Faculty News

Down here in Mexico the summer session activities had an excellent start. We are really pleased to see all the students enjoying themselves and fulfilling their expectations in the early stages of their stay. After initial orientations and introductory lectures we had a camping trip to Banderitas Estuary to the north of Magdalena Bay. Besides enjoying the beautiful environment where the desert meets the sea, we conducted field lectures and exercises where the students learned about turtles' lifecycles, mangroves, cacti, and the desert. As a continuation of the five year research plan students helped monitor the green sea turtle population with good results. We collected information of three individuals previously tagged that provides valuable population information. In addition, we were fortunate to get information of a specimen of the elusive hawksbill turtle which is also an important species in the area. The program at the Center for Coastal Studies this summer session includes interaction with the fishermen to understand one of the most important seasonal fisheries in the area, scallop fishery, which attracts fishermen from all over the state of Baja California Sur as well as from some other states in Mexico. Hector Perez Cortes & Dr. Gustavo Hinojosa

Student News

This first week of the summer session has been a whirlwind of activity. We picked up all of the students in the Los Cabos and La Paz airports and not one piece of luggage was lost! This is the largest group of students that the Center for Coastal Studies has hosted for a long time so campus is buzzing with activity. After settling in, the students received a site tour and a tour of Puerto San Carlos. They then attended our orientation sessions that cover safety issues and cultural adaptation. Students were particularly interested in learning about the scorpions (the reason we always have shoes on) and sting rays (the reason we do the Baja shuffle). Tomorrow we are traveling to Ciudad Constitucion to have a language exchange with the students at the Centro de Idiomas. SFS students will have the opportunity to learn some Spanish and the Mexican students will be able to practice their English with native speakers. ¡Qué bien! Cristina Liberati, Student Affairs Manager

Student Reflections  

It is amazing that in seven short days a group of complete strangers can find themselves bonded and with so much in common. I was more than nervous walking off a plane by myself in the Los Cabos airport, alone in a foreign country. Within a few hours I had never felt in better company. Although we come from different academic backgrounds, I love that we share the same passion for what we are doing here. No one really understood my unique love for sea turtles until I got here, and that is something that makes me feel at home. In the middle of the night, on a cold wet panga, I pulled my first sea turtle on board and realized that my excitement was reflected in my friends there with me. That moment will stick with me forever, and I know we have a lot ahead of us. Keyvn Groot, Gonzaga University

While on our camping trip at Las Banderitas this past weekend, we had our first lectures in the field. Guest lecturer Volker Koch taught us about the sea turtle life cycle, the conservation of turtles in Puerto San Carlos and the surrounding areas, and the mangrove ecosystem, while professors Hector and Gustavo taught us to identify several species of desert plants. It was great to be learning about the very environment in which we were staying, with so many tangible applications of the material. Sitting on a sunny beach learning about mangroves, with fiddler crabs scuttling around in the center of our circle, beats classroom learning any day! Amy Alstad, Carleton College

BUMP, BAM, CLUNK… “Ahhh! Ouch! I need to pee!” were the common exclamations of our fellow van riders on our way to our weekend of camping. As we rumbled through the rugged desert terrain, the rough road that turned us into Jell-O made us dread our weekend. However, the dramatic change in scenery when we reached the cliff's edge overlooking Banderitas Estuary and finally getting to pile out of the vans made us think otherwise. We were in awe of both the glittering estuary on the horizon and the greenery of the mangroves. Equipped with our newly acquired knowledge of “Leave No Trace” camping, we eagerly ventured out to relieve our bashed and bruised bladders.

That night, we each bundled up in all the clothes we had crammed in our packs earlier and then struggled into our rain gear and boots, “Yippee, we were turtlers.” Four heavily layered students, an intern, a professor, and a panguero scrambled into the boat and motored off into the sunset.

To our surprise, we commenced our shift by enjoying the splendor of the sunset from the shelly edge of Conchalito Island. After an hour of shell hunting, which was easy since the island was coated in shelly-goodness, we were off to the previously set nets, searching them for turtles. The water was cold and the night was dark, but it was refreshing to finally experience fieldwork… even though our nets came up empty on the first round. Back on Conchalito Island, we were able to stargaze as we shivered in wait for the second net check. Never before had we seen so many constellations, including Scorpio and the Ursa Minor. The shift passed quickly, especially because the shells were comfortable to nap on! Back at camp, after our four hour shift, we immediately welcomed our sleeping bags and warm tents. Caitlyn Westfall, Davidson College and Kelly Hodoval, University of Florida (with assistance from Lisa Harn, Rochester Institute of Technology)

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