Learning Trees

I asked around town to see who could teach me the plants. This quest led me to Rafael, the local naturalist and musician. With his harmonica and homemade healthy snacks, he led us on a 2 hour walk to the tecalote in Parque la Colorada, Alamos. It was much shorter than his normal 16 hour treks into the mountains.

“What is that?” “y esto?” "como se llama?“ "para que usas esto?” "Piojo, sorillo, torote?" We asked questions and he willingly told us the trees' names. Talking to a person who knows the names after years of walking in their natural environment is a wonderful gift.

In order to take youth into the field to learn about pollinators, there is a lot we have to learn first. Learning the names of native trees in the Tropical Deciduous Forest of Alamos, Sonora is an important start. I was fortunate to learn on many outings with many different people who are familiar with their natural environment. With my friends, Rosa and Ednita, two recent ecology graduates from IUESS in Hermosillo, we are learning together. Rosa and Ednita are making a guide of trees in the Parque la Colorada. Walking with Rafael, Chin, Mitre, and learning together has been rewarding. It will be a life long practice.