Humedal Ojos de Mar (Lagunas de Llolleo)

Work Areas

Main CEPA work area

• Communication: Active use of social media and digital platforms to share scientific data, wildlife photography, and urgent conservation alerts regarding the wetland's situation.
• Education: Development of didactic materials, open-air workshops, and educational signage to teach visitors about the ecological importance of migratory birds and coastal dunes.
• Participation: Engaging the local community, fishing neighborhoods, and social organizations of San Antonio in co-managing the wetland's defense and monitoring activities.
• Awareness-raising: Conducting massive environmental campaigns, festivals, and peaceful community art interventions to highlight the threats of port expansion and promote the cultural value of the wetland.

Top three successes

1. Official Urban Wetland Declaration: Successfully securing the official designation of Ojos de Mar as an Urban Wetland by Chilean environmental authorities, achieved through intense community mobilization, legal advocacy, and scientific reporting.
2. The "Del Aula al Humedal" Educational Programme: Effectively integrating local schools into wetland conservation, creating a continuous network of student guardians who participate in hands-on biodiversity monitoring and birdwatching.
3. Massive Community Clean-ups and Science Engagement: Mobilizing hundreds of local volunteers for regular ecosystem clean-ups and citizen science censuses, which significantly enhanced public ownership and environmental awareness in San Antonio.

Top three challenges

1. Industrial Pressures and Legal Battles against Port Expansion: Facing constant threats from large-scale port expansion plans that overlap with the wetland boundaries. We learned that environmental protection requires continuous legal vigilance, robust baseline scientific data, and strong international network alliances to counter massive economic interests.
2. Lack of Long-term Funding for Permanent Site Guardianship: Relying heavily on volunteering makes it difficult to maintain 24/7 surveillance and continuous ecosystem maintenance. We learned that we need to diversify funding sources, apply for international grants, and create structured volunteer rotations to prevent burnout while keeping site presence steady.
3. Mitigating Human Impact and Irresponsible Pet Ownership: Managing constant threats like waste dumping, illegal motorized vehicle access on dunes, and domestic dog attacks on nesting birds (like the Snowy Plover). We learned that signage alone is not enough; we must implement proactive, targeted community workshops on responsible pet ownership and install physical fences in critical nesting areas.