their relentless chewing is decimating the forests. in 1946, just ten pairs of beavers were imported here from canada. the idea was to launch a new fur trade. no one realized how much damage beavers can do if left unchecked by predators. today, more than 100,000 beavers are ravaging patagonia. there s no easy solution.
some would assume it s simply a pest, but every creature here in the forest has a part to play. esai sees the crane flies as the forest s cleaning crew. their larvae chew up dead trees, helping them to rot and stopping them from damming up the rivers. he believes these tiny insects may support the whole rainforest. this could have a huge impact in the biodiversity that you see in rivers in this part of the world. species that play vital roles in the forests are worth seeking out and saving. all the evidence that i am finding doing my field work leads to conservation.
but their claws are no defense against the season s greatest threat. the forests are tinder dry. all it takes is a spark. devastating fires are all too common in patagonia s dryer forests. though lightning starts a few of them, more than 90% are caused by humans, either accidentally or to clear land for grazing.
transforming patagonia. in a groundbreaking partnership the governments of chile and argentina have teamed up with a charity, tompkins conservation. their mission, to rewild vast areas of former farmland. cristian is in charge of the project, hoping to save the huemul. since the beginning the huemul as an endangered species has been a very important species. our reports for conservation have been focused on huemul because protecting huemul you are protecting forests and other species. to do this cristian must take
colonizers stole their land and forests, stripping them for lumber, and the devastation continued through the 1990s. etrona peyao watched as homes were torched and many of her relatives fled to neighboring countries. but she remained to defend her community and the trees.