From Sky Island Alliance, we congratulate Natalia Ballesteros and Gema Sanez on completing their bachelor’s degree in biology at the Universidad de la Sierra in Moctezuma, Sonora. During their final university semester, they developed an internship project with SIA, advised by Mónica Montaño, our environmental outreach coordinator. Below you can learn more about each of their projects.
Natalia Ballesteros
Natalia’s project consisted of conducting a comparative evaluation for two sections of the Universidad de la Sierra campus trail, with a focus on vegetation structure. The first site showed significant signs of disturbance associated with human presence, and it had a simple plant community made up of species able to persist in an environment disturbed by human activity and foot traffic. In comparison, the second site further down the trail had a more diverse plant community, with a greater presence of native species that promote soil stability and ecological function. The results from Natalia’s research will help prioritize the trail areas that need to be managed and restored, so that it continues to fulfill its role of representing the natural ecosystem of the region.
Gema Sanez
Gema developed a research project in which she compiled the latest data to describe some of the wildlife of the Sky Islands region, including a number of mammals and birds, some of which have special conservation status. This type of project helps gather and synthesize information, making species more accessible and helping with environmental education — since this information not only reveals which species inhabit the region, but also their basic biological information and whether they’re a species of concern.
The results of research like Natalia’s and Gema’s help us continue learning about biodiversity and provide a foundation for designing and carrying out conservation projects and environmental education. From Sky Island Alliance, we wish them great success in their professional careers!