Our Trip to Baja California: 07/13/21-07/17/21
July 13th, 2021: CISESE, UABC, Mike Wilkens House
Figure 1: Dr. Rodrigo Méndez Alonzo describing the work of his graduate students at CISESE with regards to water conservation at local vineyards (Picture Credits: Sula Vanderplank).
Figure 2: Thomas Morales investigating the clay pots at CISESE that have been used by Dr. Alonzo’s graduate students (Picture Credits: Reyna Sauza).
On the morning of Tuesday the 13th of July we met in front of the lab and packed ourselves into a 15 passenger van and set off for Baja California. The drive itself took only about two and a half hours, which is why it is unsurprising that there is such a binational distribution of plants between Southern California and Baja California. When we arrived at CICESE (Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada), we were greeted by Dr. Rodrigo Méndez Alonzo who is the head of the Conservation Biology at CICESE. He gave us a talk on the biogeography and biodiversity of Mexico. Towards the end of his talk, he talked about the importance of saving water in agriculture, and urban vegetative cover. His graduate students have begun to tackle both of these topics, using clay pots to minimize agricultural water usage and green roofs to promote plant life in cities.
Figure 3: View from CISESE Physical Sciences building (Picture Credits: John “Johnny” Evans).
Figure 4: Dr. José Delagillo discussing UABC's native plant garden (Picture Credits: Sula Vanderplank).
Following the tour at CICESE, we travelled down the road to UABC (Universidad Autónoma de Baja California) for the afternoon where we were met with Botany Professor José Delagillo. Dr. Delgadillo showed us the university’s herbarium collections as well as their active seed refrigeration system. Following the herbarium tour, Dr. Delgadillo gave us an overview of the University as well as the Department of Physical Sciences before lecturing on the importance of using “ignored” invasive plants for medicinal purposes. He concluded his talk with a tour of their native plant garden within the plaza outside of the Natural Sciences building.
Figure 5: Mike Wilken explaining blue fan palm’s (Brahea armata) cultural significance to the Kumeyaay people (Photo credits: Lluvia Flores Rentería).
Figure 6: Waiting for the pizzas to arrive in Mike Wilkens garden (Photo credits: John Evans).
After leaving UABC around 5:30pm, we began our drive northeast of Ensenada to a gated community along a hillside overlooking the ocean. Dr. Flores-Rentería surprised us with a visit to anthropologist Mike Wilken’s idyllic property, author of Kumeyaay Ethnobotany. Upon our arrival at his home, he guided us through his beautiful xeriscaped (zero-water) native garden, pointing out every plant and its cultural significance to the Kumeyaay people. After about an hour of the guided tour, we settled down to eat pizza along pastel lawn chairs overlooking the magnificent coast of Ensenada. We concluded dinner and situated ourselves in Mike’s living room for a slideshow presentation on his book, where he artistically led us through the compelling history of the native peoples and their use of plants.
July 14th, 2021: Colonet Mesa, Baja California
Figure 7: Visit to Baja Burro for breakfast. From left to right: John "Johnny" Evans, Vincent Trang, Dr. Sula Vanderplank, Thomas Morales, Dr. Lluvia Flores-Renteria, Yazmin Lommel, Alex Adame, Paulina Arellano, Reyna Sauza, Eduardo Charvel (Photo Credits: John "Johnny" Evans).
On our second day of the trip we woke up around 7 am, and we were all ready and out the door by 8 am. We had breakfast at this cute local spot called “Baja Burro, where we ate a variety of food such as pancakes, omelets, breakfast burritos, and fresh café de olla. We also ordered burritos to go as our lunch for the day. Afterward, we went on a 2-3 hour drive down south to Colonet to look for Salvia brandegeei and Agave shawii. As we drove through Colonet, we saw a lot of habitat fragmentation due to the growth of agriculture. Farming in the Colonet Mesa has drastically increased within the last 10-15 years. We saw a lot of cattle grazing and lots of fencing. This had led to an increase in water use and the destruction of native plants such as Agave shawii and Salvia brandegeei. In addition, coastal development and habitat fragmentation has greatly degraded the land, causing soil erosion.
The primary threat to A. shawii is the loss of plants and habitats due to human interference, and although A. shawii is very abundant in this area, they are losing land every day. This is important to note considering the largest population and occurrence of A. shawii is in Colonet. We are hoping to get our species on the endangered species list in Mexico in order to protect them as well as other endemic species in that area. Not only is agriculture negatively affecting the land, but farmers also cut off the floral inflorescence that grows off the flower stalk to feed to their cows and livestock. This is highly destructive and diminishes the overall population of A. shawii in the area. This is because A. shawii grows a flower stalk and inflorescence after about a 20-30 year growth period. Once the flowers bloom, the rosette will slowly die. Suppose nearby farmers and ranchers are cutting off the flower inflorescence before it gets a chance to bloom and be pollinated. In that case, there will not be any sexual reproduction of this agave which causes a decrease in genetic diversity.
Figure 8: An Agave shawii specimen growing in a different pattern (Photo Credits: Paulina Arellano).
Figure 9: "Private land" that is in the process of development (Photo Credits: Paulina Arellano).
We made a couple of stops along the way where we tried to find a blooming Agave shawii. Although there were none, we found an interesting agave growing new rosettes at the top of the flower stock, which is an infrequent occurrence (Fig. 9). Dr. Sula Vanderplank informed us that this most likely happened because the top of the stalk was cut off, and so the agave has been cloning itself at the top of the flower stalk.
As we searched for the coast along the dirt roads, we ran into a local who informed us that the path we wanted to take was cut off because it is now “private land.” These private lands showed activities damaging the local ecosystem (Fig. 10). After finding our way through another dirt road, we were able to stop to eat lunch by the cliffs.
Figure 10: Ocean view from Colonet Mesa, showing Agave shawii growing on the cliffs (Photo credits: Paulina Arellano).
We saw large areas of natural coastal chaparral habitat that included Agave shawii that have been growing for many generations. Alongside the natural habitat, we also encountered large areas that had been cleared of all chaparral species and designated for agriculture and livestock. Even though human development is expected, it is unfortunate to see the destruction of native plants and the loss of plant history.
After a few miles of a bumpy drive, we came to a complete stop on the side of the dirt road to encounter Salvia brandegeei for the first time. The excitement of finally seeing, touching, and smelling the salvia was incredible. The blooming period of the flowers had already passed, and most of the salvia was drying up and releasing its seeds. To our amazement, S. brandegeei was flourishing in this area of Colonet since we saw individuals with thick stocks and branches, indicating it has been there for many years. Adjacent to the older individuals, we saw seedlings in abundance, meaning the salvias are successfully reproducing. Professors Sula and Lluvia explained the habitat to us and how the plants are adapted to thrive in the sandy soil. We took plenty of pictures of our group and our plants while also enjoying the other plant species that share the landscape such as Ferocactus sp., Dudleya ingens, Euphorbia misera, and Rhus integrifolia.
Figure 11: From left to right: Eduardo Charvel, Thomas Morales, Vincent Trang, Yazmin Lommel, Paulina Arellano, John Evans, Dr. Sula Vanderplank, Alex McElwee-Adame, Reyna Sauza (Photo Credits: Lluvia Flores-Renteria).
We ate lunch on the beautiful cliffs of Colonet with a breathtaking view of the ocean (Fig. 9). As we enjoyed our time together and searched for whales or dolphins, we noticed a plume of white smoke in the distance coming from land. It was a clear indication that people were burning more natural habitat to make way for farming. After taking our lunch, we shot a group picture in this magnificent place and jumped back into the van to continue our search for another Salvia brandegeei patch.
A couple of miles down the road we came upon another small cluster of S. brandegeei (Fig. 12) that surprisingly still had flowers in a light lavender color with bright green leaves. This patch of salvia was located next to land used for agriculture. One possibility of blooming flowers late in the season could have been that the plant was accessing water underground from nearby farms. We continued exploring the area for other plant species and took pictures for a short time before driving back for a delicious BBQ at our Airbnb in Ensenada. At our BBQ, the local botanist, Carlos Gonzalez was able to join us for dinner. We later had the privilege of him joining our field trips for the next two days, where he was an invaluable resource for native flora.
Figure 12: Reyna Sauza posing in front of Salvia brandegeei on Colonet Mesa (Photo Credits: Lluvia Flores-Renteria).
July 15th, 2021: Laguna Hanson, Sierra Juarez, Baja California
For breakfast we had some delicious scrambled eggs, mushrooms, and potatoes before heading up to Sierra de Juarez, Ensenada. On the bumpy way up the mountain, we were able to appreciate the beautiful, long stretches of redshanks or Adenostoma sparsifolium, that are representative of the region. However, we also saw a lot of destruction of the native plants by cattle grazing.
While driving, we stopped by a grove of oak trees which were growing around a dry seasonal creek. Most interestingly to us, there was a large group of Quercus agrifolia var. oxyadenia, also known as the California Live Oak or “Encino Costero” in Spanish. In the lab, intern Vincent Trang is studying the population genetics of Quercus agrifolia, looking at both varieties (agrifolia and oxyadenia). It was an especially interesting experience to observe the oxyadenia variety in nature, because many of the oaks we had seen thus far had been the agrifolia. The defining characteristic of the oxyadenia variety is the densely hairy underside of the leaf, these hairs are known as trichomes. In that same riverbed, we also found other native plants, such as Artemisia tridentata, also known as the Great Basin Sagebrush, which is used as an important ceremonial herb by a variety of indigenous tribes, such as the local Kumeyaay. The riverbed was also full of beautiful minerals that were unearthed by the flow of water, like Rose Quartz and Black Tourmaline.
Figure 13: Trichome density present in Quercus agrifolia var oxyadenia (Photo Credits: Lluvia Flores-Renteria).
Figure 14: Undergraduate student Vincent Trang observing Quercus agrifolia var oxyadenia (Photo Credits: Lluvia Flores-Renteria).
A second stop we made was at a patch of Salvia pachyphylla ssp. meridionalis, also known as Mexican Rose Sage, or ‘Salvia Rosada’ in Spanish. This plant, which we found growing along the road and under the shade of pines, is being studied by intern Eduardo Charvel. He is researching the genetics of this species of sage and trying to clearly define its three subspecies, pachyphylla, erimopictus, and meridionalis through phylogenetic methods. We found the Mexican Rose Sage in bloom, and its iconic purple-pink bracts creating a beautiful display in the mountainous landscape.
Figure 15: Leaf galls present on Salvia pachyphylla ssp. meridionalis (Photo Credits: Eduardo Charvel).
Figure 16: Salvia pachyphylla ssp. meridionalis (Photo Credits: Thomas Morales).
Figure 17: Invertebrates present on Salvia pachyphylla ssp. meridionalis (Photo Credits: Thomas Morales).
The amount of life that interacted with the sages was beautiful and impressive. We saw hummingbirds and butterflies drinking from the nectar, and the leaves of the plant were home to insects, which formed interesting structures called galls. However, once again, the threat of free-range grazing was present. While hiking, we ran into more cattle, which were feeding on the native plants and low-growing herbs.
Intern Thomas Morales is focused on Penstemon californicus, a rare native perennial herbaceous plant. This species is known to be found on Sierra Juarez and is endemic to the Southern portion of the California floristic province. Rare plant research isn’t always so easy, we were unable to find the P. californicus throughout the day. There was an abundance of life within the Sierra Juarez range, with great diversity.
Figure 18: Butterfly on a Frasera parryi (Photo Credits: Thomas Morales).
Finally, after reaching the highlands, we made it to the National Park Constitucion de 1857, which is home to the Hanson Lagoon, one of the most unique and ecologically important wetlands of the region. The Hanson Lagoon has been documented to hold the same amount of water as the 740 Olympic pools, has a maximum length of 3 kilometers, and is surrounded by a beautiful pine forest. It also serves as a home for many species of waterfowl and migratory birds. However, upon arriving, we found that the lagoon was extremely dry. What were lush wetlands not even two years ago, was now an assortment of ponds and puddles, invaded with free-range cattle. The image below captures the water lines on the rocks, highlighting the lack of water available.
Figure 19: Observable water line present on a bolder within what used to be Laguna Hanson (Photo Credits: Thomas Morales).
To address these concerns, we talked to Santos Soto Jaime, sub-director in charge of the park. He talked to us about the effects of climate change in the area, and how the lack of rainfall and snowfall, especially during this dry year, had made the water almost completely disappear. He also talked to us about the Law of Customs and Traditions, which gives free-range grazing rights to local ranchers and is a difficult balance to maintain inside the national park.
Figure 20: Dinner of Oyster mushrooms and garden tomatoes (Photo Credits: John "Johnny" Evans).
Figure 22: Shawii restaurant and kitchen (Photo Credits: John "Johnny" Evans).
Figure 21: Sitting around the outdoor dinner table (Photo Credits: John "Johnny" Evans)
Figure 23: Shawii Restuarant rustic sign (Photo Credits: John "Johnny" Evans).
As the day came to a close, we headed down the Sierra de Juarez. We made one last stop at Shawii, a restaurant named after Shaw’s Agave, that focused on using local produce and native plants to create new and delicious dishes. We were served Tuna and Bonito ceviche, grilled summer squash, and prickly-pear fruit water, perfect to rest and cool down after a busy day of botanizing!
July 16th, 2021: Siñaw Kutay (San Antonio Necua), Tecate Museum, Baja California
Figure 24: Standing next to the Elders of Siñaw Kutay underneath a large Quercus agrifolia after a clensing ceremony (Photo Credits: Lluvia Flores-Renteria).
We began the 15th of July by leaving our hotel in Ensenada and headed towards the outskirts of La Valle de Guadalupe to a town called San Antonio Necua. Within San Antonio Necua, we headed to the Kumeyaay (Kumiai) museum called Siñaw Kutay where we were greeted by some of the curators of the museum. We started our day at the reservation with the cleaning of smudging white sage (Salvia apiana) by one of the local elders (Don Augustin). Afterward, we went to the museum where the museum docent lead us on a tour and explained the different cultural pieces not limited to; traditional games, boulder paintings, grinding stones (metates), three different types of women's clothing (settler-inspired calico dresses, deerskin for ceremonies, and traditional grass skirts for summer), ceremonial musical instruments, the recent lineage of those working at the museum, Russo-Kumeyaay interactions in regards to farming/bartering, and the current expanse of the land owned by the San Antonio Necua community.
Figure 25: The traditional tasting of acorn mush with a whole wheat tortilla and a combination of pinto beans, hominy, and barley (Photo Credits: John "Johnny" Evans).
Following the museum tour, we began a tour of the native plant garden where we observed jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis), Yerba Buena (Eriodictyon sp.), White Sage (Salvia apiana), native CA grape, Honeysuckle (Lonicera sp.), Laurel Sumac (Melosma laurina), Big Basin Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) all growing along with other native species. Aide explained the medicinal and cultural importance of each plant growing in the garden. Our tour ended with us at the restaurant where we enjoyed a tasting of traditional foods from the ranching period including a cube of atole, which was incorporated with ground acorns and took on a gelatinous texture. We were instructed to smear the atole onto a whole wheat tortilla and top with a combination of beans and barley. This was washed down with a cold champurrado-like mixture of honey, whole wheat, and milk. After our tasting, the Elders gave us an introductory weaving workshop, where we used a combination of pine needles (most likely Pinus jeffreyi) and Juncus (Juncus textilis) to construct a circular pendant that each individual was able to keep as a memento. Following this, we ate lunch and wrapped up our visit with some quick shopping at the artisan building where each of us was able to take home handcrafted goods from the reservation including dream catchers, handwoven baskets, and homemade natural beauty products.
Figure 26: Us displaying their efforts at making traditional baskets (Photo Credits: Lluvia Flores Renteria).
Figure 27: Dr. Vanderplank showing off her finished woven pendant (Photo Credits: Lluvia Flores Renteria).
Figure 28: Finished woven pendant (Photo Credits: Lluvia Flores Renteria).
We left Ensenada after our delicious nopales salad, birría, carne asada, and quesadilla lunches to visit the Museo Comunitario de Tecate (Tecate Community Museum). Carlos, a curator at the museum, greeted us and led us through the first exhibit about Kumeyaay Indians. The hut was filled with plates weaved with juncus, authentic grass and agave skirts, weapons, and a memorial depicting the semi-nomadic life of the Kumeyaay. Carlos explained throughout the year that the Kumeyaay migrated from the coast to the mountains, and essentially had two homes. We walked through a garden filled with more native plants, many like the ones we saw at the reservation. The museum of Tecate also featured different time periods of Tecate’s history, such as the building of the railroads in the early 1900s. Another popular part of the history of Tecate is the Rancho la Puerta. This ranch is the “original” health resort, which has impacted the community of Tecate by being a vital part of their tourism industry. Additionally, a building filled with community donations of vintage furniture and photos helped paint a picture of Tecate’s historical culture.
We ended our day by checking into the hotel Hacienda Santana located in the southern part of Tecate. Here, we unwinded the rest of the day including a nice afternoon by the pool and street tacos from a local taqueria Los Panchos for dinner. Our stay at hotel Hacienda Santana was the perfect relaxing ending to a long yet exciting trip!
Figure 29: Eating street tacos at the Taqueria Los Panchos (Photo Credits: Reyna Sauza).
Figure 30: The cooks at the Taqueria "Los Panchos" with the meat on their grill (Photo Credits: John "Johnny" Evans).