At the same time, students are able to make immediate contributions toward sustainable management of natural resources. Its mountainous landscape is speckled with a desert garden of thorny cacti. The Pacific coastline is marked by occasional salt marshes and lagoons, widely separated by miles of sandy dunes. The rockier coastline of the Gulf and the plethora of adjacent islands provide an ideal nesting site for numerous bird species, including brown pelicans, brown boobies, terns, blue footed boobies and Heerman's gulls.
Human presence is noticeably absent here.
The few large cities and resort areas are separated by miles of rural coastline dotted with small fishing villages. Nearby waters teem with fish, including anchovies, sardines, brightly colored king angelfish, moorish idols, black marlin, sailfish, and sharks. Resident populations of marine mammals include California sea lions, bottlenose dolphins and Bryde's whales. These waters also comprise key migration routes of gray whales, blue whales, and fin and humpback whales. In addition to the small field library and computer room at the site, our affiliation with the Universidad de Baja California Sur allows us access to the university's small library.