By Johannah Frisby, of College of Saint Benedict / Saint John’s University
Hola amigos y familia, estamos saliendo de Puerto Edén…When we first arrived here two weeks ago, we were excited for the experience of living somewhere this remote – a town of 60 people, over 100 miles in any direction from the next human habitation – but also a bit concerned we would lose our minds due to the isolation and infamously harsh weather.
Puerto Eden shines in the early morning.
Views of tiny Puerto Eden within the massive landscape.
In this small boardwalk town in the middle of Bernardo O’Higgins National Park, conservation efforts and management keeps peoples’ access to their surrounding resources limited. Culturally, Puerto Eden is a fishing town, but under climate change, toxic red algae has killed the fishing industry, leaving younger generations with few economic opportunities, and few reasons to get outside. We are here with Round River to offer opportunities for environmental education and nature connection with the local school children, and ultimately to offer an alternative pathway, perhaps through ecotourism.
We started the trip with a gorgeous excursion – we backpacked through the surrounding mountains, and spent an afternoon hiking 900m up a mountain on a stunningly clear day. We even saw the iconic Chaltén (Fitz Roy) and Cerro Torre mountains rising above the Lautaro Volcano across the width of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field!
Matt Hendrickson (UW) and Hayden Childs (UVM) hike by a hundreds-year-old Guaiteca’s Cypress tree as we trudged through the bogs towards Cerro Panchote. Photo by Adam Spencer
On an extremely rare, clear day, Matt, Hayden and Brandon look across the fjords and all the way across the Ice Field for a view of Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. We reached this view after hiking 900m up the ridgeline of Panchote mountain. Photo by Adam Spencer
Throughout our two weeks, we did activities with the school kids (all eight of them!), including an art workshop and planting of the vulnerable ciprés tree, English classes, a beach clean up, and a field trip day with hiking and kayaking.
With support of the Chilean Navy, Round River Chile Coordinator Fernando Iglesias, Instructor Adam Spencer, and student Brandon Lawton taught young people from Puerto Edén how to kayak in a culminating activity with the local school. Photo by Shalynn Pack
Visiting the school to do art and theater about the vulnerable ciprés tree (Pilgerodendron uviferum)
Round River organized a beach clean up activity with the Navy and local school.
We joined the local folks and the Navy in their night games of pick-up soccer, had our legs eaten by bogs and shoes eaten by dogs. We learned how to make beautiful, sweet-smelling bracelets from taiú grass, and tried our hardest to understand Chilean Patagonian Spanish.
Learning how to weave with local reeds in the traditional Williche way
Between our days of breathtaking, bog adventure and bringing the kids to kayak and hike around the fjords, we wandered around the boardwalk loop. On the boardwalk, some of us tried to memorize plant and animal species, make friends with the cats and puppies, or help slowly build a house. At home, we made strange concoctions of cookies, took our last classes and finals, and laughed together as our sanity fell apart over finals week…Ultimately, we did lose our minds a bit being cooped up together over finals, but that made it all the more fun.
As we interacted with the Edeninos, they showed us that their hospitality knows no bounds. From coming home after a long hike to be greeted with a mountain of homemade sopapillas (fried bread), getting free eggs and great conversation for helping carry a crate of plants, and hopping on a boat to see the carcass of a beached Sei whale just for fun. Edeninos always greeted us with a smile and a friendly “Hola!” on the boardwalk. I suppose being the only gringos, and increasing the town’s population by about sixteen percent, we stood out a bit.
A local friend led students to see a sei whale that had been preyed upon by killer whales the previous year.
From an afternoon beach cleanup with the kids, Armada and Carabineros (Navy and Police), to watching The Babadook as the lights in town turned off at midnight; to sleeping on the bogs next to the most picturesque alpine lake as the frogs sang in the distance, and jumping off the loading dock into the cold fjord waters with the kids, it has been an interesting two weeks living in Puerto Edén.
Round River students getting back on the boat after hiking around Seno Duque.
Hasta pronto.