Landmark Conservation Effort: Safeguarding Argentina’s Wildlife & Ecosystems
📍 Mendoza Province, Argentina
After more than a decade of effort, Greater Good Charities, in partnership with GreaterGood.com and the Wildlife Conservation Society Argentina, has secured the permanent protection of over 150,000 acres in Argentina’s Mendoza Province. This significant conservation milestone ensures the survival of vulnerable species while strengthening the ecological resilience of the region.
Historic Signing Secures Permanent Protection
On March 19, 2025, Greater Good Charities and its partners formally donated over 40,000 hectares (100,000 acres) of private land to the Mendoza provincial government. This newly protected area will now be incorporated into the Payunia Reserve, safeguarding one of the world’s most important wintering habitats for migratory guanacos and ensuring permanent conservation for generations to come.
"This is a wonderful day... I'm almost to tears today... This is the largest migration of guanacos in the world that we are protecting, and we're protecting in the key winter environment. So it's amazing for the Payunia preservation." expressed Andrés Novaro, Land Conservation Director at Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Argentina.
A Decade-Long Mission to Protect Argentina’s Wildlife
Over the past ten years, Greater Good Charities has supported three key land acquisitions in the Payunia region. These purchases, totaling over 150,000 acres, have now been transferred into the Payunia Provincial Reserve—a proposed UNESCO World Heritage Site. This area now secures the winter range for the largest guanaco migration in the world, extending from their summer breeding grounds, the first parcel of land we worked to protect within this range.
Why This Land Matters
This region is home to one of the world’s most significant remaining migratory populations of guanacos—a keystone species whose seasonal movements help promote and sustain the entire integrity of the ecosystem, while also playing a significant role in the livelihoods and culture for people in the area. By protecting their habitat, we are also safeguarding a range of unique and threatened wildlife, including:
- Andean Cat (Endangered) – One of the rarest and most elusive wild cats in the world
- Andean Condor (Vulnerable and Decreasing) – A critical scavenger that helps maintain ecological balance
- Darwin’s Rhea – A large, flightless bird vital to seed dispersal in grasslands
- Puma – The region’s top predator, playing a crucial role in population control of herbivores
- Mountain Viscachas, Grey Fox, Culpeo Fox – Small mammals essential to the region’s food web
- Geoffroy’s Cat & Colocolo Cat – Small wild cats that rely on these protected lands for survival
Beyond Conservation: Restoring the Land
For generations, these lands were used for livestock grazing, leading to habitat degradation. Now, through active restoration efforts, we are working alongside the Wildlife Conservation Society and local partners to rehabilitate overgrazed areas, rebuild native vegetation, and monitor species recovery.
A Future Built on Collaboration
This historic land donation marks a major step in preserving Argentina’s fragile biodiversity, but conservation does not stop here. With continued restoration efforts and ongoing monitoring, we can ensure that these protected lands remain a thriving sanctuary for all of the plants and animals that live here, and for generations to come.
Greater Good Charities has ultimate authority and discretion with regard to the distribution of its funds. All expenditures made are consistent with the exempt purposes of Greater Good Charities.
