After many hours of travel, I made it across the border in Arizona, past the capital city of Hermosillo, into Bahia Kino, Sonora, Mexico. I traveled with a group of fellow peers and the directors of Prescott College's Center for Cultural and Ecological studies. Upon the way I was struck by the drastic change in scenery from the vibrant deciduous trees of New England to the desert of Sonora, which is dominated by cactus and other low growing shrubs. The land is flat and dry, yet mountains pop up all over the place. Despite it's harshness, it is a beautiful and inspiring place.
Our arrival to the field station was after dark, so when I woke up in the morning and looked around, I was surprised to see that I was actually living where the desert meets the sea. Our field station is just across the way from the waters of Bahia Kino. In the distance you can see Isla Alcatraz (where I will be conducting much of my field work) and Isla Tiburón. Isla Tiburón is the largest island in Mexico, the traditional homeland of the Seri Indigenous People, as well as a designated Ecological Reserve. It is also uninhabited (and super cool!).
I have spent the first few days of my time here getting to know the area, what my role here will be, and adjusting to the heat! We are in the hottest part of the year (Aug-Sept) which means that the heat is ridiculous. As I write this, the heat index is 123°F!!!! I have never sweat so much in my life, and the ocean feels like a jacuzzi. Luckily, this is the nicest field station I have ever worked for, and the facilities make living here much more comfortable.
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