| Baja
California Field Studies Celebrates 30th Anniversary by
Phillip Kazanjian, Business Division
This
summer GCC celebrated the 30th anniversary of its Baja California
Field Studies program. GCC family and friends were invited to experience the
program in Bahia de los Angeles the week of June 15-21, in celebration of
the anniversary.
I would venture to say that not too many, outside of faculty, staff and
students at GCC, know that the college has a facility in another country,
approximately 500 miles south of Glendale in Mexico.
GCC maintains
a science field station located at the water’s edge on the Sea of Cortés in
the small town of Bahia de los Angeles (population under 700) in the state of
Baja California. The college annually presents courses ranging from geology,
marine biology, geography, and Spanish to independent studies and volunteer
service. Students and faculty live and eat at the station.
After my wife, Wendy, our nine-year-old son, John, and I attended an
orientation conducted by Baja Program Director Dr. José Mercadé, we were ready
to celebrate the 30th anniversary and participate (at our own
expense) in the independent studies/volunteer service program.
The
field station, “Estación del Mar Cortés,” is a unique teaching facility.
Let me start by saying that the field station and the town of Bahia de los
Angeles are not Club Med. The facilities are Spartan and very basic: no phone
service, limited electricity and “intense” water conservation.
And yes, it gets hot in the summer, and sunburn is a concern
because you spend a lot of time outdoors and near the water’s edge. So you
need to have a spirit of adventure and respect for the environment.
We visited a sea turtle research station and participated in cleaning
these 70+ pound sea turtles, we boarded small boats to explore offshore islands
and dug for clams; we encountered sea lions and dolphins as well.
We were able to increase our knowledge from informative lectures on the
cultural and natural history of Baja and experience an adventure we will talk
about for years.
If you are this kind of person, then Bahia de los Angeles is the place
for you, and you will experience an adventure that you will talk about for years
to come. &
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