My name is Elva Nayeli Ocaña Miranda, and I’m a student of Environmental Sciences Engineering at the Universidad de Sonora.
On this roughly two-day trip with Sky Island Alliance, we worked on the FotoFauna and Spring Seeker projects and learned a bit about soil conservation. We left on Friday, March 13, from Hermosillo heading to Moctezuma, where we would meet up with the Sky Island Alliance team and other interns from the Universidad de la Sierra, who were already there waiting for us.
We headed straight to the first site, Rancho El Mal Nombre, where the activities began. We were shown three rock structures (one wedge and a couple one-rock dams) built just two weeks earlier, with the goal of mitigating water erosion in a channel that led to a small gully. The structures were already showing results — sediment retention and small fragments of dead plant material following a rain event in the area. Together we built one more wedge inside the gully. As night fell, we set up camp and, very graciously, SIA treated us to a delicious dinner and a wonderful time together under a starry sky.
In the early hours of Saturday we headed to the second site, Rancho Nuevo, to begin the day’s activities for the FotoFauna and Spring Seeker projects. We set out to visit three remote cameras on the ranch to collect the memory cards with photos accumulated over approximately two months and to replace the batteries in those that needed it. We were also given recommendations for selecting the best placement for a remote camera, the factors that can affect photo capture, and how to operate them for maximum effectiveness. We briefly reviewed some of the photos and found a variety of species including deer, coyotes, jackrabbits, birds, and cattle.
That same afternoon we visited three springs to log their precise locations in the Spring Seeker app, filling out a form to provide additional information and assess the quality of the sites. This part of the day involved a more demanding and lengthy hike — we climbed up and down hills — but we enjoyed the beautiful views along the way, passing by some still pools and identifying trees, shrubs, and flowers. We rested and had a meal at the home of rancher Amaranto, who was very welcoming, and before sunset we made our way to the third site, Rancho El Reparo, where we settled in and had dinner.
Finally, on Sunday we packed up to leave and took a stroll around the ranch before carrying out the scheduled activities: logging one more spring, installing a wildlife camera, and collecting the photos from two others. Aside from the planned activities, rancher Raúl also gave us a brief explanation of the solar panel that on its own powered the water pump supplying the ranch. Along the way we identified different soil types and enjoyed the shrubs, cacti, flowers, and a trail full of white quartz. We wrapped up all activities before noon.
My fellow interns and I are deeply grateful to SIA, especially to Mónica Montaño who was with us every step of the way, for taking us on as interns and for this wonderful experience full of academic, regional, and personal learning. Both SIA and the ranchers were kind, attentive, and respectful, and shared knowledge that was truly enriching. We eagerly look forward to the next field trip. Thank you, Sky Island Alliance, for such a valuable experience!