Rio Grande Foundation
Education, access and sustainable value in Green Patagonia
Mission
Our mission is to create and contribute value to promote environmental conservation and sustainable development in the Provinces of Aysén and Palena, through education, entrepreneurship and training with local identity, future and equity.
Goals
To provide access to meaningful experiences in nature, with special attention to the inhabitants of the Palena and Aysén provinces.
Contribute to the conservation of biodiversity through the protection of territories along with environmental education programs.
To create and add value to people in order to promote the sustainable development of the environment. To strengthen local capacities through technical and community training.
To contribute to and improve access in the field of education and comprehensive training for children, women, young people and adults.
Promote the inclusion of women, people with disabilities and sexual diversity.
What are we looking for?
We seek to contribute to the comprehensive education of people as a structural element to empower new generations regarding conservation.
Incorporate into development models considerations regarding indigenous communities and the promotion of the perspective of respect for women and their role in development and conservation.
The aim is to facilitate access to remote, hard-to-reach landscapes, generally high-cost and difficult to implement, for groups of young people who have not had such experience, giving them the possibility of carrying out educational activities regarding the environment such as excursions, appreciation of flora and fauna, among others.
Define and protect ecosystems through a sustainable legal model that allows for responsible conservation and identifies ecosystem values and attributes as a means of generating
protection guidelines.
We also seek to contribute to the economic development of communities based on sustainable economic models.
We seek to create alliances for the development of a conservation model that is proactive in communities, generating value and supporting sustainable development in harmony with ecosystem conservation.
The aim is to create an infrastructure that allows for the accommodation of medium-sized groups through facilities similar to those used in boarding schools, with rudimentary installations in accordance with the
possibilities of the place and that allow you to experience a concrete and real encounter with the environment, away from the comfort of big cities.
Identity of services linked to cultural values of the area and communities.
The services and infrastructure profile seeks to generate an experience of intense and direct contact with nature.
Experiencia de lo esencial y del silencio, de la capacidad de habitar este lugar sin imponer exigencias de la ciudad.
Strategic approach
"Science and art progress in man through experience."
For those who live in isolated areas of high environmental value, the landscape often feels hostile and overwhelming due to the isolation, where rivers, lakes, and storms are an adversity to overcome, as are dense forests that prevent them from working the land. Quite the opposite is true for those of us who visit these places, whose pristine nature and isolation are their greatest asset.
Therefore, it is essential to create enjoyable experiences of the environment, to get to know it, and to understand the importance of its conservation. Based on the type of experiences people have, they will develop a vision and a love for the environment.
“You cannot love what you do not know, nor defend what you do not love.”
Conservar el medioambiente es una tarea que requiere convicción y pasión. En la medida en que más se conozca y difunda, habrá más consciencia de la urgencia de su cuidado. Y eso aplica a quienes conocen los paisajes por imágenes como a quienes viven día a día inmersos en el entorno, pero que no necesariamente han desarrollado un conocimiento y una experiencia gratificante.
Es por esto que creemos en la necesidad de generar experiencias en la naturaleza que sean significativas y parte de una educación integral para todas las personas, con especial énfasis en las comunidades residentes en la Patagonia.
“Choose only one master—nature.”
Many wise men, artists, intellectuals, and politicians have recognized in nature an immeasurable source of mastery in how it expresses and develops.
To love is also to seek more knowledge, to get closer to the essence. For children and young people, nature is a space of freedom, without prejudice or convention.
We want the experience of learning in nature to be more accessible and innovative, shaping the destiny of new generations.
Our story
Our story begins several years ago when Diego Matte, our founder, made a series of trips to southern Chile, especially from Hornopiren to the Cisnes commune. After getting to know the people who live in these remote areas and admiring the beauty and pristine landscape, the idea arose to create a collaborative and supportive organization that would balance nature conservation with human development, ensuring sustainable development that wouldn't burden those living there and facing harsh conditions.
For a year, the Foundation managed to maintain its own headquarters in which to launch its project. The first few months were filled with intense work to improve and prepare the space, enabling it to begin developing its programs with the community and to open its doors to fulfill another of its important objectives: providing local communities with access to conservation areas in order to foster a deep connection with the environment. Unfortunately, the Foundation's owners reclaimed the space, forcing us to suspend its development until we found a new location, a goal we are currently pursuing.
This effort also constituted a huge financial undertaking that today keeps us waiting to establish alliances with donors or owners who support our work.
Alianzas y donaciones
Nuestra Fundación busca alianzas con otras instituciones y personas que compartan nuestra visión y objetivos. De la misma forma todo apoyo económico es de vital importancia para lo cual estamos en búsqueda de socios estratégicos con quien generar vínculos de largo plazo.
Founder and CEO
Diego Matte Palacios is a lawyer and a distinguished institutional leader with over two decades of experience directing highly complex organizations in the public, cultural, and academic sectors. His management style is characterized by a strategic vision focused on organizational transformation, technological modernization, and the generation of sustainable public value.
Before assuming the Executive Directorship of the Río Grande Foundation, Diego served as Director of the Library of the National Congress of Chile (BCN) between 2023 and 2025. In this role, he led a team of 237 professionals and managed an annual budget of 17 billion pesos, driving key milestones such as the implementation of artificial intelligence tools in legislative processes and the recovery of critical heritage infrastructure.
His previous experience includes directing the Center for Artistic and Cultural Extension of the University of Chile (CEAC) for eight years, where he financially stabilized the country's leading artistic organizations and spearheaded the construction of its new concert hall. He also served as Director of the National History Museum, achieving a 50% increase in visitor numbers and modernizing the museum's curatorial and collection management.
A lawyer from Finis Terrae University and certified by the Supreme Court of Chile, Diego has extensive experience in corporate governance, having served on the boards of prestigious institutions such as the Foundation of Youth Orchestras (FOJI), the Pablo Neruda Foundation and the National Monuments Council.
At the Río Grande Foundation, Diego leads the institutional strategy, committed to strengthening ties with the community and ensuring operational excellence through transparent and high-impact management.
Activities carried out
Culture: Exhibition of prints by Eduardo Armstrong about native peoples in the community room of La Junta.
Education: Donation of books on conservation and history to the public library.
Participation in training talks for teachers of the Public High School of La Junta.
Productive Development: Design of a proposal for an artisanal slaughterhouse together with the Livestock Association of La Junta to add value of origin to local meat.
Legal Advice: Free support for women in unilateral divorce proceedings due to abandonment or violence.
Partnerships: Visit from the climate change expert and meetings with the Regional Ministerial Secretary of National Assets to seek a state concession for a permanent headquarters.
Entrepreneurship: Advising small business owners and participating in dialogues on the regional tourism and agricultural development plan.
