For the third consecutive year, the OTEC of the University of La Serena is in charge of delivering the courses required by the National Forestry Corporation of the Coquimbo Region.

CONAF officials received two intense and productive training courses, with the aim of improving or updating their knowledge in subjects that are directly related to their work area. Both activities were taught by speakers from the Training Office of the University of La Serena, with the collaboration of some guests and based on a set of requirements and needs presented by the requesting institution.

On this occasion, different work teams carried out the courses “Planning of Protected Wild Areas” and “Dynamics of Restoration of Degraded Environments”, created exclusively based on the needs raised by CONAF.

Regarding the first course, taught by professional Cesar Chávez, in collaboration with Maximiliano Sepúlveda, teams from the 4 protected areas of the Coquimbo Region participated: park ranger of the Pan de Azúcar National Park, Humboldt Penguin National Reserve, Pichasca Natural Monument and Reserve National Las Chinchillas, in addition to personnel from the Regional Office in protected areas, the Management of the Fire Department, and the Administration Department, since they are part of the team that works on the conservation of protected areas.

In this regard, Maximiliano Sepúlveda, head of the Department of Conservation of Biological Diversity at the National Level and active collaborator in this course, commented: “basically the course tries to strengthen the capabilities of the teams in a methodology that is international, which we are incorporating. "It's been 2 years now in CONAF, which are open standards and this course is based on strengthening that language and those capabilities in the park ranger teams, regional teams as well, and people who work in the office."

The second course was taught by the academic from the University of La Serena, Dr. Francisco Squeo, in collaboration with the Department of Biology and the Department of Agronomy of the ULS, some students of the Doctorate in Applied Biology and Ecology, and some postdocs from the Department of Biology and special guests.

Francisco Squeo highlighted: “we deepen from a theoretical point of view what an ecological restoration is and we see the alternative steps to get there. And the contents also include case analysis where the research carried out within the academy can be applied almost directly or with some interpretation in natural systems.”

The methodology of the courses was mainly a presentation by the speakers, supported by audiovisual material, case analysis and active participation of the students.

Finally, the person in charge of the Training Office, Pablo Sánchez, commented that “it is important that public institutions trust their main annual training in our OTEC, which joins CONAF, FOSIS, INE, DIBAM and hopefully others soon; This gives us peace of mind and motivation that we are carrying out our task in a good way.”

For more information about the courses closed to companies that can be managed through the Training Office of the University of La Serena, contact 51 2 204172, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or go to the offices located at Amunátegui 890, La Serena.

Source: DIVEULS press