diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/controller/freemarker/TestController.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/controller/freemarker/TestController.java
index d5cbb14cd..a6ec09833 100644
--- a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/controller/freemarker/TestController.java
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/controller/freemarker/TestController.java
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ public class TestController extends FreeMarkerHttpServlet {
         body.put("now", now);
         // In template: ${now?date}, ${now?datetime}, ${now?time}
         
-        // You can add to a collection AFTER putting it in the template data model
+        // You can add to a collection AFTER putting it in the template data model.
+        // The data model contains a reference to the collection, not a copy.
         List<String> fruit = new ArrayList<String>();
         fruit.add("apples");
         fruit.add("bananas");
@@ -49,12 +50,31 @@ public class TestController extends FreeMarkerHttpServlet {
         String animal = "elephant";
         body.put("animal", animal);
         animal = "camel";
-   
+        
+        // Because the data model contains a reference to the collection, changing
+        // one also changes the other.
+        List<String> animals = new ArrayList<String>();
+        animals.add("elephant");
+        animals.add("tiger");
+        Map<String, List> zoo1 = new HashMap<String, List>();
+        Map<String, List> zoo2 = new HashMap<String, List>();
+        zoo1.put("animals", animals);
+        zoo2.put("animals", animals);
+        zoo1.get("animals").add("monkey");       
+        body.put("zoo1", zoo1);
+        body.put("zoo2", zoo2);
+        
+        getBerries(body);
+          
         // Create the template to see the examples live.
         String bodyTemplate = "test.ftl";             
         return mergeBodyToTemplate(bodyTemplate, body);
 
     }
+    
+    private void getBerries(Map<String, Object> body) {
+        body.put("berries", "strawberries, raspberries, blueberries");
+    }
 
 }
 
diff --git a/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/test.ftl b/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/test.ftl
index 0372b012b..dce4cb455 100644
--- a/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/test.ftl
+++ b/webapp/web/templates/freemarker/body/test.ftl
@@ -25,6 +25,22 @@
 
 <p><strong>Animal:</strong> ${animal}</p>
 
+<h2>Zoo 1</h2>
+<ul>
+<#list zoo1.animals as animal>
+    <li>${animal}</li>
+</#list>
+</ul>
+
+<h2>Zoo 2</h2>
+<ul>
+<#list zoo2.animals as animal>
+    <li>${animal}</li>
+</#list>
+</ul>
+
+<p><strong>Berries: </strong>${berries}</p>
+
 <@dump var="now" />
 <@dump var="urls" />
 <@dump var="fruit" />