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The Rebirth of Santa Olga Through an Open Book

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The past seven years have been turbulent for Santa Olga, and that might even be an understatement. While the entire world was shaken at the start of the decade by the COVID-19 pandemic, the nearly 3,000 residents of this town had already faced a catastrophe that left everything in ruins.

The wildfire that broke out on January 26, 2017, swept through everything, leaving behind nothing but rubble, ashes, and people wandering in shock as they saw how the flames had destroyed homes, schools, gardens, the Catholic church, a sawmill, the fire station, and more.

Yet, from the heart of the town emerged the spirit of community leaders who decided to take up the legacy of Santa Olga’s original settlers—those who, in the 1960s, began building the community, which grew as the local forestry industry attracted new residents.

"We chose to stay here and make our lives here. We dried our tears, brushed off the ashes, and said, 'We have to start over,'" says Mónica Sepúlveda, a leader of one of the four neighborhood councils that exist today.

Starting Over

As part of "starting over," the plans for Parque Libro Abierto Santa Olga were drawn—a newly inaugurated space on the hillside featuring the start of a trail, a mini amphitheater, a playground, a picnic area, a historical memorial, and a new forest.

Daniela Saieg, head of the Bosque Abierto program at ARAUCO, enthusiastically shares that the process of creating and conceptualizing this park—from 2020, just as pandemic restrictions were easing, to today—was a collaborative effort with Santa Olga’s residents.

"We began working with the four neighborhood councils under the Bosque Abierto program, aiming to plant native species, create this Parque Libro Abierto, and eventually establish a forest," she explains.

Reflecting on the process, she adds, "We reached a very clear consensus on what was wanted. And, importantly, it’s no small thing that so many women were involved in this."

Female Leadership

Mónica Sepúlveda and Mónica Panchilla are two of the neighborhood leaders deeply involved in the entire process. The former attributes the strong female presence in such roles to "women’s ability to listen and the respect they command."

Mónica Panchilla recalls, "In one meeting, we started dreaming: What could we do with this hillside next to us? And ARAUCO brought that vision to life perfectly."

Both emphasize that the five totems installed in the park, which tell Santa Olga’s history, are central to this new space.

"We wanted to share what happened in Santa Olga, to leave a testimony," says Panchilla, who lives in the newly established Renacer sector—the area designated for those whose homes were unregulated before the fire.

Santa Olga 2.0

Her fellow community leader, Mónica Sepúlveda—who heads the Santa Olga neighborhood council—moved here in the 1960s with her father, a forestry worker. She raised a family here and, after the fire, was determined to "rebuild the town and stay in this place, which became known because of the fire but was once overlooked. Now, we’re creating this Santa Olga 2.0 to make it known again," she says with a smile.

Daniela Saieg highlights that bringing the park to life "was a beautiful, deeply human process—and, most importantly, the community was actively involved in every phase."

Of course, beyond everything mentioned, native species play a key role. Today, the site boasts 15,000 plants, including quillay, maitén, and peumo trees, among others.

Both Daniela Saieg and "the two Mónicas" agree on one thing: they want Santa Olga—beyond being part of the Constitución district—to become, after this total reconstruction, the gateway to Coastal Maule.