 © Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum The city of Guaymas in southern Sonora is on the Gulf of California. It is in the southern Sonoran Desert very near the transition to the New World tropics to the south. |
 © Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Relictual tropical plants and palms are found in Nacapule Canyon in the Sierra El Aguaje near Guaymas. |
Activities & Field Trip
Field Trip
A one-day field trip lead by Drs. Richard Felger and Francisco Molina F. will go to Guaymas on the Gulf of California 55 miles south of Hermosillo. Problems of control and management of buffelgrass (Pennistum ciliare) and tamarix (Tamarix aphylla, T. chinensis) will be discussed in impacted areas. Nacapule Canyon, a relictual tropical oasis in the Sonoran Desert, will be visited. An optional late afternoon boat ride in Bahía San José will be an opportunity to see dancing dolphins, frolicking sea lions, diving pelicans, and the spectacular scenery in the Gulf of California. Field trip cost is $15. Boat trip 'Margarita Cruise' is $25.
Banquet
The banquet will be held in the hotel and feature regional cuisine. Dr. Heike Vibrans, noted weed specialist and ethnobotanist from Mexico, will give a keynote address on "No son malezas, son hierbas" - What makes Mexican Weeds different?. After dinner a Universidad de Sonora profesor de danza will perform the dramatic deer dance, a pre-Columbian tradition depicting the struggle between a deer and a coyote. It remains an important part of the Mayo and Yaqui Indian religious ceremonies.
Other Things To Do
Although this meeting will keep you very busy there are several cultural activities in town if you wish to stay longer. The cultural festival 'Fiestas del Pitic' will be the same week of the meeting. It is mixture of art, music, theater, poetry, dance, and more presented in the different plazas and streets of Hermosillo. It is a fun way to learn about the local culture and all the events are free. The Plaza Zaragoza in the center of the city is a very pleasant area to walk in at night with weddings and masses in the cathedral, children playing in the kiosco, and tropical trees. The murals in the Palacio de Gobierno by Arteche in 1984 across the street are very interesting in a breezy modern style that captures the imagination. If you are interested in local history you will enjoy the Museo de Sonora.
- Sonoran tourism (Hermosillo)
- Sonoran tourism (Guaymas)
- Fiestas del Pitic