Experiencia Ambientalia

Project Objective

To strengthen the knowledge, appreciation, and long-term care of Laguna Mar Chiquita and other wetlands across Argentina and the Western Hemisphere by empowering youth and educators to become environmental leaders who understand local challenges, engage their communities, and co-create sustainable solutions that protect wetland ecosystems and support resilient territories.

Executive Summary

Experiencia Ambientalia is an international environmental education and youth leadership program developed by Manomet Conservation Sciences, the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) Executive Office, and Fundación Líderes de Ansenuza. Based in Argentina and centered on Laguna Mar Chiquita, South America’s largest saline lake and a globally significant wetland, the program empowers underprivileged students and educators from rural and Indigenous communities to engage with their local ecosystems and take an active role in their protection.

Through hands-on learning, community-based projects, Experiencia Ambientalia equips young people with the skills to design and implement projects that advance wetland conservation while strengthening leadership and community engagement. Since 2021, the program has engaged 800+ students and teachers from over 20 rural towns, resulting in 78 locally designed projects that support wetland conservation and sustainable development.

Building on this experience, the program is expanding through partnerships with local organizations in other wetland regions across the Americas. By adapting its educational model to different territories, including sites in Argentina and the United States, like Mono Lake, Great Salt Lake and Laguna de los Pozuelos.

Background

Laguna Mar Chiquita is a wetland of hemispheric importance, recognized as a Ramsar site, part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN), and recently designated Ansenuza National Park. It supports over 380 bird species, including migratory shorebirds that connect ecosystems and communities across continents.

Despite living in this extraordinary landscape, many young people in surrounding rural and Indigenous communities have limited access to environmental education and few opportunities to engage meaningfully with their own territory. This disconnect weakens long-term conservation outcomes and limits youth participation in community decision-making.

Experiencia Ambientalia was created to address this gap. Developed by Manomet Conservation Sciences, the WHSRN Executive Office, and Fundación Líderes de Ansenuza, the program integrates scientific knowledge, traditional knowledge, and active learning to reconnect youth with their environment and empower them to act locally while thinking globally.

Among the migratory species that depend on Laguna Mar Chiquita is the Wilson’s Phalarope, a small shorebird whose annual journey links saline lakes across the Americas. The same birds that gather at Ansenuza during migration also rely on wetlands in other countries, creating a natural bridge between distant communities.

Implementation Plan

Since 2021, Experiencia Ambientalia has been implemented annually, running from May to November, and combining virtual and in-person learning experiences.

Call for applications: Open, inclusive calls across towns surrounding Mar Chiquita.

Project Design: youth teams identify local socio-environmental challenges and design projects focused on conservation, research or sustainable businesses. Throughout the year, teams receive ongoing technical and educational support, including personalized mentoring, connections with scientific and community advisors, and access to small grants or materials to support project implementation.

Field Trips: Exploratory visits to natural areas that allow participants to observe local biodiversity, understand environmental issues firsthand, and strengthen their connection with the territory.

International and Community Events: Monthly activities that connect Mar Chiquita students with youth from different countries and communities, offering virtual exchanges, shared workshops, and collaborative actions that build a broader perspective and a sense of hemispheric community.

Project Fair and Environmental Leaders Forum: The annual cycle culminates in a Project Fair, where youth publicly present their projects to their communities, and a Leadership Forum, bringing together outstanding participants for intensive workshops, recognition, and exchange.

Outcomes

Since its launch in 2021, Experiencia Ambientalia has delivered measurable environmental and educational outcomes in the Ansenuza region and beyond:

800+ students and educators engaged through annual program cycles

20+ rural towns and communities participating around Laguna Mar Chiquita

78 youth-led projects designed and implemented

5,000+ community members reached through local activities, campaigns, and events

3 International exchange trips between students from Mar Chiquita and Mono Lake.

Establishment of a replicable, place-based education model rooted in local realities and adaptable to other wetland contexts.

Contribution to long-term wetland protection and sustainable development by building local capacity, trust, and youth leadership in a region of global ecological importance.

Strengthened international connections through exchanges with communities in Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, and the United States, fostering a shared hemispheric perspective on wetland conservation.

Partnerships

Experiencia Ambientalia is implemented through a strong network of local, national, and international partnerships with:

Local schools and educators

National Park Authorities

Local and provincial governments

Local businesses

Community and Indigenous organizations

International conservation organizations

Sustainability Vision

Experiencia Ambientalia is an established, long-term program in the Ansenuza region, sustained through annual implementation, strong relationships with schools and communities, and coordination with local conservation and education actors. By centering educators as facilitators and empowering youth as leaders, the program ensures continuity beyond individual project cycles.

At the same time, the experience gained in Ansenuza has enabled the development of a replicable, place-based educational model, supported by strategic alliances and growing international collaboration, allowing local action to contribute to a broader hemispheric effort to protect interconnected wetland ecosystems.