Pristine wilderness is a scarce global resource, but exotic species are so common that they constitute a principal component of worldwide ecological change. The relationship between these two topics, invasion and remoteness, was the impetus behind five years of fieldwork aimed at identifying the assemblage and range of exotic vertebrates in Cape Horn, Chile, identified as one of the world's most pristine wilderness areas. While the archipelago has extremely low human population density and vast tracts of undisturbed land, we discovered that several terrestrial vertebrate groups were dominated by exotic species. Native birds were diverse (approx. 154 spp), and only 1.3% (or two spp.) were introduced. In contrast, exotic terrestrial mammals (12 spp.) and freshwater fish (three spp.) outnumbered their native counterparts, constituting 55% and 75% of the assemblages. Using GIS, we found that not all areas were impacted equally, largely due to intensity of human occupation. Human settled islands (Navarino and Tierra del Fuego) hosted the greatest number of exotics, but humans alone did not explain observed patterns. Remote islands also had introduced species. North American beavers (Castor canadensis), American minks (Mustela vison) and feral domestic dogs and cats were particularly widespread, and their range in isolated parts of the study area raised important ecological and management questions. In conclusion, the Cape Horn Archipelago retained areas free of exotic vertebrates, particularly parts of the Cape Horn and Alberto D'Agostini National Parks, but at many sites introduced species were overwhelming native biota and altering these previously remote natural ecosystems.Abbreviations: TDF -Tierra del Fuego Biodiversity and Conservation (2006) 15:3295-3313 Ó Springer 2006

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Research-Practice Partnership (RPP) is recognized as a valuable tool for generating actionable research and improving educational practices by involving practitioners and researchers in both research and the implementation of research findings. However, creating and maintaining such partnerships is challenging; it requires time and financial resources, and a team with diverse expertise and high commitment. Despite their wide recognition in educational fields, RPPs are under-studied in physics education research and literature in informal physics programs is sparse. In this paper, we present a case study of RPP between a physics education researcher and an informal physics practitioner. We describe the development and maintenance of this partnership and use qualitative and ethnographic methods to investigate practitioner-driven concerns about self-evaluation practices and attendance in the program under study, an informal conference for physics teachers. We found evidence that surveys and ethnographic interviews provided complementary data: surveys allowed the practitioner to learn about their audience's motivations, needs, and perception of the program's value. Ethnographic interviews were particularly useful as a means to elicit actionable ideas for how conference organizers might better support teacher attendance. In addition, participating in the RPP provided the practitioner with skills that they can carry forward into their future assessment work and yielded actionable insights beneficial to both practitioner and audience. Our experience suggests that RPPs in informal physics spaces face many of the same challenges as those conducted in formal education settings, and that best practices documented for formal education RPPs will also be of benefit to them.