In 2017, fires raged in different parts of the world. These wildfires alarmed the scientists because it occurred in unprecedented areas like Greenland. While the burnt forests made people question if the fires were an aftermath of global warming, it was the people living in these areas who had to experience the gravity of the situation.
It was also in 2017 when a series of wildfires removed Santa Olga from the map. The flames devoured everything on its path, be it houses, trees, people, or animals. An investigation showed that the wildfires ate up 580,000 hectares of land. Michelle Bachelet, the president of Chile, declared it as the “greatest forest disaster” in the history of her country.
One seed at a time
The people of Chile had to work hard to recover from the devastating loss. Rebuilding homes and rehousing people was difficult, but nothing compared to the challenge of restoring the forests and its inhabitants. A lot of people lost hope, but Francisca Torres decided that giving up was not an option. She thought of ways to help restore these forests.
Torres runs Pewos, a non-governmental organization that focuses on the environment, and the well-being of animals. Aside from that, she also owns three adorable border collies- a breed that’s intelligent, obedient, and easy to train. She sought the help of these pups and her sister Constanza to bring back the life that was lost in Chile’s forests.
Border collies to the rescue
Torres and her sister equipped the border collies with bags loaded with seeds. They let the pups run around the forest, spreading seeds of all sorts of trees wherever they went. With customized backpacks and a spring in each step, the dogs contributed to the rebirth of forests that were eaten by the wildfires.
Credits to Daszilla Border Collie
