The Program
Team members will take part in hands-on investigations of the ecology and conservation of southern Chile’s species and communities. Our first objective is to become fluent in the natural history of this region, its climate and geography, and to become intimately familiar with many of the species that live therein. We will travel across a transect of ecological systems ranging from coastal Valdivian rainforests, home of the ancient alerce trees, to the alpine forests, tundra and snowfields of the Andes, to the grasslands that lie in the rain shadow of the cordillera. As we become familiar with the inhabitants of these ecosystems, we will conduct ecological research projects that examine interactions, patterns of diversity, and ecological niches of the species we encounter.

We will also investigate the effectiveness of key conservation measures, such as the establishment of national parks and private reserves, which seek to create sustainable livelihoods for local communities while protecting biodiversity through participation in ongoing conservation, restoration, and sustainable agriculture projects. Highlights will include extended field investigations in Parque Pumalín, one of the largest private nature reserves in the world, and Parque Nacional Chiloé, on the fabled Isla Grande. These are two remarkable natural laboratories with intact forest and wildlife communities. However, despite their protected status and almost impenetrable landscapes, daunting conservation challenges loom, ranging from unsustainable and unregulated resource use by local communities to ambitious multinational development plans including new roads, dams and salmon farming.

Program Details
Location: Puerto Montt, Chile
Dates: Winter 2025: January 17–March 1, 2025
Applications: Accepted on a rolling admission basis
Accommodations:  Primarily camping, occasional youth hostel or rural lodge
Credits: 15 quarter credits or 10 semester credits
Language: English instruction
Courses: Environmental Wildlands Studies, Environmental Field Survey, Wildlands Environment and Culture
Prerequisites: One college level course in environmental studies, environmental science, ecology or similar. 18 years of age

Program Costs

Chile Winter 2025
$      150      Application Fee
$   7,000      Program Fee
$   4,800      Estimated In-Country Logistics Fee
$   1,900      Estimated Airfare and Mandatory Travel Insurance
$   850         Estimated Food and Personal Expenses

$14,700      Total Estimated Cost
Winter 2025: Program fees due by November 1, 2024