Podcast: Meet the eco-pioneers of Latin America

updated 20.10.2020

In this episode of The Rough Guide to Everywhere, we travel to Latin America to hear from two of the world's most ambitious and outspoken eco-pioneers.

In the episode, we catch up with Kris Tompkins from the wilds of Patagonia. Kris was the CEO of Patagonia clothing in the early 1990s, when she decided to pack it all in and move to South America with her husband, Doug. Their mission, to protect and rewild Patagonia, would become one of the biggest and most successful conservation projects of all time.

On January 29 2018, five new Chilean national parks – spanning an area of over 10m acres – were signed into law, a historic act that came about thanks to the culmination of a life's work by Kris and Doug. Listen to Kris's story, one of unbridled ambition and untimely tragedy. And if you're anything like us, she'll have you re-evaluating your whole life by the end of the podcast.

First up we have an on-the-road dispatch from our very own Rough Guides author, Shafik Meghji. Shafik has updated over 30 Rough Guides, and in this episode reports from the Rara Avis Reserve in Costa Rica. Here Shafik interviews Amos Bien, one of the founding fathers of "ecotourism" as we know it today.

We hope you enjoy this episode – don’t forget to let us know what you think. Rate us on Apple Podcasts and get in touch on Twitter using #roughguidespod!