Patagonia is a dramatic landscape of ice fields, fjords, windswept grasslands, and glacial peaks rising from deep river valleys. Contribute to local conservation efforts by assisting our partners at Conservacion Patagonica and CONAF, a division of Chile’s Forest Corporation. Students spend the semester working in a variety of field sites: the grasslands of the Chacabuco Valley within Patagonia National Park, the misty, remote fjords of Bernardo O’Higgins National Park at the edge of the Southern Patagonia Ice Field, and the glaciers, lakes, and forests of the Los Glaciares region near Villa O’Higgins. Students operate out of three field bases near the remote villages of Cochrane, Tortel, and Puerto Eden. You will become familiar with wildlife monitoring techniques, focusing on iconic Chilean mammals such as guanaco and endangered huemul deer, and an array of bird species including the lesser rhea. You will also participate in Southern Ice Field community-based conservation and environmental education, an ongoing sustainable sphagnum moss harvest study, compilation of the first-ever plant field guide for Bernardo O’Higgins National Park, and biodiversity assessments in remote regions of Aysén. You will experience local Patagonian culture and enjoy ample opportunities to interact with guardaparques and gauchos. Weeklong homestays provide unique and special cultural experiences.
To read more about our Patagonia Program and the other programs we offer, click here.