The United Nations has declared 2011 the International Year of Forests, an interestingly ambiguous title that can be read as either celebratory or cautionary. Our review of recent forest-related research is similarly mixed: It seems that for every paper that warns forests are at risk from climate change, another suggests that, if well-managed, they could help mitigate its impact. Playing the role of victim and savior simultaneously is a lot to ask, but then forests have always played a dual role in the lives of man. In literature and folklore, they represent both the terror of the wild ... Read More
Micro-Reserves Renew Life in Oaxacan Agriculture
December 29, 2010 • By • Leave a Comment
In 2010, Mexico suffered "one of the most intense rain and hurricane seasons in its history, after having experienced, in 2009, the second-worst drought in 60 years," noted President Felipe Calderon during his opening remarks at the recent Cancun conference on climate change. How does this actually play in people's lives? Far away from Cancun, I visited a small community on the Oaxacan coast to find out. Although the municipality of San Pedro Tututepec looks like one of the many anonymous communities along the highway, it is unique in offering people hope. It is near Lagunas de Chacahua ... Read More
Grasslands Preserve the Lonely Prairie
November 23, 2010 • By • Leave a Comment
West from Sioux Falls, hundreds of miles of rolling South Dakota corn eventually morph into one of this country's largest remaining national grasslands, a portion of what is now the North American continent's largest endangered ecosystem. Miles beyond the wide Missouri River, a small sign announces the beginning of the Buffalo Gap National Grassland's 600,000 acres; part of nearly 4 million acres of national grasslands administered by the U.S. Forest Service. The Buffalo Gap grassland is just one integral part of a tenuous sea of grass that stretches from southern Canada to Mexico; ranging ... Read More
Are Conservation Biologists Wasting Their Time?
November 10, 2010 • By • Leave a Comment
Conventional wisdom says saving threatened species requires closely track their numbers. As a result, conservation biologists around the world spend a lot of time and money keeping track of all sorts of species, from elephants to whales. But is all of this species monitoring getting anywhere for real conservation? Definitely not, says Dr. Hugh Possingham, an ecologist and professor at the University of Queensland in Australia. Not only is this monitoring mostly a waste, it is actually hurting on the ground conservation efforts by siphoning off money that could otherwise be used to save ... Read More
The Real Revenge of Montezuma: Voyage Conclusions
September 7, 2010 • By • Leave a Comment
Location: In Mazunte, just north of Huatulco. Through scattered clouds, the morning sun shines on the bay, whose centerpiece is a pair of jagged boulders. The rocks are frothy with crashing waves and soft backlight. The bay is surrounded by swaying palm trees and a snaking wetland. Conditions: From inside my swinging cot, hanging freely from a roof covered by a mosquito net, I can tell the morning air is starting to warm up. It's 8 a.m., and the septic tank truck is already pumping sewage and someone is running a drill. Fishermen are pushing their pangas past the tiny waves. Discussion: ... Read More
If Only Yosemite Were a Video Game
September 5, 2010 • By • Leave a Comment
Edward Abbey, celebrated hardcore environmentalist and author, prophesied in the 1960s that population growth, the rise of motorized tourism (creating the reluctance of people to escape the comforts of their automobiles) and the ensuing roads and hotels would overrun the American wilderness. It turns out he was both wrong and right. U.S. national parks are threatened — but by a lack of attendance, not a surplus. This apparent disinterest in outdoor activities has occurred in tandem with greater interest in electronic entertainment. Has Mario trumped Thoreau? And what does that mean ... Read More
Sustainable Tourism en masse: Huatulco’s Attempt
August 19, 2010 • By • Leave a Comment
On the final military checkpoint of my trip, the camouflaged officers asked me a familiar set of questions, starting with, "De donde viene?" Where are you coming from? I'm from Santa Barbara, California, I told them — heading to Huatulco, which is just a few miles away. After getting the thumbs up, I drove into town with the curious anticipation of arriving after 5,000 miles and three months of travel. That was slowly displaced by a peculiar feeling. From what I could see, I had come full circle, and two realities were merging. The wide boulevards had center dividers, the lawns and trees ... Read More
The Big Friendly Giants of Escuinapa
July 23, 2010 • By • Leave a Comment
In mid-May of this year, an entire town moved to the beach for five days of partying. School was canceled and work was deferred for the thousands attending the annual Fiesta de Mar de las Cabras. They came mostly from Escuinapa, a town located one hour south of Mazatlán and 20 minutes inland from Playa Cabras. According to organizers, it is the 105th year of the event, which had roots as an indigenous "pagan" festival to celebrate the sun god Yequi. Kids, parents and grannies listen to live music on the isolated beach. There is nothing around for miles except coconut trees and two ... Read More
Childhood Dreams in Playa El Coyote
June 30, 2010 • By • Leave a Comment
A stop along the way sparks childhood memories for the Voyage of Kiri. Location: Near the calm blue waters of Bahia Concepcion, an hour south of Mulege. Conditions: Under the canopy of a few highly prized trees, sheltered from the hot sun, with just the slightest breeze over the water. Discussion: I nudged Alyssum, saying, "You've got to see this." I had to interrupt my co-pilot's power nap to see the string of bays below us, shining in impossible colors. Each turn of the road winding along steep cliffs drew gasps. We finally chose our destination, Playa El Coyote. The dirt road ... Read More
The Wealth and Decline of Mangroves
June 18, 2010 • By • 2 Comments
Voyage of Kiri blogger Kristian Beadle discovers the beauty of mangroves and recognizes the ecological peril climate change puts them in. Location: An estuary near Punta Abreojos, on the Pacific coast of Baja. Conditions: A full moon is rising to the east. Discussion: The wind and dust were unrelenting. It had become an impish presence, prodding your ribs, harassing your scalp, speckling dirt in your cup of tea when you looked away. By the 10th day of the atmospheric assault, we retreated to an estuary-side campground with nice palapas at Estero el Coyote, 15 miles from Punta Abreojos ... Read More
