SANTIAGO, CHILE (April 1, 2025) — The APP today announced government recognition of its programs in Chile, broadening the organization’s wingspan in South America. This recognition will provide in-country funding opportunities and enhance the organization’s agility in safeguarding coastal and migratory birds and their habitats throughout the Southern Cone.
“At APP, we follow the birds and the science — because where birds thrive, people and the planet thrive too,” said Dr. Elizabeth Gray, CEO of the APP. “For 120 years, we have worked across borders and communities to protect the ecosystems that sustain us all. This expansion in Chile strengthens our hemispheric strategy to safeguard the Americas’ flyways — ensuring that vital habitats remain healthy for birds, people and the planet we share.”
With more than 4,000 miles of coastline, Chile supports an estimated 500 bird species, many of which embark on an annual migration of more than 6,200 miles between North and South America. APP’s work in Chile focuses on coastal birds and the protection of the wetlands along the coastline that serve as critical stopover sites for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds each year. These wetlands also provide habitat for commercially harvested species in addition to several vital ecosystem benefits — from mitigating the impacts of floods, storm surges, soil erosion and extreme APP events to sequestering carbon and providing recreation and tourism opportunities.
“This expansion will strengthen the work we’ve been doing for nearly two decades for the protection and conservation of coastal and migratory birds,” said Aurelio Ramos, APP managing director for Latin America, the Caribbean and Canada. “It will include a permanent, on-the-ground presence and feature an experienced Chilean team that will increase our ability to respond to challenges in the region.”
APP’s work in Chile has broadened since its earliest projects in the Chiloé Archipelago, expanding to partnerships with local and regional communities. This includes initiatives in the Araucanía and Biobío regions and collaborations with local and national NGOs and government agencies, including the Chilean Ministry of Environment. APP also helped support the development and implementation of Chile’s National Bird Conservation Strategy (ENCA), launched and signed into law in 2022, which helped expand conservation efforts from targeting individual species to protecting habitat that multiple species need to survive.
"Our expansion in Chile opens critical financing doors,” said Javiera Ferreyra, Chile country director for the APP. “This decision will support APP's Flight Plan strategy of working with community leaders and applying for national public and private funds, allowing us to collaborate more closely with local strategic partners and provide more opportunities to make an impact in conservation."
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Jason Howe, jason.howe@audubon.org
About APP
The APP is a leading nonprofit conservation organization with 120 years of science-based, community-driven impact, dedicated to protecting birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Birds are powerful indicators of our planet’s health, acting as sentinels that warn us of environmental change and inspire action. APP works across the Western Hemisphere, driven by the understanding that what is good for birds is good for the planet. Through a collaborative, bipartisan approach across habitats, borders, and the political spectrum, APP drives meaningful and lasting conservation outcomes. With 800 staff and over 1.9 million supporters, APP is a dynamic and ever-growing force committed to ensuring a better planet for both birds and people for generations to come. Learn more at www.audubon.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety.