Published on March 2, 2026
EDITED BY: Andrés Galindo and Lorayne Meltzer
DESIGNED BY: Andrés Galindo
WITH CONTENT CONTRIBUTIONS FROM: Andrés Galindo, Elise Maynard, Lorayne Meltzer, Ana Martinez and Gregory Smart
As the season unfolds at the Center, we continue to deepen the connections between community, education, and conservation that have defined our work for decades. This winter brought immersive learning experiences, collaborative research, and vibrant cultural exchange—each rooted in relationship, reciprocity, and a shared commitment to place.
What began as a modest field station has grown into a dynamic hub where students, educators, researchers, artists, and community members come together to learn from the land, sea, and one another. From language immersion and biocultural exploration to long-term ecological monitoring and community-led conservation, the Center remains a space where learning extends far beyond the classroom.
Andy Galindo/Kino Bay Center
Across generations, thousands of students and partners have found inspiration here—many returning as collaborators, leaders, and stewards of this region. This newsletter offers a window into that living network of people, knowledge, and care that continues to shape Bahía de Kino and the Midriff Island region.
We invite you to explore this season’s stories and celebrate the relationships that make this work possible.
Invitation to Support Our Work
There are moments in the life of an organization when the path forward depends entirely on its community of friends.
This is one of those moments for Prescott College’s Kino Bay Center.
We are facing a critical funding gap of $130,000 for the fiscal year ending in June 2026, and we are reaching out to the community that understands this place best.
For decades, the Kino Bay Center has been a place where classrooms extend into estuaries and islands, where science and community knowledge meet, and where students experience the kind of immersive field-based education that defines Prescott College.
The Center works alongside local and Indigenous communities to protect the extraordinary ecosystems of the Midriff Islands region of the Gulf of California.
These two goals — education and conservation — are inseparable.
The wetlands still need protecting.
Sea turtles still need safe nesting beaches.
Long-term monitoring of whales, dolphins, and seabirds cannot simply stop.
Your support right now helps sustain:
- Experiential and field-based education
- Community-led conservation initiatives
- Indigenous partnership programs
- Scientific monitoring that informs real protection of marine ecosystems
The Prescott College Kino Bay Center has meant something deeply personal for over 4,000 people over 35 years. It is a place where learning has felt real, where friendships have formed in the field, and where the connection between people and the natural world becomes tangible.
Today, we are asking our community to help ensure that these experiences continue for the next generation of students and community leaders.
If you believe in equitable conservation, in multi-generational and multicultural learning, and in protecting one of the most biodiverse marine regions on Earth, we invite you to renew your support today.
This is a moment to step forward.
Click the sections below to read winter highlights from this 2025 – 2026 season!
