The World Wide Fund for Nature (formerly known as the World Wildlife Fund) U.S. board of directors travelled to southern Chile between the 7th and 12th of February to meet their Chilean counterpart and see first hand WWF’s work with local flora and fauna and the indigenous population. In need of a knowledgeable local operator with an outstanding reputation for conservation and sustainability, WWF hired Cascada Expediciones to manage their expedition to southern Chile. Cascada Expediciones’ long-serving head of sales, Britta Jedzik, accompanied the U.S. board of directors throughout their trip ensuring the whole operation ran seamlessly.
WWF U.S. travelled to Puerto Montt at the northern tip of Chilean Patagonia where they were met by Chile’s WWF director and driven to their hotel on the shores of Lake Llanquihue. They visited nearby Katalapi park with local WWF partners to learn about the work being undertaken with indigenous people and continued to a fish hatchery to learn about the fish farming industry.
During their stay the board flew to Melinka in the Guaitecas islands where they set sail in the Gulf of Corcovado to witness marine fauna in action - blue, humpback and sei whales, Peale and Chilean dolphins and seabirds including Magellan penguins, albatrosses, imperial and red-legged cormorants, and shearwaters. Hikes through the region’s rugged terrain, birding excursions and penguin boat trips comprised the rest of the board’s activities, in addition to WWF meetings and strategy discussions with partners.
Cascada feels very privileged to have been chosen to accompany the WWF U.S. board on this year’s annual excursion to a local office and work with some of the world’s top conservationists. Through their work with WWF Cascada is proud to have confirmed its status as a top Chilean tour operator with an unwavering focus on environmental conservation.