Chile's Fungi Walks Empower Communities in Los Lagos and Aysén

The Fundación Rewilding Chile program Amigos de los Parques organized the 2026 Ciclo Fungi, a series of guided walks in Chile’s protected areas of Los Lagos and Aysén. More than 40 participants in each location explored the National Park Alerce Andino, the Douglas Tompkins Pumalín Park and nearby forest sectors, identifying native fungi, learning sampling techniques and understanding the organisms’ role in ecosystem health. Guides Felipe Stuardo and Dinelly Soto, together with CONAF rangers, emphasized how citizen knowledge can inform park management decisions.

The initiative reflects a broader shift in Chilean outdoor tourism toward slower, experience‑focused activities such as fungi watching, birding and nature photography, supported by tools like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 that aid navigation and health monitoring on the trail.