CIERVO DE LOS PANTANOS NATIONAL PARK, Argentina (AP) - Just an hour’s drive from one of South America’s most populous cities, a sprawling wetland of bright green marshes and dark lagoons stretches far into the horizon.
The until-now little-known area, home to a wide range of birds, fish and other wildlife, has become Argentina’s newest national park in a victory for nature preservation at a time when the country is facing an economic crisis and governments worldwide are cutting back funding for parks and environmental programs.
Conservationists say creation of the Ciervo de los Pantanos (Marsh Deer) National Park out of two nature preserves will increase resources to protect the more than 5,500 hectares (20 square miles) from real estate development and other threats while creating an open-air classroom for students in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area.
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