COMMITMENT WITH NATURE

Good News from the Directors desk

Causana Viajes has always believed in sharing profits with conservation projects, has obtained important land donations for local ONG’s, and at our initial years even helped form a local ONG that works protecting, researching and education about the Patagonian coastal orcas. Through our 13 years of existence we have employed as many local people as possible, formed guides and tour leaders. This is one of the principles of Ecotourism, or sustainable tourism we have been able to fulfill. I am happy to announce that in 2009 we decided that the funds obtained in the year 2008 for this purpose would have a new destination. The idea is EDUCATION. To educate travelers and locals equally by publishing books, pocket fieldguides and even our new blog.

Today I am pleased to announce the book DINOSAURIOS, Relatos y sueños de un Guardafauana by Carlos A. Passera. The first part of the book is stories about the Passera’s family experiences at Punta Tombo and the years Carlos was a “guardafauna” (Park Ranger) at this immense penguin colony. The second part is about Carlos’s dreams of what he would like to happen to the Nature Reserve of the province of Chubut in the near future. His goal with this book is to create debates and forums of discussion and why not waken some of the dormant authorities. This province was a pioneer in conservation in Latin America in the 1960’s and we wish it would remain that way so Carlos is trying to shake us all and waken us while we read his second part of the book. The Fundación Patagonia Natural (FPN), The Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina (FVSA), the Instituto de Enseñanaza Superior (IDES) and Causana Viajes recommend the reading of DINOSAURIOS . The author of the book ilustrations is Juan Carlos De Souza, a young voluntier from Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina, and now an Agronomist Engineer. The title of the book comes from a conversation Carlos’s had with a colleague many years ago while they were on assignment writing an article for a BA magazine. His Friend “the Negro Acosta” said to Carlos: - “ You are a dinosaur”, - What? – Carlos asked. - “Yes, you and the “fat guy of the whales”, and so many others that look for the last pure corners of the Earth, are DINOSAURS. You are condemned to extinction because you dream about an ideal world that languishes. Practice your Spanish so you friends, who care about nature like we do, can read this book and participate in the debate. Carol Mackie de Passera

History of Patagonia

Remembering the Welsh pioneers each July 28th

Schooner "Mimosa". She sailed the first Welsh inmigrants to Patagonia

First Welsh settlers landing at Port Madryn

The Welsh immigrants, who settled in Patagonia -more precisely in the Chubut River Valley (Camwy) in 1865- where the first white people who bravely dared to settle this harsh land in the year 1865. Each 28th of July, the city of Puerto Madryn remembers the day the first schooner, called “Mimosa” landed on the shores of the New Bay. This celebration is shared with the descendants of the Tehuelche and Mapuche Indians who inhabited Patagonia in those days. The Tehuelche tribe made friends with the welsh settlers and taught them how to survive in this land hunt. A few learned each other language. Different activities such as a sacred ceremony at dawn, a barrel race, recreating the landing, Welsh tea, choir and music concerts take place in Puerto Madryn during that week. Carol Mackie de Passera – Director and owner of Causana Viajes - descends from Welsh pioneers who lived in the Chubut River Valley until floods, at the end of the 19th century, destroyed their home. So they moved to the province of Entre Rios where there was, and still is, another Welsh settlement. Thirty years ago Carol returned to Patagonia. Today, her daughter Marina and granddaughter Martina (born in Trelew in 2008), who descend from Nain Winifred, all live in Puerto Madryn.

Winifred, Carol's Great-Great Grandmother; Grany Winnie & Nora, Carol's Mother

Carol; her daughter Marina & grandchild Martina We have no photo of Great Grandmother Ann.

Mrs. Luned Roberts Gonzales & Carol at the Camwy School of Gaiman

Map of the area where the first Welsh settlers landed at Port Madryn and the Chubut (Camwy) River Valley where they still farm the land.

“…If the banks of the Camwy are not among the few calm dreams of the world, I will wait in the sounding of harps for better. Clear water runs sometimes over sand and pebbles from the harbour, with many a pool under willows, and always blue in the shade of poplars, or shining through the rushes, sometimes in the shallows breaking into fingers with little islands between, and everywhere alive with duck and heron, and birds prettier than a wish…” (Up into the singing mountain by Richard Llewellyn)

(Plates of the Schooner Mimosa, and the landing were published in the book "MIMOSA" writen by Susan Wilkinson. The map above belongs to Richard Llewelly's book "Up into the Singing Mountain").