Tours and Activities:

Perfumes of the Native Forest

A walk through its intricate green labyrinths allowed us to understand how a forest lives when its species are preserved, ecosystems remain undisturbed, and no timber is extracted.

For those who appreciate plant life, the Edmundo Winkler Experimental Station is located very close to the center of Frutillar Bajo, an ideal place to observe, learn, and explore slowly and in silence.

As soon as one enters, a narrow, gently ascending trail begins, crossing a section of native forest preserved in its natural state, with no alterations to its original layout. In a cool, humid environment, we ventured into the dense vegetation. Thanks to the signs placed next to each specimen, we were able to identify the names and characteristics of the different species.

With no effort at all, we enjoyed the forest’s fragrance and, on more than one occasion, looked up in search of the sky, as only in a few clearings did sunlight manage to filter through the canopy. There, we understood that, even in the dim light, nature unfolds a unique intensity of greens, where some plants shelter others and coexist in balance.

Under this pleasant shade, we visited the different stations, identifying araucarias, ulmos, radales, evergreen Chilean laurel, and tepas. Among them stands a centuries-old laurel, proudly regarded as one of the oldest specimens on the grounds, which we embraced as a symbolic gesture to celebrate its long life standing.

Sheltered by these trees, ferns grow comfortably, especially a large variety known locally as “cow rib.” The trail continues downhill along a natural staircase carved into the earth and supported by logs, passing through particularly damp areas due to the presence of a small stream.

We then reached the nursery, the area dedicated to the cultivation and care of young plants. Here, species are organized by variety and transplanted into soils similar to their original habitats to ensure their conservation. In the seedbeds, hazelnut trees, raulí, and alerce seedlings germinate and grow, waiting to be relocated to suitable environments.

One of the station’s main objectives is the training of Forestry Engineering students, who carry out hands-on fieldwork in direct contact with the natural environment, integrating the theory they have learned with on-site experience.

In conversation with the station’s administrator, Viviana Mundaca, she explained that this is both a tourist and educational walk, where nearly 90% of the species on display are native, and the forest is preserved without the use of chemicals, without relocating plants from their place of origin, and without industrializing the wood. The goal is to show visitors how a preserved native forest functions, similar to the one encountered by German settlers when they arrived in the region, when rainfall was intense, and the landscape was as dense as the one visitors explore today. With the tools they brought, they managed to work the wood, open paths, and establish settlements in territories that were almost impenetrable. Over time, they learned to prevent fires and, thanks to their knowledge and initiative, succeeded in consolidating themselves as a community.

During a couple of hours on this walk, we sensed the purity of the air and the constant birdsong—an experience that makes it possible to imagine the landscape encountered by the immigrants who reached the shores of Lake Llanquihue in the mid-nineteenth century.

We said farewell to those slender-trunked trees that adopted singular shapes in their search for light, as well as to those that gifted us with special aromas thanks to their natural properties. The final image was that of a towering mañío tree which, swayed by the wind, gently waved its pine- branches in a silent gesture of goodbye.

See also: Hotels in Frutillar and other accommodation venues