Baja: Field Methods

Catalog description

Students discover the rich waters and terrestrial ecosystems of Baja's UNESCO World Heritage site and biosphere reserve on the Sea of Cortez. Bahia de los Angeles is a unique ecoregion with remarkable marine and terrestrial environments. Students also explore Rancho San Gregorio, a family-owned ranch located in a small canyon where its isolation and climate make it a hotspot for desert investigations. Students gain proficiency in applying field methods to ecological questions and conservation practice. A premise of this course is that field methods are not only essential for ecological research, they can serve as the basis for participatory education, public engagement in science, and community-based environmental stewardship. Many groups, from teachers leading schoolyard ecology to parataxonomists involved in ethnobotanical research, share a need for reliable information obtained through robust field methods to build understanding and to promote informed action. Prior to and following the field experience in Baja, students complete coursework via Dragonfly's Web-Based Learning Community as they apply experiences to their home institutions. Cross-listed with IES.