserve, along with a large number of native species.</li><li>Terrestrial Snail&nbsp;(Macrocyclis peruvianus). This endemic snail lives exclusively in the shady and humid parts of the native forest and is associated with the presence of mosses.</li><li>South American Sea Lion&nbsp;(Otaria flavescens)&nbsp;It’s also protected in the Valdivian Coastal Reserve.</li><li>Puma&nbsp;(Puma concolor)&nbsp;It is a territorial feline, with solitary and crepuscular or nocturnal habits, although it is also active during the day.</li><li>Chucao&nbsp;(Scelorchilus rubecula)&nbsp;it’s an omnivorous bird and for the survival of a minimum population it requires connected forest fragments of more than 100 hectares.</li></ul><figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/lemu-web-dev/blx_BN_Uo_YN_0d8_Xccl_LH_0ww_c63cf33728/blx_BN_Uo_YN_0d8_Xccl_LH_0ww_c63cf33728.jpeg" alt="blxBNUoYN-0d8XcclLH0ww.jpeg" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/lemu-web-dev/thumbnail_blx_BN_Uo_YN_0d8_Xccl_LH_0ww_c63cf33728/thumbnail_blx_BN_Uo_YN_0d8_Xccl_LH_0ww_c63cf33728.jpeg 117w,https://storage.googleapis.com/lemu-web-dev/small_blx_BN_Uo_YN_0d8_Xccl_LH_0ww_c63cf33728/small_blx_BN_Uo_YN_0d8_Xccl_LH_0ww_c63cf33728.jpeg 375w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>Fitzroya cupressoides, one of the oldest tree species in the world.</figcaption></figure><blockquote>Dato curioso: Gracias al monitoreo con cámaras en la reserva en 2012–2013, se descubrió la existencia del zorro de Darwin en la zona, pues se creía que solo habitaba en dos áreas desconectadas: Chiloé y Nahuelbuta. Esta especie también es conocida como zorro chilote.</blockquote><figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/lemu-web-dev/ell_Q_Lu_WS_Pd_Z_Lx7_Gsh2_G4_Hw_7561e846dd/ell_Q_Lu_WS_Pd_Z_Lx7_Gsh2_G4_Hw_7561e846dd.jpeg" alt="ellQLuWSPdZLx7Gsh2G4Hw.jpeg" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/lemu-web-dev/thumbnail_ell_Q_Lu_WS_Pd_Z_Lx7_Gsh2_G4_Hw_7561e846dd/thumbnail_ell_Q_Lu_WS_Pd_Z_Lx7_Gsh2_G4_Hw_7561e846dd.jpeg 234w,https://storage.googleapis.com/lemu-web-dev/small_ell_Q_Lu_WS_Pd_Z_Lx7_Gsh2_G4_Hw_7561e846dd/small_ell_Q_Lu_WS_Pd_Z_Lx7_Gsh2_G4_Hw_7561e846dd.jpeg 500w,https://storage.googleapis.com/lemu-web-dev/medium_ell_Q_Lu_WS_Pd_Z_Lx7_Gsh2_G4_Hw_7561e846dd/medium_ell_Q_Lu_WS_Pd_Z_Lx7_Gsh2_G4_Hw_7561e846dd.jpeg 750w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>Darwin’s fox&nbsp;(Lycalopex fulvipes)</figcaption></figure>

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The Valdivian Coastal Reserve: A Highway to the Ice Age

<h1>Shinrin Yoku: reconnecting with our roots</h1>Nature is part of us: thanks to it we can reconnect and have a different — broader — vision of our purpose on Earth.Understanding that we are just one more species in the cycle of life is fundamental to respecting the planet’s ecosystems, especially forests.Forests cover almost 1/3 of the Earth globally, equivalent to 4060 million hectares. For comparison, there are about 0.52 hectares of forest for every person on the planet. It is a fascinating and lively expanse, worthy of respect and admiration.Every natural element in the forests — every tree, every mushroom, every lichen — serves an incredibly complex function that helps maintain the delicate balance of the forests and makes the difference between a healthy ecosystem and a weak one.One of the most enriching ways to learn to recognize, respect, and understand the magic of forests is by experiencing it in real life. Taking an intentional yet spontaneous walk through forest areas, also called shinrin yoku (Japanese term meaning “forest bath”), not only helps us psychologically and physically; we also become aware of the healing power of nature and understand that we are just another species on Earth.Therefore, being aware of how we move in such an environment helps us understand and avoid leaving footprints in the forest.We had the pleasure of talking with our Sustainability Specialist, Léna Plaud, who shared with us 3 tips for walking in the forests reducing our ecological footprint, in order to enjoy shinrin yoku at its best: 3 tips for walking through the forest reducing your ecological footprintAlthough we go through the world leaving footprints whether we want to or not, some are more noticeable than others. Here are 3 tips to reduce our footprint while walking through the forest or taking a forest bath:<h1>1. Follow the marked trails to preserve the environment</h1>We are never the only ones to visit a place, so an action replicated by thousands of people can have noticeable consequences. For this we recommend you not to leave the marked trails and paths, which are implemented to protect natural and cultural landmarks.<h1>2. Always carry your waste with you. Don’t throw anything away!</h1>This seems obvious, but we can almost guarantee that every time you’ve gone to an urban forest area you’ve seen plastic, metal or cardboard littering the landscape (look out for it next time you’re out for a walk and see!).It is always best to bring your own reusable/biodegradable bags and carry them with you until you find a trash can, so you don’t litter the landscape accidentally.<h1>3. Respect the advice and rules of the park rangers</h1>There are species that are sensitive to noise or have very particular habits. Therefore, you should avoid listening to loud music and feeding wild animals in forest areas.Think that deliberate or unintentional acts against the rules can have devastating consequences. (For example, the case of the tourist who burned toilet paper in Chilean Patagonia, causing a forest fire that killed more than 17,000 hectares of forest in Torres del Paine National Park between 2011–2012).Park rangers and guides are the ones who know the tourist trails best and work daily to take care of these essential places for life. That’s why our Sustainability &amp; Partnership Specialist recommends reading and listening to park rangers’ advice before and during any visit! At Lemu we want to encourage healthy shinrin yoku, conscious walks that are the least invasive to the environment, so we invite you to follow these tips the next time you go for a walk in forest areas.Finally, if you are interested in learning what we are doing to help preserve and restore the world’s forests through technology, we invite you to sign up for early access to our app at <a href="https://le.mu/es/">le.mu</a>See you in the forest!

Ecology