Report of 2005
Here you will find information about all the activities that we have worked on between September 2005 and April of 2006.

Working to increase understanding and environmental awareness with young people.

33 schools, with a total of 60 students and teachers, visited Torres del Paine for 3 or 4 days.

They visited the Centro Interpretivo (Interpretive Centre) to learn about conservation and ecological diversity. They also participated in a talk about environmental awareness by Tomas Marusic ( a local guide). The second day they worked on a diverse range of projects, including crushing cans (for later recycling) and cleaning the paths, activities lead by the volunteer Evelin Salinas.

The schools were:

Liceo Juan Bautista Contardi
Colegio Charle Darwin
Liceo Politécnico
___________________________________________________

Talks, workshops and training
During this period a series of activities focusing on environmental education were carried out. Details of these are found below.

1 Workshop about preventing forest fires
Michael Arcos
Guillermo Santana
CONAF XII

2 Talks about ‘Diversity of native and exotic plants of the Torres del Paine National Park’
Edwin Domínguez
Botanist

1 course on the fighting of forest fires
Mario Abel Diaz
Santa Cruz - Argentina

___________________________________________________

Course of environmental education:
9 talks about “Wetlands, Huemuls, Condor, Guanacos and Pumas of Torres del Paine” and“The fjords of Ultima Esperanza”
Gladis Garay
Biologist
Morty Ortega
Ecologist 

1 Workshop on “Coordination of Combat in Forest Fires with Volunteers of AMA and teams of CONAF
Michael Arcos
Guillermo Santana
CONAF XII 

1 talk about“Exotic flora adjacent to the remote footpaths of the Torres del Paine National Park”
Osvaldo Vidal
Bachelor of Biology

1 talk about“The glaciers of Magallanes”
Gladis Garay
Biologist

___________________________________________________

Investigations with volunteers

Proposal for improvement of the paths in Estancia Cerro Paine, 12 weeks.

Alejandra Mora, Chile
Subject of a thesis for a diploma of Bachelor of Geography

Ricardo Vergara, Chile
Technical, economical and environmental viability of energy change in the hostels and campsites situated in Torres del Paine National Park, 12 weeks
Subject of a thesis for the course of Civil mecanical engineering
University Católica de Valparaíso

Pachi Silva, Chile
Sample of life in the wetlands and various lakes in Torres del Paine, 4 days
Biology student
University Católica de Valparaíso

Osvaldo Vidal, Chile
Summery of data in the area damaged by the fire of February 2005 1 week
Bachelor in Biology

Joane Holliger of Switzerland, volunteer with Enviu of Holland
Monitoring tourism in Torres del Paine National Park, 12 weeks
Subject of a thesis to achieve a Bachelor in Negotiations and Hogeschool Zeeland, Holland

___________________________________________________

Support in the Office
Researching information for educational features and translations into English, 12 weeks

Maria Isabel Ojeda, Chile
English-SpanishTranslator

 Saima Nah, France
Database of environmental organizations and translations, 4 weeks
English-French Translator

Emma Wright, U.K
Translation to English of the AMA Website and the management plan, 7 weeks
Student starting the first year of Environmental Sciences

Juan Crocco, Chile
Research into the laws relating to the environment, 4 weeks
Student in the 4th year of law at the University of Chile.

__________________________________________________

Art and Culture
During 2 weeks we displayed an exhibition of silverwork from Señora Belén González

Josefina Diaz, a local painter, exhibited her work for 2 months. The exhibition was composed of 17 paintings of landscapes of Patagonia.

__________________________________________________

Recycling
During this period we organised 1000 sacks full of glass bottles, that were then transported from Torres del Paine to Coaniquen in Punta Arenas to raise money for children with burns. At the present time, we are working to create an even more efficient system.

Now we have collected a significant amount of drinks cans that we plan to recycle using a similar system to the glass bottles.

__________________________________________________

Language
Two members of the local community have received English classes from foreign volunteers.

__________________________________________________

Paths
During 5 months one of the businesses that supports our projects paid the salary of a Park Ranger for AMA. The object was to examine the paths, delivering information and ensuring that no one lit a fire or camped in unauthorized places.

Work in containment of the paths, 6 weeks

Ana from Brazil.
Biology student

__________________________________________________

Archeological artifacts
At the beginning of January, the tourist Alvaro Mora Otomanom (archeologist from Great Britain) in the areas surrounding the Hostería las Torres found an ancient knife with a distinct handle. At the moment the piece is in the Instituto de la Patagonia in Punta Arenas in orderto carry out various necessary studies.

__________________________________________________

Educational Calendar

__________________________________________________

Connections with other projects

Organisation who helped us in construction, maintenance and recovery of trails

Global Community Project
EEUU

Project that is working with us to carry out scientific investigations that contribute to the conservation of Torres del Paine

Project Patagonia Uconn
CHILE – EEUU

__________________________________________________

Specific cooperation
The organisation which sold the glass bottles that we organized for recycling - the proceeds from which went to help the treatment of children who have suffered from burns.

Coaniquen
CHILE

The organisation who helped us to create a system for collecting glass bottles for Puerto Natales and Torres del Paine, through Coaniquen

Fundación Patagonia
CHILE

The organisation that we supported with 2 volunteers to work on the eroded paths between Lago Pehoe and Glacier Grey

The Patagonia Fundation
EEUU