Members of the Natura Argentina team meet with Nicolasa Bazan, a resident of the Sierra de Ambato, as part of their World Land Trust (WLT)-funded project to create a mosaic of Municipal Reserves. Credit: Natura Argentina
High in the rugged mountains of Argentina’s Sierra de Ambato, conservation is shaped as much by people as by landscapes. With support from World Land Trust (WLT), our partner Natura Argentina has spent the past two years working to protect this extraordinary region by meeting and talking with communities, Indigenous groups, farmers, and local authorities. You can read the full story of that process here.
Today, we want to bring you one of these voices: Nicolasa Bazan, a remarkable woman who, even at 72 years old, lives alone in a remote outpost high in the Andes.
This is Nicolasa Bazan who has lived in these remote mountains since the age of eight. Credit: Natura Argentina
Nicolasa first came to Argentina’s Sierra de Ambato as a child, when her father brought the family into the mountains. She left school at a young age to work in the countryside, and over time grew deeply attached to the place, its vast skies, silence and sense of space.
Now at 72 and with limited mobility and failing eyesight, she could easily choose a more straightforward life in the nearby village. “Nearby” is relative here – it took four hours of hiking along a tough trail for the Natura Argentina team to meet with Nicolasa! But despite its remoteness, Nicolasa is at home here and will not abandon this place.
A rugged landscape: life in the Sierra de Ambato is not easy but its rewards are a rare sense of solitude and closeness to nature, both things that draw Nicolasa to this place. Credit: Natura Argentina
Encounters like this have helped Natura Argentina build a fuller picture of the human landscape of the Sierra de Ambato. By taking the time to understand local histories, needs and perspectives, they’ve been able to shape conservation plans that respect both people and nature.
And now, thanks to their commitment, Nicolasa’s beloved rural home is protected for generations to come, as part of the Mogote de la Cruz Reserve: one of a mosaic of Municipal Reserves set up to safeguard the Sierra de Ambato.
And if you ever visit, you’ll find Nicolasa there – warm and welcoming, offering oranges, mandarins and walnuts, and a lifetime of stories.
With grateful thanks to Natura Argentina for providing their field notes and to Nicolasa Bazan’s generous permission to tell her story.
Click here to read more about Natura Argentina’s work and an upcoming expedition where you can see these remarkable landscapes for yourself.
