People visiting the seventh version of the Quillón Agrotourism Fair received Quillay, Peumo and Canelo native tree species which were donated by Arauco. The fair, organized by the municipality, was held in the Quillón commune, in Chile’s Bío Bío Region.
The company and the CONAF Fire Brigade participated with an institutional stand providing information for tourists on forest fire prevention and the care and growth of native tree species which is undertaken by Arauco’s forestry area.
Marcela Vallejos, head of Local Development at the forestry company’s Nueva Aldea Complex, was present handing out trees. She highlighted the value in taking care of these forests and emphasized their protection. "These events are important because we can inform people on the significance of forest fire prevention, since they not only affect the forestland, but also in danger are neighbors living in communities near the plantations. In addition, we wanted to give out native trees to promote their care", she said.
The species that were donated comprised 500 units of Quillay, 300 of Peumo, 200 of Canelo and an exhibition of Ruil, an endangered species. All of the trees were provided by the Quivolgo Nursery, belonging to the company subsidiary Forestal Celco located in the Constitución commune in Chile’s Maule Region.
The head of Tomé Area for Forestal Celco, Ramón Consuegra, stressed forest fire prevention through a presentation on responsible use of fire. "The idea was to teach people not to throw lit cigarette butts out in the open, to make sure they put out bonfires. We wanted to educate people and call their attention to friendly fire use", he stated.
Pavel Arriagada, head of Rural Development of the Municipality of Quillón was grateful for Arauco’s support in this activity. "People really participate, they love the contribution made by the company, and everyone wanted to take home a native tree. This furthers the relationship with the community and their support for the municipality. If you think about it, most of the donated trees will stay in Quillón and grow here. The Quillay species, for instance, is important to us because we promote the production of this plant’s monofloral honey. The fact that the company donated this species helps us to promote this".
The Quillón Agrotourism Fair received more than ten thousand visitors during its three days duration, ending on January 30.
