Where Penguin Conservation and Ecotourism work in Patagonia

We headed to the edge of the earth to speak to the winner of the 2018 'Green Oscar', Dr Pablo Garcia Borboroglu, about a place where conservation and ecotourism coexist.

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In the untouched expanses of Patagonia, you can drive for hours and not see another soul. There’s no place to hide, no trees, just emptiness.

It’s here that conservationist, Dr Pablo Garcia Borboroglu, also known as “Popi”, found his mission in life. Through his research, he discovered that the once-thriving colony of Magellanic penguins, in the small beach town of Puerto Madryn, was critically endangered and sought to change its fate.

He went on to found the Global Penguin Society (GPS), whose projects have been supported by World Nomads' customers through their donations to The Footprints Network. The GPS works closely with Hotel El Pedral to provide a model where ecotourism and conservation coexist. Through the development of tourism in the area, the locals, who once threatened the penguins’ survival through poaching and pollution, became invested in the success of the wildlife conservation efforts, and ultimately helped the penguin population's recovery in Puerto Madryn.

World Nomads traveled there to speak to Popi, who's recently been named the winner of the 2018 Gold Award by the Whitley Fund for Nature, an award so prestigious among conservationists it’s often called the 'Green Oscar.'

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