Tenio Natural Reserve

Welcome to Summer 2012!

2011-12-10T04:12:00.000-08:00

We are well into summer here at TNR and WWOOFers have been busy help clean a local forest, work on invasive plants, and volunteer in our local, rural school reading to children!

While we currently have no openings until March 2012, we accept applications to stay all year long, January to December. WWOOFers interested in helping at our local school should remember the Chilean school year is March to December.

Our farm/ranch is located in the heart of the peninsula between Puerto Montt and Calbuco. Rolling fields, old growth forest, and amazing views of five volcanoes make it an excellent place to get away from it all. WWOOF volunteers would be welcome to camp or stay in a shared living space. There are several beautiful pastures. We are a family run farm. Volunteers would be welcome to plant tree seedlings, garden, participate in building projects including alternative energy efforts. We are also affiliated with our local rural school (about 100 students, elementary (basica) and high school (media), Colegio Nuevo Horizonte. WWOOFers sometimes stay on our farm and volunteer reading in English and helping out at the school. Meals and lodging are included. Please feel free to bring a book to donate to the school. The Tenio Natural Reserve is dedicated to forest preservation and growth of native trees (like the Tenio Tree). There is more to Southern Chile than Pucon - Explore the difference! Puerto Montt, 657 miles (1,058 km) south of the capital Santiago, is the gateway to Chile's remote, picturesque Patagonia region of glacial lakes, towering snowcapped peaks, and volcanoes that are a magnet for adventure tourism. WWOOFers often stay here and take short trips to Chiloe, Cochamo, or other national forests. With a view of five volcanoes, the Tenio Natural Reserve, located between Puerto Montt and Chiloe in beautiful Putenio, is at the heart of it all on your way to Patagonia!

Summer 2011 in Review

2011-04-16T11:14:00.000-07:00

Well it was cold this morning, so I suppose fall is here. The summer was busy but fun! Visitors once again from all over - France, Canada, USA, Zimbabwe - with lots of talent and skill for:

Helping deliver six baby piglets
Helping incubate and deliver six chicks
Tear down a greenhouse, clean, double dig, prepare, and secure a new garden
Find Tenio trees on the property (22 located, each one celebrated)
Build a secure chicken area (hawks George & Gracie & owl Boo don't have a chance)
Prepare and move building materials for a new commons area, affectionately called the bodega
Harvest lots of vegetables
Design, build, and evaluate rain water recovery systems
Mariscando! (collecting mariscos in nearby Bahia Ilque)
Basketweaving (no college credit)
Learning a bit of Castellano del Sur
Amazing French Pizza (Flame du Kuchen)
WWOOFer table full of comments and doodles!
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Several excursions to Chiloe, Cochamo, Bariloche, Puerto Varas, and other nearby spots.

It all it was a lot of fun and next year the WWOOFer house should be outfitted for fun. Thanks to everyone who stopped by, stayed all summer, and came and went and came back again (Boomerangs!)

Next year: New commons recreation area, frisbee golf, more rain water recovery projects - and more efforts to keep multiplying our Tenio seedlings.

Welcome to the 2011 Spring/Summer!

2010-11-17T11:07:00.000-08:00

Ok, so it isn't 2011 yet, but it is around the corner and the birds are telling us it is spring :) We've already had quite a few WWOOFer traveler requests - just email - and yes, traveling and flexibility go hand in hand. Looking forward to a fun summer!

Facebook

2010-08-07T18:48:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to our growing Facebook page w/ photo albums: TNR

Summer 2009/2010 Update

2010-04-20T10:34:00.000-07:00

Well the summer is coming to a close and it's time for the annual report. We've had people from all over the world stay at TNR, including England, Australia, Canada, Germany, and the United States. As the local Puerto Montt<>Calbuco bus driver is now fond of saying, he knows where to drop off the travelers with backpacks!

Here's a brief summary of the summer's activities - and many reflect the interest area of each person, their academic expertise or applied skill set:

Propagation of 141 baby Tenio Trees - we hope for a good survival rate.
Bacon (beloved pig) and her new Beau, Chorizo (Sausage), have a new house. We hope it is a productive matrimonial suite.
All the cabins and houses have new, practical, industrial-strength furniture.
Rain-recovery systems that work
A new greenhouse
New water systems across the valley.
Invasive species elimination project is well underway, but the battle continues ...
Identification and classification of flora, fauna, and a Phase 1 Ecological Study with GPS way points, a working Google map, and many hours of exploration - no one got lost :)
Identification of the oxen orchid, an interesting and somewhat rare indigenous flower.
Lots of amazing meals from creative cooks, from vegan, to seafood, to leftovers.
Curantos, asados a palo con cordero, and a fair supply of local hard apple cider (chicha).
Cut our first trail - Fenceline - and it extends over 2KM.
Endless games of keep-away with Bruno, our enthusiastic dog/doorbell.
Lots of creative art & signatures on the "WWOOFer Table" - www.wwoofer.cl
New gates, building projects, windows, and more activity that we can report here.
Finally, good time had by all :)

We're on the "Costa Interior" bus route now so if you decide to make the Tenio Natural Reserve part of your trip next summer it is even easier than ever - a three minute walk up the driveway. Between Puerto Montt and Calbuco or Chiloe there are not a lot of options, but if you want to crash at Hospedaje Putenio, or set yourself up in a warm, private cabin (Cabanas Putenio), or sit on your deck at (now hospitable) Hill House, with a view of all five volcanoes, send us an email. Perhaps you'll find that living between the Tenio Trees (the meaning of Putenio) will keep you here longer than you thought or planned. Summer 2010 was great, and we're looking forward to even more activities and adventures next time around.

Scott & Lisa McLean
TenioNaturalReserve@gmail.com

Tenio Natural Reserve

2008-07-29T17:33:00.001-07:00

The Tenio Natural Reserve was founded in 2006 for the protection and management of the "Reserva Natural de Tenios." TNR works with a number of local and international partners to develop the majority of the area into a private reserve, open to the general public for education and research. The emphasis in 2008-2011 will be on fostering local economic and educational development by integrating community members into our efforts. The project will also address the planning and development of an educational campground dedicated to regional ecosystems. Located on the peninsula south of Puerto Montt, between I-5 and the coastal route, Putenio is located in the heart of the remaining rain forests of the region.

We are here! You are welcome to contact us at TenioNaturalReserve@gmail.com

Travels & Exploration!

2007-09-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

Are you interested in sustainable development? Protecting the environment? Learning Spanish (or English) together? Are you ready for adventure, be it reading a good book with a day of tranquil silence, fishing alongside a quiet river with no one else for miles, or more? You've found the right place to learn more about Southern Chile, from Puerto Varas to Chiloe, and all the opportunities to explore. Welcome.

Esta interesdado en desarollo sustenable? Proteja del medio ambiente? Aprendizaje colaborativo de Castellano/Espanol o Ingles? Esta listo por adventura, leyendo un libro en tranquilidad y silencio a traves de un dia, pescando a lado del rio con nadie por kilometros, o mas? Se encontro el lugar de aprender sobre el Sur de Chile, desde Puerto Varas a Chiloe, con todo los oportunidades a explorar. Bienvenidos.