Entrepreneurs for Nature is a program that certifies the commitment of local communities to develop in ways that are friendly to natural ecosystems and native wildlife in the vicinity of Argentina´s protected areas.
Entrepreneurs for Nature is a program that certifies the commitment of local communities to develop in ways that are friendly to natural ecosystems and native wildlife in the vicinity of Argentina´s protected areas.
Certified entrepreneurs become wildlife stewards by actively participating in ecosystem restoration through the implementation of conservation practices and wildlife monitoring field-work.
Small businesses and entrepreneurs linked to products and services for nature tourism promote a new regenerative economy in the communities surrounding the protected areas.
Working together to protect the ecosystem and wildlife through the development of small businesses fosters community integration, creativity, and personal growth.
The program aims to promote a new restorative economy around the protected areas where Fundación Rewilding works by supporting the development of small businesses, assisting them in the early stages through advice and training, and collaborating with marketing and commercialization.
Through the development of ventures that respect native flora, fauna, and the forest environment, Entrepreneurs for Nature's products and services protect iconic and threatened species such as the Jaguar, South American tapir, Chacoan Peccary, White-lipped Peccary, Giant Armadillo, Giant Anteater, Ocelot and Maned Wolf.
The Entrepreneurs for Nature program contributes to the development of the communities in the vicinity of protected areas by adding value to their products and services, supporting ancestral knowledge and craft techniques, generating pride and sense of belonging, and providing income through access to the local and tourist market.
The Entrepreneurs for Nature brand allows small local businesses to diversify and to expand their marketing matrix by creating new income-generating opportunities in remote and often underprivileged communities.
Although the areas surrounding natural parks often have great potential, they also face significant challenges such as the lack of local employment opportunities. Through the development of small businesses, marginal areas and underprivileged communities have a new opportunity to generate income, thus promoting positive migration toward them.
Rural artisans and small businesses certified by the Entrepreneurs for Nature program include a varied spectrum of products and services, allowing not only men but also women and young people to work. This encourages inclusion and the involvement of the entire community in building a restorative local economy and protecting wildlife.
Wooden crafts were very common in the rural communities neighboring El Impenetrable in the province of Chaco. Locals used to craft utensils, tools and simple furniture such as chairs, tables, and cots for their homes. Today, some members of the local community use these skills inherited from their grandparents and parents to make handicrafts from the wood of the Chaco forest.
Sheep wool weaving on a frame or loom is an activity carried out by women within the local community of El Impenetrable. Saddle and bare-back pads, saddle bags, blankets, rugs, etc, are some of the typical wool crafts that they make for everyday use on the horse, at home, or for selling locally. These pieces, inspired by the local flora and fauna and dyed with natural dyes, reflect the importance of preserving the diversity of flora found in the Chaco forest.
Clay, the main component of earthenware crafts, is the very soil of the “Impenetrable” in Chaco. It is the raw material that sustains the forest and all the living diversity that this ecosystem encompasses. The people of the Gran Chaco were very skilled in the use of clay, capable of designing buildings and useful tools for collecting, purifying and storing water in special containers called botijos. Nowadays they craft decorative products inspired by the local flora and fauna.
Craftsmanship in cow and goat leather to make utensils related to work in the fields is very common among the rural communities of El Impenetrable. All local men have learned from childhood how to tan, crimp and turn animal hide into tools and clothing that allow them to go into the forest to carry out their duties. Working with leather to create handicrafts adds value to the tradition and local knowledge.
The harvesting of the many fruits that the Chaco forest offers is an ancestral practice, respectful of its natural and seasonal cycles. At harvest time, families used to get together to share food and drinks made of what the forest bestowed on them. Regional products, such as carob flour, chañar syrup, and mistol coffee, have great nutritional value and roots in the local culture, highlighting the importance of keeping the forest healthy.
Nature tourism invites us to experience the spectacle of wildlife through activities that have minimum impact on the natural systems where they unfold, and that respect the socio-cultural authenticity of local communities. Complete and healthy ecosystems provide the setting for this experience and give local communities the opportunity to benefit by offering associated services such as guided tours, horseback riding, boat rides, wildlife spotting, gastronomy and lodging, among other examples.
The Entrepreneurs for Nature program certifies those enterprises whose products and services contribute to the conservation of wildlife around protected areas. By establishing standards that promote wildlife-friendly practices, the customer can choose products that reflect his or her ecological and consumer values.
A growing number of consumers around the world choose products and services that promote the well-being of the communities that provide them and the health of the ecosystems from where they originate. Examples of this are the certification of regenerative organic production, fair trade, or sustainable production of wood and timber.
The Entrepreneurs for Nature program places its products and services in a growing market, ensuring consumers that through their purchase they are promoting the health of ecosystems, wildlife, and local communities around protected areas.
Our “Yaguareté Seal” is displayed on each certified product and service.
“Entrepreneurs for Nature” is a program of Fundación Rewilding Argentina that helps small businesses with the development of products and services that promote the preservation of wildlife and ecosystems around protected areas.
Fundación Rewilding Argentina is a non-governmental organization created by conservationists and activists united in the mission to protect and restore natural ecosystems in Argentina, and to foster restorative economies for the development of rural communities in harmony with the natural world.
In protected and ecologically restored natural ecosystems, ecological processes and native fauna are restored. Wildlife spotting becomes the main ecotourism attraction, and the services provided by local enterprises promote a new restorative economy.
In this way, local entrepreneurs become guardians and the best stewards of their natural environment, contributing to the park´s mission of sustaining wildlife, natural processes, scenic beauty and cultural wealth.
