About William Collier

Will is a B.S. ecology student from Woodstock, Georgia. He has worked on several research projects to day, including aquatic ecology, systems ecology and an internship in South Africa studying sustainable development and building practices in rural and poor townships. His project during the fall OSARA field course in Chile will be to analyze the landscape-level effects of beaver on aquatic ecosystems. He is also the recipient this year of the Josh Laerm Award from the Georgia Museum of Natural History and the University of Georgia Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities summer fellowship to support his research .

Blending with the locals

The little town of peurto williams is treating us like kings…and queens respectively. The weather has been good, the people have been extremely kind and friendly, the supermarket lady is incredibly helpful, our fishin´buddy just had a birthday party which was quite a treat, and the street dogs are as cuddly as ever. Research is going well as we are wrapping things up…working on writing the introduction and methods for our research theses, as the results and discussion will be added next semester. Going on a big (relatively)camping trip this weekend to the south side of navarino island…should be a nice change from the everyday hustle and bustle of a town of 2000 people…perhaps.

Hope halloween was fun back home…don´t worry, no crazy costumes, but i had my fill of candy in honor of the day…

ciao my friends, william

From the other side of the world

Things have been great here on the south side of the world. Everything is progressing as could have been expected…not to say that there aren´t countless new experiences in our adventures…but all is well. All of our research projects are in full gear…although, i sometimes get a little frustrated with mine…but i love it none the less…and it is progressing quite nicely. Amy and Brett´s research projects are working to perfection…we are planning a camping trip soon to finish up the rest of Amy´s sampling. The weather has been interesting…somedays snow and wind and rain, and somedays tranquil and sunny…i enjoy the variety, and with no t.v., it is always a surprise…like christmas everyday…sort of. All the best to everyone…

Cheers, Will

Here we go – Research Time

The beginning of our experience in southern Patagonia and the sub-Antarctic region of Chile has been enchanting. It is fascinating to see the cultural distinctiveness of a continent with inhabitants who are not much different than our own, at least from a standpoint of descent. Latin America (or what I have seen) is similar to how I had
imagined it – vibrant and unique.

The landscapes have augmented our endeavor in a variety of ways, ranging from beautiful snow capped mountains, to pristine virgin forests, to vast archipelagos and seemingly endless channels. We have witnessed our first full moon on this continent, which is brighter than any I have previously seen – intensely bright, as to blind the eyes, or something like that.

The purpose of our venture, ecological research, has been progressing agreeably. We have begun to explore much of the immediate environment, as well as initiated our field research, including Brett’s ornithological extravaganza and Amy’s macroinvertebrate cabaret. My data analysis stuff is developing nicely as well, like a fine lentil stew awaiting mastication.

Cheers, Willis