Being in the middle of nowhere, with no way to contact those I left behind, created a space for growth. I found it both exhilarating and challenging—being disconnected from the world I was used to felt like flipping a coin. On one side was the thrill of living entirely in the moment, unattached to the steady ping of messages or the urgency of news. On the other side was the gnawing awareness that those I loved were still living their lives without me, and I couldn’t instantly be part of their moments or share my own. This experience, however, taught me something profound: there is beauty in this disconnection, a freedom that opens space for the unexpected and the new.
By: Madi Jones, University of Vermont
Follow along with Madi for an in-depth tour of Aquasol, the basecamp for Round River’s Patagonia program. With just a 30 minute walk from the town of Cochrane, cozy quinchos, and views of surrounding Patagonia National Park, base camp is the perfect place to call home between research trips.
By: Charlie Baxter, Bates College
Join Charlie for a homestay week with a Chilean family, full of farm chores, local foods, and goat shenanigans.
By: Brayden Stanger, University of Vermont
Follow along with Brayden and the Patagonia Spring 2026 crew as they do research on Magellanic woodpecker in the Jeinimeni sector of Patagonia National Park!
By: Maria Muller, University of Vermont
Overall, the most memorable moments from my semester abroad have been from our interactions with the local community, and I can’t wait to share my new experiences and Chilean slang with my friends and family at home.
By: Alice Gipe, University of Vermont
Our last field work trip of the semester took place right in our backyard in Reserva Nacional Tamango. For the past 2 months, we have been able to see Tamango, a mountain just northeast of Aquasol (our base camp), as it transitions through the seasons […] Now in the first week of April, we got the opportunity to explore the region while collecting important data on the conditions of the trails.