Conservacion Patagonica was founded in 2000 as a charitable foundation by Kristine McDivitt Tompkins to raise funds in order to acquire, restore and preserve the fragile forests, grasslands and coast of South America’s Patagonia, one of the last wild places on earth.

Since her retirement in 1993 from her long-time CEO position with the outdoor clothing company Patagonia, Inc., Kris has lived in Chile with her husband Doug Tompkins, founder of The Conservation Land Trust (CLT). Through their efforts, the CLT has acquired, saved and permanently protected more than 1.4 million acres of Chile’s Valdivian rainforest and Argentina’s Esteros del Iberá wetlands in Corrientes province.

Conservacion Patagonica’s efforts to protect the bioregions of Argentine Patagonia are particularly important as leading scientists and conservationists have identified the region as a critical harbor of biodiversity that is highly endangered.

Board Members | Mission Statement

Photo: Sol de Mayo, Rick Ridgeway
© 2001 The Patagonia Land Trust