Valdiva to Huinay - March 15-17

17th March
HUINAY - Day 3

After the rain of yesterday we were grateful to wake to perfect sunshine and beautiful views of the fjord and mountainsides around us. Today we were going out in the boat around the edges of the forest and seeing what we could find. The day couldn’t have started better - at the jetty a dolphin was jumping out of the sea right in front of us.

We followed the shoreline looking out for seed instead we came across a colony of sea lions (as you do) sitting on the rocks. The views of the surrounding landscape were amazing. It was just like something out of Jurassic Park; impenetrable forests starting at sea level giving way to towering rocky outcrops and glaciers on the summits - a memory that will stay with me forever!

We made collections from the shore where permitted, but this was a first for me - making seed collections from the inside of a boat (not easy but great fun). The day ended with two dolphins swimming alongside the boat and the most beautiful sunset! When we got back we all had a meal with our hosts before giving presentations about the organisations we work for (finishing at 1am).

16th March
HUINAY - Day 2

Today was very cloudy and tipping down with rain. We were told that we were going on a hike up one of neighbouring mountains. The day started well with a really good collection of Berberis buxifloila before crossing the river in a rubber dingy. The walk up the mountain along an old loggers route can best be described as hard going! There were leeches a plenty and it was very hard to keep our moral up. At 800m (we started at sea level) we came across the beautiful pink tubular flowers of Philesia magellanica, huge patches of Desfontainea and Azara lanceolata. We made a small collection among the towering Alerces before calling it a day and heading back. In total we had been out walking for 12 hours.

15th March
TRAVEL FROM VALDIVIA TO HUINAY (Fundacion Huinay)

Today was a travel day. The drive was broken up by some stunning views of the odd volcano along the way. On reaching northern Patagonia we realised that it isn’t a simple matter of driving somewhere here. We had to catch ferries and at Hornopiren we had to leave the car for a two-hour boat ride in pouring rain and darkness. Feeling slightly apprehensive and not knowing what to expect, we packed all our gear onboard and headed out to sea. At 11pm we pulled up to the jetty of our home for the next two nights the Huinay Scientific Marine Institute - not quite the luxury we were expecting.

14th March
RESERVA COSTERA VALDIVIANA

Whilst packing up the car we noticed a large shard of wood sticking out between the tire and the rim of the wheel (Ben had hit a log pretty hard the day before!). So it was a quick tire change before going to a small remnant patch of forest on the coast. Walking through the rain forest we got a few glimpses of the surrounding area but when we came out a huge sand dune greeted us, towering 40m above us. It was very energy sapping climbing to the top, but the views at the top were stunning (there were even puma tracks).

Walking alongside the Pacific Ocean we saw many interesting plants and birds, making collections of Aextoxicon punctatum as we went. Our guides took us for lunch in a small local community before heading back to our cabañas (along the way we got to see a rocky outcrop covered with Humbolt Penguins). We made a short detour to collect Sophora microphylla along the side of a small lake before heading back to Valdivia.

13th March
RESERVA COSTERA VALDIVIANA

We travelled from Valdivia to Cheinway. Along the way we collected the beautiful Lobelia tupa and Baccharis on the roadside by a huge Eucalyptus plantation. A short stop was made to buy a few essentials in a local town unfortunately it was slightly longer than planned due to me rubbing my eyes and irritating them with the sap of Lobelia tupa that was still on my hands (I didn’t know it was an irritant!!!). Much screaming, eye wash and baby wipes later we headed back on our way. Strangely enough we also passed a submarine and the largest pile of woodchips I have ever seen (unfortunately this is mainly taken from native forest and shipped to Japan).

On arrival in Chaihuin we were greeted by staff from the park fed and given a short presentation about the park, before heading off in convoy to collect (the largest party I had ever been collecting with - 14 people in all). We made another collection of Fitzroya in the mist. We tried out the throw line to see if the Nothofagus nitida had any seed on but unfortunately none was found (maybe due to lack of vision in the mist). Lower down, the mist had lifted and we made a great collection from the Giant Rhubarb Gunnera tinctoria on a steep slope near the ranger station. After a lovely traditional meal with our hosts, we all slept well.

Alerce Costero National Monument - 12th March

After a short drive from Valdivia along more seemingly endless dusty gravel roads through pine, Eucalyptus and occasional Sweet Chestnut plantations, we entered the park (via a few fords). This was to be our first opportunity to see the Alerce (Fitzroya cupressoides) - one of the oldest and largest conifers in the world and one of the most exploited trees in Chile. Because of its size and the fact that its timber is very durable and easily split, most of the trees have been logged out over the last century.


The timber was frequently used as roofing shingles and one of the first sights that greeted us was an old farm building with Alerce shingles. The drive through the park was fantastic, with lots of great plants. But the highlight had to be seeing Fuchsia magellanica with its beautiful flowers and the hummingbirds flitting from flower to flower. We were promised the chance to see an old Alerce during our visit, but nothing really prepared us for the tree we went to see. Standing 30m tall with a diameter of 4.6m and a circumference of 11.40m, it is estimated to be 3600 years old - making it the second oldest species in the world (after the Bristle Cone Pine from the USA).

Naturally thinking it would be great to grow seed from this individual, we got the throw line up in the tree - only to find it was male! Amongst stunning scenery the team made a really good seed bank collection of Alerce, utilising Ben's skills with the throw line and then shaking the branches onto a tarpaulin. We also collected the tiny insectivorous Sundew (Drosera uniflora) and the coniferous Podocarpus nubigenus. A truly great day!

Arriving in Chile - 7th March

Stage one - Heathrow to Madrid, Madrid to Santiago, Santiago to Temuco, Temuco to Valdivia.

After a long but uneventful flight from Madrid we flew across Argentina and caught our first glimpse of the snow capped peaks of the Andes through the clouds. As we neared Santiago the cloud cleared and we got a fantastic view of the desolate moonscape, only broken by small patches of green where plants were just managing to eke out an existence in this harsh land. As the mountains gave way to plains, the familiar site of fields and towns appeared as green oases.

A brief stop in Santiago, then a short flight to Temuco where we got to step out of the airport for the first time - we had actually arrived in Chile! It was over 30 degrees and being British we were all inappropriately dressed in jeans, jumpers and trainers. Gratefully picking up a nicely air-conditioned 4x4, we wearily made our way out onto the highway towards Valdivia.

It was not what we expected. Instead of the temperate Chilean flora, we were greeted by a more antipodean feel of Eucalyptus and Acacia and the world's mostly commonly-planted species - Pinus radiata. Forester's heaven! All the hillsides were covered with these plants. Not very inspiring, until we saw the snow-capped Llaima Volcano (3125m) peaking out. Now we were really in Chile!