At the northern end of Mar Chiquita Lagoon, the communities of Los Porongos, El Huaico, and Limache coexist in more than a million hectares of water, salt, and wildlife. Among mud houses, migratory birds, and ancestral knowledge, a story of resilience, hospitality, and community conservation is being written.
During 2025, Natura Argentina carried out a project for social strengthening based on the Dialogue of Knowledge. This approach recognizes that both scientific knowledge and ancestral local knowledge are fundamental to effective conservation. Through this community process, the residents of Los Porongos shared and highlighted the Living Knowledge that defines their relationship with the land, which is essential for survival and sustainable resource management. Thus, we discovered that there is knowledge that is passed down from generation to generation, such as working with wool or the art of building mud homes, all in deep communion with the environment.
Living knowledge is knowledge that is created and recreated in the present. It arises from the encounter between everyday experience and collective memory, and is transformed with every practice, every landscape, and every conversation. At Natura Argentina, we understand it as a bridge: a dialogue between local knowledge and science, where each perspective enriches the other and helps us to better care for the territories we share. Photo: Mateo Lona for Natura Argentina.
The value of water
In this vast territory, the collection of rainwater in each home, taking into account periods of abundance and scarcity of this vital resource, demonstrates an understanding of the rhythms of nature, but also its sustainable use and reduced dependence on river water.
Photo: Mateo Lona for Natura Argentina.
The silent mammals
Trap cameras, always placed with the permission of local families, were used to record local wildlife. Among the surprises was the mountain fox, a species that is not often seen.
Awetland view
The guidance and support of the community, together with the technical expertise of the team and the censuses led by nature photographer and tourism technician Ramiro Ramirez, were key to obtaining the surprising result that in this place it is possible to observe 47% of the birds registered in Santiago del Estero.
School as the center
Foto: Mateo Lona para Natura Argentina.
In Los Porongos, the rural school is much more than just a place for classes. It is the community’s meeting point and, often, the place where everything happens. Children of different ages share the classroom and everyday life, and projects are built together.
A collective mural inspired by the fauna and the nearby lagoon was created in this space. It was painted on one of the walls, as a kind of reminder that the school is also part of the landscape.
Living, working, and being part of the community
Working in this region is very challenging: extreme heat, salty wind, lack of water at certain times of the year. But when the team arrives at each house, the families welcome them with a kindness that dispels any difficulties. Mate, conversation, baked cakes, time spent together: all of this builds a bond that makes the work easier and allows for a better understanding of what life is like in a wetland like this.
Foto: Mateo Lona para Natura Argentina.
The work in Los Porongos is essential, as the Bañados del Río Dulce wetlands are critically important for conservation, retaining and storing fresh water that is essential for wildlife, human consumption, and production. In addition, the Bañados play an important and large-scale role in addressing global warming, climate change, and habitat degradation.
A process that keeps moving forward
The work in Los Porongos does not end with a workshop or a trip. Each visit raises new questions and opens up new forms of collaboration. Just as wetlands store water so that life can continue, the community stores stories and knowledge that help us think about how to care for the land in the future.This process is just that: a shared path, built little by little, with listening and respect. And as long as dialogue remains open, conservation also has a future.
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