The pewen (Araucaria araucana), or monkey puzzle tree, can live more than 1,100 years and reach 50 metres. It is endangered according to the IUCN Red List and is central to the worldview of the Mapuche people. Because its seeds fall close to the parent tree, the forest recovers very slowly after a fire.
In Ñorquinco, in Lanín National Park, a major fire hit about 1,500 hectares of native forest in 2013. Since 2021 the Pewen Project has fenced the area and planted 50,000 pewen and coihue seedlings. Between 15 and 19 October, a new phase tested drone seeding over 40 hectares: about 300 kg of seed, brought in on horseback, was spread in a day and a half.
The goal is to restore 200 hectares with drones and complete the recovery in 2027. The work is led by Lanín National Park and ReForest Latam, with Mapuche communities, CONICET and other organisations.
