Written by Julia Wunsch – University of California, Davis
“If you travel far enough, you’ll meet yourself.” – David Mitchell
I woke up with a start. 12:33 am. It felt like I’d been sleeping for years, though I assume our past few early nights of cozying up in our 0-degree, down sleeping bags at 8:30pm probably had something to do with my body’s weird internal clock.
But it didn’t bother me at all. I have begun to love going to bed with the moon and waking up with the sun for bird surveys. These past few (and by few, I mean 5) days in the Chacabuco Valley have been full of such uniquely new experiences. Our basecamp was situated right at the base of the Jeinimeni Mountains, which have some of the most beautiful and distinct ridges I’ve ever seen. I’d be lying to you if I told you I didn’t love every minute. Though the majority of our days were largely shaped by our scheduled guanaco and bird surveys, class, time dedicated to completing our readings, and maintaining a fully functioning base camp we’d established at our two campsites in the valley, that doesn’t mean work and play were mutually exclusive for us. I think everyone in our group holds the same belief that being here is such a unique opportunity to adventure, explore, and grow, and we are going to take advantage of every single minute.
Our group, Team Guanaco, arrived in the Chacabuco Valley last Monday, September 26, and headed back to our field house in Cochrane on October 1. These past five days have completely heightened my awareness of the large amount of work and time required to conduct animal surveys that serve as part of our conservation project with Conservación Patagonica and CONAF. As Round River students, we are so incredibly fortunate to serve as the bridge between Chile’s national forestry service (CONAF) and Conservación Patagonica (CP) – Doug and Kris Tompkins’ privately-owned organization. Through CP, the Tompkins purchased large portions of land in the Chacabuco Valley. Their goal is to preserve and protect the land and its endemic species, until it can be handed over to CONAF, and turned into a national park – Parque Patagonia. As conservation biologists, restoration ecologists, natural historians, and as humanists, we as Round River students find the opportunity to participate in this historical project incredibly valuable.
You might be wondering how a group of 10 amateur, college students could possibly contribute to this ambitious goal. Conservación Patagonica is interested in learning more about the guanaco population and distribution, as well as the variety of bird species within Valle Chacabuco. In an effort to better understand the species living in the Chacabuco Valley so that we can ultimately help CONAF create national parks to protect them, it is essential that we gain more information about their needs. These include their preferred habitats, essential soil nutrients (for various species of flora) and vital sources of food for the wide variety of fauna that live in, or migrate to, the Chacabuco Valley. As a result, our work the past five days has involved two primary methods of species inventorying: bird surveys through point counts, and guanaco surveys using distance sampling.
A view from above; Lago Cisnes shines like a jewel, with the Jeinimeni as its incredible backdrop. Photo by Katrina Brace.
Bird surveys have been such a new and educational experience for me. Groups of us drive to specific locations recorded in our bird survey protocol, and dedicate twenty minutes to birdwatching. This process is definitely a team effort; one student records the specific kind of bird spotted, another documents the location, and others write down the action the bird is displaying (feeding, perching, fly-by, etc).
A Team Guanaco bird survey group after a successful survey. Photo by Kyla Zaret.
Some may say that bird watching is only for nature nerds (which admittedly, all of us are), but my newly developed ability to identify various Patagonian species is truly empowering. My favorite is the Southern Carara – a robust bird of prey with a distinctive flat crown that often digs for its prey.
Students point out a fly-by during an early morning bird survey. Photo by Elizabeth Brunner.
We embarked on our various guanaco surveys throughout the week in the Green Machine – one of Round River’s trusted and sturdy trucks – adventuring through the Chacabuco Valley with four other students and one incredible instructor. Our 2 groups were responsible for about 4-5 transects each day, and conducted 3 days of surveys while we were in the Valley. Guanaco surveys have very specific protocol, and require surveyors to stop at every guanaco sighting and count and record the number of guanaco present, their sex, and their age category. In an effort to increase our understanding of their distribution, it is also essential to record the distance of the guanaco from our vehicle, their bearing on our compasses, and their GPS coordinates. It’s funny because the initial novelty of spotting a majestic guanaco on the horizon quickly wore off, as our guanaco count surpassed 600! However, nothing can compare to the excitement we each continued to experience the moment anyone spotted a new guanaco, and it is a feeling that I don’t think any of us will ever forget.
A powerful guanaco watching over his kingdom. Photo by Katrina Brace.
And so, it was 12:33am, and I had to pee. The sound of the pouring Patagonian rain on my tent’s rainfly simultaneously discouraged me from leaving my warm cocoon of a sleeping bag, but the rush of the water forced me to give in. I begrudgingly unzipped my sleeping bag, pulled on my raincoat, slipped into my crocs, and sleepily dashed outside. After doing my business in the pouring rain, less than a foot away from my tent, one could say I wasn’t the warmest camper. However, I remembered the note that a previous student had left me on my cabinet back at base camp. “Never be afraid to take some time alone to appreciate the majesty of this place. Even if it’s at 6am on a frigid morning to watch the sun rise and welcome the beauty of a new day.”
Night sky. Photo by Will Green.
And so this was my alone time. I lifted my face to the sky, letting my hood fall back. I faced the largest, most astounding sky I’ve ever seen. There are almost no words to describe the feeling of seeing trillions of stars in the Patagonian night sky, alone under the pouring torrents of rain, other than starstruck. I took a deep breath, let the droplets drip down my face and neck, and felt truly alive. My mysterious previous cabinet buddy back at basecamp had been spot on – there is simply nothing else like letting Patagonia into your soul.
We have all traveled far to get here, and have been soaking in the magic of every moment. With the hustle and bustle of everyday life in the field and back at base camp, I really hadn’t taken the time to reflect on my appreciation for this magical place we are lucky enough to explore for the semester. I had traveled far, and found myself in the infinite Patagonian night sky.
Top photo: The Jeinimeni Mountains; photo taken by Katrina Brace at our final guanaco survey, overlooking Lago Cochrane.