News Published: 05 February 2024

We are truly sorry to hear about the devastating loss of the Jardín Botánico Nacional de Viña del Mar, the green lung of the Chilean city established 117 years ago, which has been turned to ashes this weekend due to the voracious fires that have attacked central-southern Chile. It is disheartening to learn about the destruction of its native natural areas, plant collections, greenhouses and research center, as well as the staff houses. After the fire, only two of the 400 hectares of botanic garden remain.

Unfortunately, four people living in the garden lost their lives; Patricia Araya, known as Pati, a civil servant dedicated to the area of ​​horticulture (specifically managing the seed production), along with two of her grandchildren, and her mother, a former garden staff member. The tragic loss of lives adds a somber human dimension to this tragedy.

With more than 100 years of history the Jardín Botánico Nacional held significant ecological and botanical importance, serving as a refuge to more than 1,300 plant species, some of which were endangered or extinct in the wild, such as Sophora toromiro, native to Rapa Nui Island. The garden was one of the few repositories in the world for this plant, highlighting its global significance.

Our condolences go out to all those affected by this tragic event.

If you’d like to offer support, they have set up a crowdfunding option, more information can be found here.

You can view the extent of the damage in this drone footage; https://youtu.be/_N_ANz4sgnY?si=91vOvqGnDqy6tObJ