International IMCG Field Symposium
Peatlands of Magallanes 2025, 1-9 December 2025

The International Mire Conservation Group (IMCG) Field Symposium “Peatlands of Magallanes 2025” was held in the Magallanes Region of southern Chile from 1 to 9 December 2025. The event brought together more than 30 peatland specialists from fifteen countries for a week of field-based exchange and technical discussions across key peatland sites in southern Patagonia.

The symposium was organized by IMCG in collaboration with National University of Tierra del Fuego, Wildlife Conservation Society-Chile (WCS-Chile), Institute of Patagonia - University of Magallanes, Cape Horn International Center (CHIC), Millenium Institute Biodiversity of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems, and Planeta Agua Foundation with the support of the Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA) and local experts who contributed to the design and implementation of the field programme.

The symposium focused on the unique peatland ecosystems of southern Patagonia, including Sphagnum bogs, fens and Guaitecas cypress peatlands characteristic of the Magellanic region. Field visits included peatland systems located in the surroundings of Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales, as well as extended surveys in Karukinka Park, a WCS-managed conservation area in Tierra del Fuego. These sites provided opportunities to jointly examine current management practices, conservation challenges and ongoing restoration efforts in Magellanic peatland ecosystems under different land-use and governance contexts. The programme also included exchanges with local communities engaged in the extraction of Sphagnum moss from peatland areas, whose perspectives are closely linked to the use and conservation of peatland landscapes in the region.

The symposium combined thematic workshops with in situ technical assessments, enabling participants to exchange experiences on monitoring approaches, conservation strategies and policy frameworks relevant to the sustainable management of southern South American peatlands.

A key outcome of the symposium was the preparation and discussion of an IMCG Declaration on the conservation and sustainable management of Patagonian peatlands. The Declaration reflects the shared concerns and recommendations of the participating experts regarding current pressures affecting peatland ecosystems in the Magallanes Region and highlights priority actions to support their long-term protection.

We would like to sincerely thank all participants for their valuable contributions to the success of this Field Symposium, and to acknowledge the commitment of the international experts who joined this initiative and contributed to the preparation of the Declaration.

The IMCG gratefully acknowledges the collaboration of its Chilean partners, including UMAG, WCS Chile, CHIC and INIA, as well as all participants whose contributions made this field-based initiative possible.