The result is collective action that brings us together and inspires hope! Read on to learn more about the specific COLLABORATIVE initiatives of the Kino Bay Center in March and April of 2026.

A​s we approach the end of our fiscal year on June 30, the Prescott College Kino Bay Center is reaching out with both gratitude and urgency.

Together, we are advancing community-based conservation and experiential education that create lasting impact.

Today, we are working to raise $100,000 by June 30 to sustain these efforts — supporting field-based learning opportunities, community collaborations, youth leadership, and long-term conservation programs.

If the Kino Bay Center has inspired your learning, strengthened your connection to this region, or given you hope for the future of conservation and community leadership, we hope you will consider making a gift today.

Together, we can ensure this work continues.

Click the sections below to read about highlights from Spring 2026!

A​fter almost 8 years of absence, the Short finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) returned to the Midriff Island Region of the Gulf of California, an event that marks a very special moment for the area. This is one of the 16 species of cetaceans registered in the zone. Although they belong to the dolphin family, pilot whales are distinguished by their bulbous head, their completely black color, and because males can grow up to be almost 19 feet long.

T​he sun breaks over the horizon and illuminates the town of Bahía de Kino, the beaches, and Alcatraz Island. On a bright May morning, the heat rolls in quickly. Normally, the island would be alive with movement and sound: pelican chicks squawking, great blue heron chicks beginning to fly, and yellow-footed gulls dive-bombing intruders while calling loudly to defend their offspring. But this year, the island feels unusually quiet.

By the end of March, researchers counted 91 pelican nests, but within a month only four remained.

This decline reflects the effects of El Niño conditions, which bring warmer ocean temperatures and reduce nutrient-rich upwelling, limiting food availability for seabirds and other marine species. During the 2014–2016 El Niño phase, pelicans did not breed on the island at all.

During a field expedition of approximately a week and a half on Isla Partida Norte in the Gulf of California, the research team conducted an intensive study focused on two key species: the fishing bat (Myotis vivesi) and the Heermann’s gull (Larus heermanni).

Activities included locating breeding colonies, carefully capturing individuals, and collecting biological samples such as blood and feces, essential for analyzing their health, diet, and associated microorganisms.