From Punta Arenas, I flew north to Puerto Montt where I met with anthropologists, environmentalists and public health officials. In 1834, Darwin visited nearby Chiloé, an island which also encompasses a wider archipelago. Isolated from the rest of the country, Chiloé has developed its own set of syncretic beliefs blending […]
In Concepción, I paid a visit to the Museum of Natural History. Throughout his travels, including Chile, Darwin encountered petrified wood, either within sediments or loose and washed out of source deposits. Petrified wood forms when trees are buried, and over time minerals collect, thus turning the wood into stone […]
While at sea in 1835, Darwin witnessed the volcanic eruption at Mount Osorno. A scant two months later, the young naturalist came ashore in the coastal city of Concepción and observed the devastating impact of an earthquake. The earthquake measured 8.2 on the Richter Scale, and killed 50 people. The […]
In Punta Arenas, I paid a visit to Maggiorino Borgatello Museum. Fuegian indigenous peoples adapted to the harsh environment in Tierra del Fuego, pursuing a nomadic life on land and sea. They survived for thousands of years, but have become almost extinct since the era of European contact. In Concepción, […]
From Punta Arenas, I traveled several hours north to the ancient ground sloth cave: Mylodon, which lived between 1.8 million years 12,000 years ago. Remains have been found throughout South America, demonstrating Mylodon was adaptable to cold climates. Though it was mainly vegetarian, Mylodon was also an opportunistic omnivore. In […]
In Punta Arenas, I paid a visit to Maggiorino Borgatello museum to speak with the curator. Recreation of a scene featuring indigenous Fuegian people
From the Falklands, I took a flight to Chile and Punta Arenas, the southernmost large city in the world. There, I spoke with museum curators, indigenous peoples and scientists about climate change and cultural survival. Though certainly an impressive navigator, FitzRoy left something to be desired in other respects. On […]
Though the South Atlantic has been free of military conflict since 1982, geopolitics now extends to the realm of offshore oil. Aside from being disastrous in terms of climate change, further oil development could pose a danger to Magellanic Penguins. Moreover, military conflict has also damaged the environment, threatened wildlife […]
Stanley — an exaggerated sense of quaint English identity, cottages and gardens.
In Port Stanley, Darwin’s legacy is ever-present. The naturalist visited the Falklands Islands twice, in 1833 and 1834. On his first visit, Darwin surveyed wreckage in the coastal environment, which he called “quite lamentable.” On the second visit, in the wake of the Gaucho Rivero revolt, Darwin decried the small […]
