Cape Froward: A Carbon Fortress at the End of the World

Chile establishes the Cape Froward National Park, protecting 150,000 hectares of pristine wilderness and massive carbon-storing peatlands.

At the southernmost tip of the South American continent—a place often called the "end of the world"—a new carbon fortress has been established. The Cape Froward National Park in Chile represents a monumental victory, created through the donation of over 93,000 hectares by Rewilding Chile to the state.

The Power of Peatlands

While the park's subantarctic forests are stunning, its most strategic assets are its extensive peatlands. Despite covering only 3% of the global land surface, peatlands store twice as much carbon as all the world's forests combined. Protecting Cape Froward prevents the release of gigatons of stored carbon.

A Refuge for Endangered Species

The park provides critical habitat for:

• The Huemul Deer: An elusive species on the Chilean coat of arms that faces extinction.
• Humpback and Sei Whales: The coastal zones serve as vital feeding grounds in the Strait of Magellan.

The Tompkins Legacy

The creation of this park highlights the "Tompkins model"—a sophisticated interplay between private philanthropy and public sovereignty. It integrates Cape Froward into the broader Route of Parks of Patagonia, a 1,700-mile conservation corridor that attracts nature-based tourism while protecting biodiversity.

Contexto Regional

While ensuring global benefits through carbon sequestration, the park also secures the habitat for the Huemul deer, an iconic species for the Southern Cone, identifying the interconnection of land and sea as vital for the ecosystem health of the Magellan Strait.

References

• Rewilding Chile: Cape Froward Project
• UN Environment Programme: The Importance of Peatlands