Hola Amigos! So much has happened in the past week that I don’t even know where to start! Last Saturday we drove 3 hours from Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas to board the Stella Australis. From there, we traveled by boat all around Tierra Del Fuego and around the very tip of South America. Photos will be provided soon, but for reference, we went to Ainsworth Bay, the Tucker Islands (home to Los pingüinos magallanicos!), Pía Glacier and Glacier Alley, Cape Horn (the southernmost point in the world not including Antarctica–which was only 530 miles away), and lastly, Wulaia Bay. We ended our trip in Ushuaia, Argentina, and then spent the night in Rio Grande before going to Parque Pingüino Rey to see a King Penguin colony and then road trip home to Puerto Natales. It’s been busy busy busy! During our trip, we were able to see firsthand the glacial, geologic, and ecologic processes that have formed this part of the world in such an incredible and jaw-dropping way. Although I wish there was more of an emphasis on this, we also got the chance to learn a bit about the native people that lived in the areas we visited, like the Selknam, Kawesqar, Yaganes, Tehuelches, and Haush. The experience was unbelievable and I’m looking forward to sharing photos soon!
What I wanted to mainly focus on for this week’s blog post are the climate strikes that are happening just about anywhere you look. I was originally a little disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to participate in them back in the States, but that was only until I was lucky enough to be a part of a march here in Puerto Natales. The outcome was heartwarming. Instead of becoming political, the event was more family and friend-oriented, with parents walking with their young children and dogs wearing pro-environment-inspired t-shirts. I wanted to highlight the importance of these climate marches, not only here in Puerto Natales, but all around the world. For it to just start with one girl, Greta Thunberg in Sweden, to then ripple across all corners of the globe where 150 countries have participated, really emphasizes the power we have as humans to make a difference. However, only participating in marches will not be enough. We must practice what we preach and not just “try our best,” but make the conscious effortto change our lifestyles for the betterment of this planet and for those that will occupy it long after we are gone. While my friends in New York and Washington D.C. walked for the climate, so did I 6,400 miles south in Patagonia, and that truly means something. I hope after reading this you will all do your research on the climate strikes, as well as look into what you can do to start mitigating global warming and reflect on the power you all have to start making a difference. It’s already too late, and time is running out.
Abroad Patagonia. 