Baja 44

"Not all those who wander are lost"

J.R.R. Tolkien  

Embarking on a new journey can be very exciting. I often questioned my motives as to starting a masters in biology later in life. Am I qualified for this? Can I learn a new subject? These and many other questions plagued my mind before the start of my first course. The summer of 2018 I ventured on my first Earth Expedition to Baja, Mexico with Project Dragonfly of Miami University. 

Being a Kindergarten teacher in a low income community many of my students will not have the means of going out into the world, I am professionally committed to bringing the world to them. The transformative experiences and expeditions in this master’s program can be translated into lessons, stories, and conversations that help develop a global consciousness in the minds of my students. I want to inspire my students to love to learn and to care deeply about the world around them. Many families are very hard-working, lacking the time and resources to consider ways in which they can “think globally and act locally”. Most families have never met a scientist and I would love to be a bridge to bring community awareness about global conservation issues and highlight ways to get involved in citizen-science. I want to inspire my own community to find better ways of coexisting on this planet that we all share.

During this expedition we first traveled to the desert to learn about habitats and many unique plants species. The Villavicencio family welcomed us in to their ranch to learn about the water spring and how it is a vital resource for animals, plants, and their family. At the family ranch we experienced their passion for preservation of the San Gregorio area. Their local voice in natural resources allows them to have control in how to develop conservation efforts. This voice is so important for community based conservation in order to learn and develop skills to successfully create change (Western, Wright, & Strum, 1994).

Next, we traveled to the Bahia De Los Angeles where the blue ocean waves, islands in the distance, and beautiful sunsets left me amazed at how much I do not know about the world under the sea. This area is nicked-named the Galapagos of Mexico. We stayed at the Vermillion Sea Institute which is a research center on the bay. This institute conducts ongoing research on whale sharks and other studies on the ecology of Baja.  We were unable to see any whale sharks during our visit, but I plan to bring my family back soon on a citizen science project. Bringing my family back would fulfill a goal to show my children how to always be a life long learner. I want to take my children on journeys that will shape their character and to develop scientific inquiry (Myers, Myers, & Hudson, 2009). 

Bahia de los Angeles

Baja 44 class

Practicing field methods 

Sharing about our research on Opuntia, commonly called Prickly Pear. 

Researching in Bahia de los Angeles 

Class at the Vermilion Sea Institute 

Special Thanks to Katie Dell for taking photos during our course so we can focus on inquiry!

See link below for more information on how you can participate in assisting in whale shark research at the Vermilion Sea Institute. 

Citations

Myers, C., Myers L.B., & Hudson, R. (2009) Science is not a spectator sport: Three principles from 15 years of Project Dragonfly. In R. Yager (Ed.) Inquiry: The key to exemplary science (pp. 29-40). Arlington, Virginia: NSTA Press.

Western, D., Wright, R.M. & Strum. S.C. (1994a). Chapter 1. In Natural connections: Perspectives in community-based conservation (pp. 1-12). Washington, DC: Island Press.