Juan Fernández Archipelago
National Park

Within the forests, ravines, cliffs, beaches and rocks, live 213 species of native flora, of which 135 are endemic, equivalent to 63%, being one of the highest rates of endemism in the world, surpassing that of the Galapagos and Hawaii. It is also home to six species of birds that are only found on these islands, such as the Juan Fernández Hummingbird (Sephanoides fernandensis) and the Más Afuera Rayadito (Aphrastura masafuerae), both critically endangered species.
The Juan Fernández Archipelago National Park was created in 1935 precisely in order to promote the safeguarding of the unique biodiversity, which was under threat from the introduction of exotic varieties from the continent. In 1977 it was declared Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. After the creation of the park one of the first measures of protection was the prohibition of the hunting of the Juan Fernández fur seal, the only endemic mammal which was on the verge of extinction due to indiscriminate slaughter for the commercialization of its skins and oil by foreign industries. Today, thanks to the measures adopted, its population has recovered and is healthy, with around 300,000 individuals and rising.
Under the administration of CONAF, park rangers fulfil an important mission and thanks to their work, species have been saved from extinction and plants that were believed to be extinct, such as Chenopodium nesodendron and Robinsonia berteroi, have been rediscovered. Today there are a series of initiatives underway in order to recover and protect species threatened by the degradation of their fragile ecosystems, mainly as a result of the introduction and spreading of invasive exotic flora and fauna.