World Monuments Fund has worked on Easter Island since the late 1960s and has been particularly active since the mid 1980s. (...)
World Monuments Fund has worked on Easter Island since the late 1960s and has been particularly active since the mid 1980s. Together with CONAF, WMF has organized training courses for park rangers, conducted climate studies, collected meteorological data, carried out site protection and interpretation studies, installed monitoring systems, developed a conservation database of the Orongo petroglyphs, and more. Planning for the conservation of and site management at the Orongo Cermonial Village began in 2001 in close consultation with community leaders, organizations, and local stakeholders. Over the years the World Monuments Fund has held a series of workshops focused on redevelopment, interpretation, conservation and management plans for the site.
The design of the visitor reception center at Orongo integrates the existing facilities; the core of the new building is the old warden station, much of the original structure will be retained, and construction materials will be recycled and incorporated into the new building. Because electric power is not available, alternate sources of energy, including solar and wind, will be used. New restrooms will utilize state-of-the-art composting toilets and a rain water recycling system will be implemented.
From 2004 to 2006 WMF partnered with Corporacion Nacional Forestal de Chile (CONAF) to redevelop the visitor circulation system within the Rano Raraku quarry site in Rapa Nui National Park in order to better serve the visiting public while protecting the fragile archaeological resources of the site. The initial work consisted in reviewing a redevelopment proposal prepared by CONAF and the community. This was followed by the construction of a new interpretive trail that included improvements to existing trail sections and the implementation of landscape rehabilitation, and visitor safety measures. After a test period, additional protective measures and the refinement of technical and logistic strategies were carried out. The completed trail system provides better pedestrian circulation within the site as it is hard surfaced and graded to meet the requirements of all visitors, and for most of its length it is wheelchair accessible. In addition, it allows for a more effective interpretation, and protection of the cultural landscape.
Planning, design and construction supervision were done by specialized landscape architects from Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC). Construction was completed by members of the Rapa Nui community.
