KINO BAY CENTER
NEWSLETTER
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRO – CENTER DEVELOPMENT – EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION & CAPACITY BUILDING – RESEARCH & MONITORING – COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION & LEADERSHIP – COMMUNITY & CULTURE
The Center’s activities during the fall of 2024 exemplify our model of integrating community, science, education, and communication toward shared conservation goals! One thing that makes the Center so special is the energy, collaboration, hope, and fun that stems from diverse groups sharing knowledge and experience.
We are proud of the Center’s deep community impact and contributions to science and field-based education. Please join us in implementing socially just and community-based initiatives. We promise that your contribution will make a difference.
Installation of Water Conservation Measures
Prescott College Marine Conservation student Seth Gardner contributed to the Center’s infrastructure this semester by means of his class project. Seth, a sustainability major, recognized the Center’s need for water saving measures given the arid environment in which the Center is located, and devised a plan for recapturing water from an unconventional source: the Center’s AC units.
Seth worked with mentor Edgar Magdaleno (Center Environmental Education Coordinator) to design and install a system to capture condensed water from the Center’s 28 air conditioning units. This project was inspired by a project completed by Kino Bay ecology club professor Jose Angel Martinez Valenzuela.
Reservoirs installed around the Center
Typically, this water condensate would go to waste as it gets drained out of the unit, but now the Center will save that water by diverting the flow from the units’ drainage systems to external reservoirs. The resulting water is naturally distilled by the process of condensation, making it safe for cleaning and irrigation without the need for any extra filtration.
Though the amount of water gathered from AC condensate may seem minimal, the volume of water collected is surprisingly high. Given the Center’s 28 AC units, Seth estimates that his project could capture up to 900 gallons of condensate water weekly in seasons of high-use- an impressive amount and a sustainability success all thanks to the work of community, collaboration, experiential education, and creative thinking.
Marine Conservation Class Projects
The Marine Conservation students culminated their three-courses (theory, case-studies, and practicum) by participating in individual projects in collaboration with the Center’s program staff and/or community groups and guided by professors Irene Espinosa and Lorayne Meltzer. In the first two courses, students developed both a theoretical and hands-on understanding of the complex and interdisciplinary nature of marine conservation issues. In the final three weeks, they each worked on a project to make a direct contribution to solutions!
Their final projects were exceptional and diverse, integrating science, art, communication, and community work
- Tyr Carrier, Habitat mapping and behaviors of Bottlenose Dolphin in the Canal del Infiernillo (Mentor, Héctor Pérez Puig)
- Keriann Cooper, Documenting and sharing Comcaac traditional ecological knowledge about the Craveri’s Murrelet (Mentors, Lauren Dolinski, Luis Moreno, Alexandra Edwards)
- Delphine Demaisy, Habitat description of fin whales through behavioral mapping (Mentor, Héctor Pérez Puig)
- Iliana Dempsey-Hewett, Community-based insights and solutions for sustainable crab fishing in Laguna la Cruz (Mentors, Crisol Méndez and Lorayne Meltzer)
- Seth Gardner, Installation of water conservation measures at the Kino Bay Center (Mentor, Edgar Magdaleno)
- Marina Fabris and Raya Sol Searls, Educational and interactive mural on the 5 sea turtle species in the Gulf of California in Collaboration with Grupo Tortuguero de Bahía de Kino (Mentor, Grisel Heredia)
- *Ali Kimball, Kino Bay Center’s Marine Mammal Monitoring program- a look into marine conservation through film (Mentor, Lorayne Meltzer)
- Kathy Tran, Informative poster of Craveri’s Murrelets life cycle and ecological threats during the breeding season (Mentors, Lauren Dolinski, Aly Edwards)
*Senior project
Field Guides
Field Guides Birding Tours stopped by the Center with Prescott College alum and former WMP fellow Micah Riegner for their annual birding tour of the Midriff Island Region. As an international birding tour company, Field Guides take tours all around the world and choose locations strategically related to the types of birds present in the area.
This fall, Field Guides explored the abundance of seabirds in the Midriff Island Region. They kicked off their visit with a presentation by WMP Coordinator Jaime Martinez and WMP fellow Aly Edwards about seabirds and the results of the program.
They were then were guided by Micah, as he shared his regional knowledge with the group. During their time here, Field Guides saw Red-Billed Tropicbirds, Craveri’s Murrelets, and Pomarine Jaegers, to name a few. The Center looks forward to continuing to host Field Guides in the future.
Sea Turtles
It’s sea turtle hatching season here at Kino Bay, and the Center’s Sea Turtle Monitoring Program has been working hard alongside Kino’s Grupo Tortuguero to protect nests and facilitate safe hatching events.
In a joint effort, the two groups construct enclosures to protect nests until the hatchlings are ready to make their way to the ocean for the first time. Once ready, the two groups clear a passage from nests to the ocean and invite community members to come see the baby turtles make their journey to the ocean for the first time.
Known locally as “La Liberación de las Tortugas,” or “The Liberation of the Turtles,” these events are important for informing community members of the delicate hatching process of sea turtles and spreading awareness of conservation efforts in the area.
So far this season, four nests have been successfully monitored and released, adding up to an estimated total of about 240 sea turtles.
Marine Mammals
November marks the end of the 2023-2024 season for the Marine Mammal Program, and they are concluding with impressive results.
This season, a total of 169 cetacean sightings were recorded (98 baleen whales and 71 tooted whales), an increase compared to previous years. Additionally, 46 surveys were conducted, totaling 371.55 hours of effort—an almost 40% increase.
Along with joining visiting groups and researchers on their outings, a key factor in this growth is the expansion of the MMP’s study area, which now includes surveys in the northern section of the Midriff Islands, in addition to the established transects in the southern regions.
While the importance of the southern region of the Midriff Islands for baleen whales is well documented, sightings across the northern areas provide valuable evidence of habitat and home range use by cetaceans throughout the entire region. One highlight was the observation of mixed groups of fin and blue whales feeding at the surface, approximately 27 km east of Angel de la Guardia Island in the northern section.
Continuing work by the MMP includes photo-identifying the whales observed in the northern Midriff Islands to compare with current data from the southern areas. In the highly probable event of recaptures, this would further support the hypothesis of the northern area’s significance for the spatial and temporal distribution of baleen whales.
Little by little, the MMP is piecing together the complex puzzle of habitat use by baleen whales in the Midriff Islands region.
Waterbirds
This November marked the start of the Waterbird Monitoring Program’s Brant (Branta bernicla) survey, a type of waterfowl that arrives to the Gulf of California from places as far as Eastern Russia. Although Brants are a protected species in Mexico, they are hunted in their summer homes, which has caused a steady decline in their population since the 1980’s.
Branta bernicla
The Waterbird Monitoring Program conducts Brant surveys as part of a collaborative survey conducted all throughout the Gulf of California which aims to estimate Brant population numbers. The results of these surveys are reported to the North American Waterfowl Conservation Management Plan and Pacific Flyway Council, who monitor trends which help them determine proper hunting regulations for Brants while in their summer homes.
The Program looks forward to continuing to contribute to the conservation of the Brant population through their monthly surveys and answering questions such as: How many Brants are migrating to Northwest Mexico? What locations are the majority of Brants seen visiting?
How much is the Brant population decreasing? Is the Brant population shifting to different locations? What Brant hunting regulations need to be in place?
Researcher Profiles
Jorge Miros, Scott Bennett, Carolyn O’Meara and Ben Wilder
During November, the Center hosted a “dream team” of independent researchers. It was an honor to support the ongoing work of these individuals and we all enjoyed and appreciated the time they each took to give talks and interact with students and staff at the Center.
As part of his doctoral research, Jorge Miros (former Kino Bay Center staff member) coordinated a series of field trips with geologists Dr. Scott Bennett (USGS-Portland), and UNAM student Alexis Del Pilar-Martinez. The team spent two weeks in November 2024 conducting geologic mapping research on Isla Tiburon and other local sites.
This reconnaissance trip was conducted with the guidance and support of Aaron Barnett, Francisco Molina, and other members of the Comcaac community and the Kino Bay Center staff. The remote and rugged Sierra Kunkaak is the only part of Isla Tiburon that remains unmapped by modern geological standards. The results of this trip and future trips to the Sierra Kunkaak will inform our understanding of the volcanic and tectonic evolution of the island.
During their time at Kino Bay Station, Dr. Bennett gave a geology lecture to the Marine Conservation class about the geologic evolution of coastal Sonora and the tectonic formation and flooding of the Gulf of California. This was followed by a fun field trip to explore the geology of the hills surrounding the Kino Bay Center.
Dr. Ben Wilder was in the region to do field work as part of a long-term project tracking vegetation change in the Gulf of California. This is a collaborative project between Dr. Wilder, the Comcaac community, and CONANP. On this particular trip, the team consisted of 10 Comcaac ecologists, led by Max López. They were able to establish five long-term vegetation survey plots in the same locations of Richard Felger’s 1960 dissertation plots in the Arroyo Sauzal region of Isla Tiburon.
Linguist Dr. Carolyn O’Meara (UNAM) was in the region to connect with collaborators who are part of the CONAHCyT project to create digital editions of educational materials in Cmiique Iitom (Seri).
After approving 13 community projects for support in the 2024-2025 season, many of them kicked off their activities this November showcasing the incredible power of collaboration by integrating science, experiential learning, and community leadership.
In this edition, we are excited to present two of these truly fascinating and innovative projects:
Biocultural School
A collaboration between the Environmental Education Program, the Indigenous Community Partnership Program, and local mentors from Punta Chueca, the Biocultural School project creates a space for local youth to learn about Comcaac culture. Each week, two different mentors teach classes on topics pertaining to their specialized knowledge.
In this session, Valentina Torres, artisan, singer, and Comcaac ambassador, taught the youngsters how to make bracelets. Comcaac jewelry is unique, intricate, and a remarkable representation of their connection with the ecosystem.
Afterward, teacher René Montaño imparted lessons in cmiique iitom. With his amazing teaching style, he explains grammar through storytelling, sharing the ancient stories of the Comcaac people. These stories are not only beautiful and fascinating, but also demonstrate a deep integration of the region’s nature into their culture.
Future sessions will cover topics such as medicinal plants, singing, and more traditional knowledge.
This is a unique project that brings together a variety of stakeholders in a successful case of multicultural collaboration.
Coijaac Group
The Coijaac Group is a community project led by the Waterbird Monitoring Program in collaboration with the Indigenous Community Partnership Program. Its goal is to connect young people from the Comcaac Nation (primarily the community of Punta Chueca)
with the birds of their environment and involve them in their conservation by teaching and training them in bird monitoring techniques.
In this month’s session, the group visited the stunning Santa Rosa Estuary alongside WMP coordinator Jaime Martinez, Program fellow Alexandra Edwards, and Prescott College student Keriann Cooper. Keriann’s class project involved compiling stories about the Craveri’s murrelet from Comcaac teachers such as Ana Maria Morales. The students of Coijac Group were excited to hear the stories that Keriann shared with them about the murrelet.”
And, of course, Keriann made delicious “gorditas” for them! As Jaime says, the impacts of this project can be seen in both the short and long term, and one of its greatest rewards is witnessing young people getting interested in building a career in conservation.
Mexican Revolution Parade
This year, the staff of the Center and the Marine Conservation class joined the conservation movement of Bahía de Kino, led by its community groups, to participate in the commemorative parade for the Mexican Revolution!
Dressed as birds, fish, mollusks, and other species, we celebrated with the community in support of the wildlife of La Cruz estuary and the importance of working together to protect this essential, yet at-risk, ecosystem.
Happy Holidays from the Kino Bay Center
During this holiday season many of the Center’s members are far from home, but that doesn’t mean they’re far from family. Thanks to a culture of camaraderie fostered by the collective efforts of staff, students, and visitors alike, members of the Center are able to be part of a different type of family that celebrates together all the time.
This holiday season members of the Center celebrated Thanksgiving with a massive feast cooked as a joint effort of students and staff, and also had a traditional Mexican Posada where carne asada was grilled, pozole was made, gifts were shared, and December birthdays were celebrated. On behalf of everyone here at the Center, we hope your holiday season is as filled with joy, as ours has been so far. Happy Holidays!
Invitation to Support Our Work
We invite you to support the work of the Center in making a real difference in social justice and environmental conservation. If you would like your donation to go toward a specific area of our work, please contact us at [email protected]
