Río Dulce Wetlands

In the Bañados del Río Dulce, life depends on water and the knowledge passed down from generation to generation. Among wetlands, forests, and dirt roads, families maintain a culture deeply connected to the landscape.

The Landscape
Located in Santiago del Estero, the wetlands are part of one of the largest saline wetland systems in South America and are ecologically connected to Ansenuza. This territory is home to birds, mammals, and ecosystems fundamental to the regional water balance.

The Threat
The climate crisis, environmental transformations, and the loss of ancestral knowledge threaten both the biodiversity and the cultural identity of the communities that live in this remote and difficult-to-access area.

Our work
Our work focuses on strengthening the social and community fabric through participatory processes centered on environmental education. We work to recover cultural heritage and intangible knowledge linked to the landscape. We foster dialogue between communities and universities, promote local management tools, and support agroecological practices adapted to the territory.

The community
The families of the Bañados are the protagonists of the project. Together with them, we work to preserve traditional knowledge such as spinning and weaving, strengthen rural schools, and build community strategies to address environmental challenges.

First formal dialogue between communities and a public university.
Working with wool: collective record of intangible cultural heritage.
Community workshops to improve livestock practices.
Monitoring of species such as the maned wolf and new bird records for Santiago del Estero