In 2004, the investment bank and financial services firm Goldman Sachs came into possession of a group of distressed assets that included a 680,000-acre parcel of land at the bottom of South America. In Part 2 of our celebration of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Chile’s Karukinka Natural Park, we dive into the exceptional story of how Goldman came to gift this pristine landscape to WCS for conservation.  

Reporting: Nat Moss
Guests: Bob Christie, John Calvelli, Larry Linden, Kent Redford, Steven Sanderson  

WCS wishes to acknowledge the important contributions of the following individuals to the successful transfer of land from Goldman Sachs to the Wildlife Conservation Society for the creation of the Karukinka Natural Park in Tierra del Fuego, Chile: Chris Austin, Kathy Barclay, John Bryan, Norman Christensen, Bob Christie, Dale Cooney, Brad D Gillman, Max Gitter, Salman Kahn, Nico Kogan, Adam Levine, Larry Linden, Kim Maxfield, John O’Leary, Kevin Padrick, Hank Paulson, Juan Robayo, John F.W. Rogers, Peter Rose, Jed Schaefer, Don Stern, Doug Tompkins, Kris Tompkins.

This proud achievement could not have been accomplished without the extraordinary dedication and commitment of WCS staff at that time, including: John Calvelli, Claudio Campagna, Avecita Chicchón, Craig Groves, Graham Harris, Bill McKeown, Andrés Novaro, Kent Redford, John Robinson, Bárbara Saavedra, and Steven Sanderson, among others. The current WCS regional team, led by Martin Mendez, is sustaining and building on this legacy for the continued conservation of Karukinka.