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Naturalist
guide service in Chile's Lauca National Park and Atacama Desert, since
1994.
Focus
on birds, wildflowers, mammals, natural history, pre-Hispanic & Aymara culture.
For those who have their own rental cars, Alto Andino provides guide service by
the day or multiple days. Barb joins your group in Arica,
Putre, or Iquique. Guide service is conducted
in English or Spanish.
If a full tour is preferred, please refer to our natural history
or birding itineraries.
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 About
your guide:
Barb Knapton
grew up in Hoquiam, Washington, near Olympic
National Park.
For many years she lived in Kodiak, Alaska, and fished
commercially for salmon, herring, halibut,
and crab. Seasonal fishing alternated with winters living
in cabins and barges located on remote islands of the Kodiak
archipelago. Barb earned a BS in Biological
Sciences at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in
1993 and
has lived in Putre, Chile, since then, and opened
northern Chile's first Natural History tour agency in 1994.
Digiscoping
birds and flower photography are Barb's main hobbies, in
addition to collecting books which deal with the natural
history of the Andes. She maintains an extensive database of bird
observations for the extreme north. Her other 2 long-term projects are compiling a photographic
catalog of the wildflowers of Chile's 2 most northerly
desert regions, and recording the vocalizations of the birds in the region.
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Barb thanks her Dad, Ken Knapton, for fostering her life-long love of
nature.
from
left: Grandpa, Barb Knapton (the
one without gills),
Dad. Hoquiam,
Washington. |
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Articles and Honors
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Feb 05
National Geographic Adventure Magazine
suggests Barb's tours in northern Chile.
Oct 04
Pájaros para turistas, El Mercurio, Santiago de
Chile, jueves, 28 de Octubre 2004. Starts on the front page, BK is
described as one of the pioneers of birdwatching
tourism in Chile.
Oct 04
BK
chosen to be one of the judges of Arica's first Science Fair, sponsored by
Chile's National Commision of Scientific Investigation and Technology of Chile
CONICYT-EXPLORA
June 04
Defensora
de Patrimonio Natural Alto Andino honored by the Minister of
Culture and the Council of National Monuments of Chile.
May 04
Gringa
Migratoria Tourism 123 on-line interview. The reporter
got a few things mixed up, but basically an informative interview.
April 04
Alto Andino workshop to encourage birding and conservation in Arica
March 04
Alto Andino Nature Tours in the news (Chasquis): Aves en la mira
Feb 04
Northern Chile's first course in Ornithology (30 hour course, spread over 2
weeks) is designed and taught by BK for Putre's young people. Surprise guest was
Alvaro
Jaramillo (Birds of Chile author) who just happened to be in the
village. Sponsored by FOSIS and the Cámara
de Turismo Andina Aymara de Parinacota. Alto Andino donates 15
copies of "Birds of Chile" to students and interested local
people.
Oct 03
VII Neotropical Ornithological Congress and VII Congreso Chileno de
Ornitología. BK attends this 6 day conference at the Termas de
Puyehue, Chile. Alto Andino Nature Tours donates
USD 300 to allow a young Chilean student to attend the congress.
Sept 03
“Recuperación del Picaflor de Arica”
desarrollado por la Unión de Ornitólogos de Chile, el Servicio Agrícola
y Ganadero con el apoyo de la Municipalidad de Arica. BK volunteers
6 days of field work and donates the use of a 4X4 pickup for this first-ever census of the endangered
Chilean Woodstar, Eulidia yarrellii. The woodstar has been
recorded a few times in nearby Peru, but so far the breeding population is
thought to be centered in the
transverse valleys of the Region of Arica y Parinacota (Region
15).
Aug 02
Range
extension: the Rufous-webbed Tyrant is found by BK in Chile's scarce Polylepis
tarapacana, first six sightings within Chile. Knapton, B. E. 2002. A new bird for Chile: the Rufous-webbed Tyrant Polyoxolmis
rufipennis, potentially breeding within the province of Parinacota,
Tarapaca Region. Boletin Chileno de Ornitología 9:37-41.
July 02
BK takes course at the Universidad
de La Serena, Chile, over Atacama Desert flowers, or "Flora
del Desierto Florido".
Sept 00
In a public ceremony on world tourism day, or
"Dia Mundial del Turismo" the
Municipality of Putre recognizes Alto Andino Nature Tours for BK's contributions to rural tourism in northern
Chile.
July 00
I Congreso Internacional de Ecología y Conservación de Bosques de
Polylepis, BK attends this 5 day conference in Cochabamba, Bolivia.
Jan 00
Article about BK published in the Revista del Domingo, Santiago
"El Mercurio",
Chile's largest newspaper. "Hija del Sol Luminoso"
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