Seven Mississippi State University students and one professor from the biological sciences department recently embarked on an 11-day journey to study the biological and cultural aspects of the western coast of Mexico.
“The trip was amazing,” Dr. Chris Taylor, assistant professor of biological sciences, said. “The purpose was essentially to provide an introduction to the basic field methods that are involved in the study of vertebrates and their populations. It also served as a vehicle for intercultural exchange among Mexican scientists and students and U.S. scientists and students.”
The trip came about as a biology class set up for a special topic for students interested in gaining field experience in Mexico. This is the first year the class has been offered at MSU, and, according to those who went, it was definitely a success.
“It was really an amazing experience,” senior Terri Ballinger said. “All the field studies were organized, set up and ready to go when we got there. The professors were very knowledgeable, and the places we visited and stayed were absolutely beautiful.”
The MSU group left Starkville Friday morning, March 14, and arrived in Laredo, Texas, that evening. The next morning they met students from Murray State College, Okla., and Emporia State University, Kan., and together crossed the border to Mexico.
“Crossing the border went really smooth,” Taylor said. “There was a lot of paperwork and issues to deal with, but it all worked out as planned.”
Once in Mexico, the groups drove to Bustamante Canyon to spend the night. Students were able to bathe and snorkel in warm springs, as well as do some mountain climbing the next morning.
“The water was beautiful, and there were springs that came up directly from the canyon floor,” sophomore Ben Lieb said. “We climbed a mountain the morning after and took some great pictures.”
After Bustamante Canyon, the group headed across the Chihuahuan desert and mountains, taking nearly 20 hours, including the stops to observe different vegetation types and cultural points of interest. This brought the group to Matachen Bay, near San Blas in the state of Nyarit, Mexico.
“The area we camped was along a stretch of a long white beaches with pavilions near the water and coconut palm trees along the shore,” Lieb said. “It was great.”
After setting up tents under the coconut palms, the group walked the beach and caught up on sleep for a few hours. The Latin American colleagues and students from the Universidad de Morelos and other Mexican and Central American Universities showed up early that afternoon.
“One of the best parts about this trip was the experience of working with the people of different cultures,” Ballinger said. “Some of the things we used to key different species of animals were in Spanish which made it a real learning experience for everyone involved.”
The students were mixed and divided into four groups and rotated through fieldwork activities. The groups spent a day studying each of four subjects: ichthyology, herpetology, mammalogy and ornithology. Each student was responsible for keeping a journal of field notes to recorded observations about the biology and culture of Mexico.
“I’d have to say it was one of the most fun things I’ve ever done,” Lieb said. “I learned more than I ever have in any classroom.”
The following Saturday, the groups took a boat cruise up a river through a mangrove forest to a large spring opening. According to Taylor, wildlife was abundant and students were able to swim and snorkel in the “crystal-clear spring water until they were encouraged’ to get ashore by the appearance of a 12-foot crocodile.”
“The crocodile never bothered anyone,” Taylor said. “But it was definitely a sight to remember.”
Later that afternoon, the groups held an end-of-class ceremony, took group photos and said goodbye to their new Latin-American friends. This brought about the 20-hour drive back across the desert where the group stopped to climb the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range and drove through a 3-mile tunnel which brought them into what seemed like “another world.”
“It was like being transported back in time to two centuries ago,” Taylor said. “Real de Catorce is an old Spanish-colonial silver mining town where the movie The Mexican’ was filmed. It’s truly a magical city with a colorful history and tremendous appeal.”
The night stay was welcoming with warm showers and real beds for the first time in a week, but the next morning would be the end of the journey for the MSU group as they said goodbye to their Oklahoma and Kansas friends and headed back to Starkville.
The class is titled Biological Field Studies in Mexico and according to Taylor, “will definitely be offered next spring semester.”
For more information contact Dr. Chris Taylor at 662-325-8591/3202.