With the many jobs dogs are capable of, it comes as no surprise that these eager companions are able to play a significant role in countering the destructive effects of climate change. It may sound like far too big a task to associate dogs with, but pet parent and dog trainer Francisca Torres proves it can be done. She rallied her three Border Collies and took them with her on a mission to restore burnt forest grounds in Chile.
Back in 2017, wildfire raged across a Chilean forest, leaving its grounds completely damaged. The wildfire that ravaged the forest not only burned almost 593,000 acres of land. It tore through central and southern Chile, destroying almost 1,500 homes and killing 11 people. Suffering wildfires in the past three years, Chile’s most recent catastrophe was dubbed as the worst wildfire yet. It was so severe that other countries sent fire-fighting specialists to help battle the blazes. After the team successfully extinguished the flames, the forest was reduced to nothing more than a charred landscape.
Without letting the effects of the wildfire dampen their spirits, people sprang into action. Francisca Torres brought her dogs Das, Olivia, and Summer to the forest grounds and equipped them with doggy backpacks filled with seeds. The bags were designed to gradually release seeds onto the ground as the dogs made their way through the forest. Being naturally eager to run and explore, it didn’t take long for her three dogs to get started on the admirable task of helping restore the forest.
As Francisca’s dogs run wild, native seeds are released from their backpacks. The seeds, in turn, will eventually grow into trees.
Planting trees is a simple yet effective way to aid reforestation. In our frustration to bring forests back to life, we overlook the everyday acts we can carry out such as choosing environment-friendly options, using empty spaces for planting, and helping avoid wildfires by being mindful and cautious about campfires, equipment use, and so forth.
In an interview with Mother Nature Network, Francisca explains that she wanted to channel her dogs’ high energy to something useful and significant. She shares how her dogs were able to run 18 miles through the forest and drop more than 20 pounds of seeds in one day. The pet parent, along with her sister, continued to take the three Border Collies to the forest for six months. Each trip proved worthwhile, especially after they began seeing results from their efforts. “We have seen many results in flora and fauna coming back to the burned forest,” Francisca Torres enthused.
The dedicated dog trainer and pet mom runs a Facebook page named Pewos. The page has an impressive following of 84,000 and is used to share photos and videos of her pets in action. You can find more heartwarming posts on Francisca’s initiative by clicking through posts tagged #PewosOnFire on Facebook.
You can also continue to follow their journey by connecting with Francisca and her team of four-legged heroes by connecting with them on social media.
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