It was formed by chance, on land gained from the river. And three meters from the center of Buenos Aires, there are three ecoregions in its 350 hectares: Pampas, spinal and delta grasslands. There live more than a thousand species of animals and insects and 600 of plants.
María Sol Porta
03/04/2020 - 7:00
- Clarín.com
- Cities
One more day in downtown Buenos Aires. Rushed office workers, queues at the doors of the banks. A sun that shines mercilessly and the asphalt that returns that heat twice. The city vibrates its business day. In the corners you hear "change, change". Every so often, a honk. Postcards of a city that decided to grow with its back to the river.
Ten blocks away, in the Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve , a small furnace builds its nest on a branch. An overo lizard crosses the road and gets lost in the foliage. A heron rests on a willow tree and its profile is trimmed against that of the towers of Puerto Madero.
In the Reserve, more than a thousand species of animals and insects and 600 species of plants live safe from the urban hell that, nevertheless, they are so close. And not only that: their habitat is available for humans to walk, record their alder roads, lose their gaze among the bathed ones and remember that, once upon a time, they were also part of nature.
Look also
The images of the Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve, a green lung in the City
This true lung of the City of Buenos Aires grew almost by chance and, in recent years, was conditioned for all kinds of visits: toilets, sprinklers for runners and an interpretation center are part of the infrastructure that seeks to tempt Buenos Aires and visitors to know this natural corner.
The Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve is a green lung for the City. Photo: Constance Niscovolos
During the school year, the reservation also receives students: more than 25,000 in 2019. “Throughout the year we offer free activities . In school time they are specially designed for schools while in the holiday period we have proposals for the whole family, so that they can know the plants and animals of the region and the importance of protecting them, ”says Eduardo Macchiavelli, Secretary of Environment of the City
The origin
Spa. Costanera Sur itself, towards the '70s, before the fillings.
The history of the Reserve is a mixture of human decisions, a bit of chance and, especially, the action of nature. The area had functioned as a spa at the beginning of the twentieth century , when Buenos Aires could still bathe in the waters of the Río de la Plata. The fate of the rest of the waterfront ran when the pollution arrived.
In the 70s, a project aimed at building an Administrative Center, for which embankments were assembled with debris from the extension works of the 9 de Julio avenue and the construction of the 25 de Mayo highway. The initiative was abandoned, but land had already been gained from the river and species of the region began to settle on them .
In 1986, the Deliberative Council gave it the status of Natural Park and Ecological Reserve. Photo: Germán García Adrasti
After the pressure of environmental groups, in June 1986 the then City Council of the City declared it Natural Park and Ecological Reserve . Since then, the site was adding land, incorporated a beach (although it is forbidden to get into the river), a nursery of native species, a wildlife rescue center (which belongs to the Ecopark of Palermo but works there) and a Center of Interpretation, remodeled last December.
The days of fire
The last fire in the Ecological Reserve was on January 12. Photo: Argentine Federal Police
A dark spot in the Reserve's trajectory was the fires that used to affect it on a recurring basis. While high temperatures and drought collaborated, everything pointed to the hand of man. “ There were more than 500. When the causes were analyzed later, it was found that 95% had been caused by direct flame and that only 5% had been spontaneous. This does not mean that they were all intentional. There was also negligence or carelessness, ”says Germán Ausina, operational manager of the Reserve.
During the 90s, environmentalists' suspicions turned to real estate businesses, in what was beginning to be the Puerto Madero boom. For two years, a thermal camera system has been alerting to possible sources . “We have volunteer firefighters, firefighters from the City and we have our own forest brigade. That protocol, plus the prevention actions, made the number of fires go down a lot and, if they occurred, they were on a very limited surface ”, explains Ausina.
In the Ecological Reserve more than 500 fires were registered. Some were intentional, others due to negligence. Photo Mario Quinteros
It was the case of the last fire, which was recorded on Sunday, January 12 and that from the Buenos Aires government attributed to the negligence of a visitor. "These incidents grieve us because we are sure that they happen due to carelessness and are not intentional, that is: they are preventable. As soon as the focus was detected, the alert system was launched and within a few minutes they were already working more than 10 endowments of City, Nation and Prefecture firefighters, and more than 60 volunteer firefighters, thanks to the speed of work, only 1,100 m2 were affected, although it could have been much worse due to weather conditions, "Macchiavelli says.
An indigenous paradise
Three ecoregions coexist in the Ecological Reserve: Pampas, spinal and delta grasslands. Photo: Germán García Adrasti
Three eco- regions coexist in the reserve : Pampas, spinal and delta grasslands. Hence its enormous biodiversity. There are 314 species of birds, 23 reptiles, 26 fish, 14 amphibians, 19 mammals, 850 arthropods, 44 fungi and 600 plants. Part of that exuberance is guessed on the paths that lead through its forests and lead, among Creole willows, alders and dusters, to the viewpoints that give the bathes. On the floating plants walk, very light, small birds called jacanas.
In the Ecological Reserve there are 314 species of birds. Photo: Germán García Adrasti
“ Spring and summer correspond to the time of the reproductive cycle , when the animals look for a partner and then, when more pigeons can be seen. The fruits also appear ”, explains the biologist Milena De Benito, who works in the area of conservation and management of natural resources of the place.
In the Ecological Reserve there is a wildlife rescue center. Photo: Constance Niscovolos
“In autumn , the rains feed the wetlands. In winter we see the migration of some species and others arrive from the south , such as swallows. On the other hand, there is less foliage, so it is easier to observe the birds. The most hidden are the turtles, snakes and lizards, who hibernate, ”concludes De Benito.
The veterinarians of the Rescue Center recover the animals and then release them in their natural habitat. Photo: Constance Niscovolos
At this time the turtles spawn , so the reservation staff asks visitors to take special care. It is also the time of the cattails, some reeds, whose leaves are used for typical delta fabrics, such as baskets or chairs. Near the lagoons it is possible to see ceibos in bloom.
In the Ecological Reserve there is a nursery in which the native flora is reproduced. Photo: Constance Niscovolos
From here, the dissemination of native species is encouraged, with a special site for a nursery in which the native flora is reproduced and which offers guided tours every second Friday of each month. “We try to have the City have more of these species, for example, in the Paseo del Bajo and in Huergo. In this way, bio-corridors are generated that attract native animal species. Now in Buenos Aires you can see more butterflies, and the idea is to encourage this type of initiative, ”says Ausina.
A place, different uses
The visitors of the Ecological Reserve are diverse: corridors, birdwatchers, people who walk. Everyone seeks to spend some time in nature. Photo: Constance Niscovolos
Backpacks, mattresses, slippers, maps, spyglasses ... Depending on what clothing you can highlight, it is possible to guess to which tribe each of those who pass through the reserve belongs: runners, tourists, birdwatchers, families with children who arrive to spend the afternoon between nature, everyone lives in this human ecosystem that is integrated into the place.
Gabriel Vilella is a marathoner and triathlonist and uses the Reserve to train with his students. Constance Niscovolos
Gabriel Vilella is an ultra marathoner, triathlete and uses the Reserve all year round with his students from the Running Superación team. “At this time one enjoys it very much. The vegetation is a beauty, you run and on the roads you see yellow and lilac flowers, sometimes a lizard crosses you. The part of the river is beautiful. You see if it is grown or not, if it is calm, ”he describes. While escaping smog and traffic is an important motivation, there are also training objectives . “As the earth is more irregular than the asphalt, it helps us work the joints and speed up the mind. Sometimes we prepare for trail running races - through mountains and nature trails - and this landscape is the closest thing we have in the City, although without elevations, ”he says.
The biologist Milena De Benito and the bird watcher Simón Tagtachián. Photo: Germán García Adrasti
Simón Tagtachián, along with his longview and his camera, walks along those same paths. A long-time bird fan , he says he received the first sighting guide from his friends at the university because he was able to stop a game of tennis to see a cardinal standing on the net. Today he is a member of CoaRECS (Bird Observer Club of the Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve) and maintains a database on sighted species. “A lot of people also come because the doctor recommended that he walk and discover that it is better to do it here than in the middle of the city,” he says.
The jacana is one of the birds that can be observed in the Ecological Reserve. Photo: Germán García Adrasti
The sightings collaborate with the personnel of the place in the systematization of the information: if there were strong migrations, changes, how the reproductive cycle goes, among other issues. “At some point this place was threatened, with so many fires. When you know how many species there are, it is much easier to take care of it and prevent other interests from advancing, ”says Tagtachián.
Bird watching in the Ecological Reserve. Made red. It is a heron and feeds on fish and Creole eel. Photo: Simón Tagtachián
Increasingly specialized in the area, he swears that he never gets bored and that there is always something to discover. “ The Reserve is different every day and this is something that people who know nature know very well. The seasons change, the leaves change, the light, the lagoons. Over there one day you see a bird and another day you discover their pigeons, you see their behaviors. They are ecosystems that evolve very fast and you just have to pay attention to them. You have to have a little patience and look but you're never going to get bored, that's what makes me come back every day, ”he says.
Turistic patrimony
Tourists go to the Ecological Reserve to observe birds or to walk. Photo: Germán García Adrasti
One of the big bets is to integrate the green space to the tourist routes that Buenos Aires offers. “Ecotourism is a trend: the latest Booking.com report reveals that 88% of travelers consulted choose a sustainable trip,” they comment from the Tourism Entity of the Buenos Aires Government. Bird watchers are, of course, an active audience. “Within ecotourism, those who observe birds are a large proportion and many arrive in Latin America because there are few birds in Europe. They pass through Buenos Aires towards the Falls, stop at a hotel in the center or Retiro and come to the Reserve, which has the advantage that you can see many species in a relatively small route, ”says Tagtachián.
The Ecological Reserve is a space to enjoy nature very close to the City. Photo: Germán García Adrasti
Other visitors come to look for some shade and nature in Costanera Sur after having traveled through downtown Buenos Aires. The tours arrive to see the Fountain of the Nereidas de Lola Mora, the Espigón Plus Ultra and the Paseo de la Rambla, with the statues of the main Argentine athletes. Then they enter the Reserve. “Here the cultural heritage and the natural heritage of Buenos Aires coexist very closely,” summarizes Germán Ausina.
Milestones
The Ecological Reserve was formed from the dump of rubble to gain ground to the river.
1918: The municipal spa in Costanera Sur is inaugurated. In the decade of the 60 it entered decay by the contamination of its waters.
1972 : The City Administrative Center is planned to be built, for which rubble is turned over and land is gained from the river . The project is unfinished in 1984.
1986: On June 5, thanks to the pressure of foundations such as Wildlife, Argentine Birds and Friends of the Earth, the Buenos Aires City Council declares the area as a natural and reserve area .
In the 90s it was when more fires were registered in the Ecological Reserve.
1990: In this decade the Reserve was affected by numerous fires . Although it was never verified, it is believed that they were intentional and linked to real estate interests.
2005: The Reserve is declared a “Ramsar Site” by the Convention dedicated to the conservation of the world's wetlands. BirdLife International and Argentine Birds call it "Area of Importance for Bird Conservation" (AICA).
Useful data
The Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve has 350 hectares. Photo: Constance Niscovolos
- 350 hectares is the current surface of the Reserve
- 25,000 students from 260 schools visited it in 2019
- There are 2 accesses : one by Tristán Achával Rodríguez 1550 (South) and the other by Mariquita Sánchez de Thompson and Avenida Giralt (North)
- Consultations for guided tours : visitaguiadas_recs@buenosaires.gob.ar
- Facebook: Costanera Sur_Oficial Ecological Reserve
- Telephone: 4315-1320 / 4129 Internal: 114/115