Water.
“Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.” ~W.H. Auden
Mural, La Paz, BCS, Mexico. Artist not known.
Water will define our future.
Next departure May 17-28, 2023
Apply before April 1
Are YOU..
…a passionate and driven person who wants to be part of creating more sustainable futures?
Do you want to understand the challenges we face with water and how we can overcome them?
Do you like to think critically? Ask questions? Dream up solutions that will work?
Do you like adventure? Seeing new places? Experiencing different cultures? Exploring new perspectives?
If so, this program is for YOU!
© All images by Britt Basel Photo
“If you are a curious person who likes to learn, Ecothropic will provide an experience that will transform you.”
WHY WATER?
We are facing a global water crisis driven by changing weather patterns, growing populations, and deepening socio-economic inequalities. Using Baja California Sur as our classroom, we will explore desert mountains, oasis, coastal cities, and the sea that has been nicknamed the aquarium of the world. We will meet ranchers, activists, scientists, and policy makers. During 11 days of adventure, discussions, and new experiences, we will learn about how water flows through the landscape, how human management can create water or drought, the linkage between international markets and local people, and think critically about the tools we have for addressing and avoiding water crises. Through good information and first-hand experiences, you will leave with the skills to help create water secure futures in the face of the water and climate crises.
Itinerary
Pre-trip preparation: Get ready for our adventure with hand-picked readings and discussions. By building this foundation, we’ll arrive prepared to make the most out of our time together!
Day 1: Travel with Ecothropic to Baja California Sur. Desert mountains and hidden oases rise from between the Gulf of California (nicknamed the “Aquarium of the World” by Jacques Cousteau) and the Pacific Ocean, speckled with migrating whales. This “wild-west” landscape has been home to pirates, ranchers, miners, fishers and dreamers...and in the desert, nothing is more precious than water.
Day 2: Understanding place. To understand anything, we have to start with the context. Where are we? Why is this place the way it is? We travel to a once-abandoned mining town to find out. Then we take off on bikes to see the giant cactus and flowering desert that defines many people who live here.
Day 3: Water doesn’t come from the faucet, it comes from the mountains. Today we venture into the mountains of the Sierra la Laguna. What is a watershed? What are aquifers? Why does it matter? What is a water balance? How is water being impacted by climate change? We’ll hike through canyons and visit oases (and maybe a hot spring!), exploring where water really comes from to understand how we can create solutions that really work!
Day 4: Where did the water go? (Part 1). Do you know that reintroducing wolves into Yellowstone made the rivers run again? Water impacts us and we impact water, but how? Ranching and mining have defined history here, and they have also defined how water flows (or doesn’t). Today we set out to understand how!
Day 5: Where did the water go? (Part 2). What does global trade mean for local water supplies? And why do we grow basil for export in the desert? Today we travel to the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur to explore food-systems, value chains and export-agriculture. Who benefits? And at what cost? As we watch the sunset over the ocean, next to a fresh water spring that flows into the sea, we’ll consider our role in all of this and the future we want to re-dream.
Day 6: From dreaming the future to creating it. How can we make change? Today we meet with the citizens that banded together in a landmark movement, for the people and by the people, to protect the water of Baja California Sur. What are they fighting for? What have they achieved? How did they do it? How can you learn from their experience? Get ready to be inspired!
Day 7: So how do we solve the water crisis? Are desalination and dams our silver bullets? What other options do we have? Today we get down to it, looking critically at the solutions we have. What are the benefits and drawbacks of technocratic solutions (like desalination)? What are Nature-based Solutions? Why is public policy important and how can we achieve it? Today we head out to see these solutions in action and talk with people on the front lines of creating change.
Day 8: Greening the desert??? Today, both hiking and on horseback, we’ll see first hand how small actions can turn a barren landscape into an oasis.
Day 9: Alternative futures. How can we learn from nature and use nature's principles to thrive as a global society? During our time together, we’ve seen a lot of different approaches to creating a more sustainable future. Today we’ll explore one more with an introduction to Permaculture. What is whole-systems design? How can we think differently about our homes, communities, and cities? How can we sustainably create abundance?
Day 10: Solving the water crisis? How do we create sustainable futures in the face of climate and global change? How do we bring this home? How do we be part of the solution? Today we tie it all together with a final discussion and group presentations! Then we head we head off for a surprise final celebration!
Day 11: Bring everything you’ve experienced home with you to continue to be part of the solution!
*If COVID has taught us something, it is to be prepared for and make the most of the unexpected! Sometimes the most magical moments are those that were not planned! The activities described above will be adjusted as Ecothropic deems appropriate to work to create a great and safe learning experience for all participants.
**Participants will be required to prepare with readings, contribute to our daily evening group discussions, and present a final project.
Details
Credits: 4 quarter credits*
Program length: 11 days
Group size: 10 maximum
Language Requirement: None
Physical activity level: Moderate. Expect to hike, get your hands dirty, and welcome new adventures.
Accommodations: We stay in guest houses and small hotels. Room occupancy 2-3 Participants.
Tuition: $3350 USD *We encourage you to fundraise part of your tuition to get more of your community involved. Your tuition not only funds your learning experience, but also helps support our non-profit work.
What’s included? Tuition Includes instruction and guest lecturers, accommodation, meals, in-country transportation, site visits, specified activities. Not included: Fee for PSU college credit ($500)*, airfare, additional snacks, and activities not included in itinerary. Activities may be adjusted at the discretion of Ecothropic.
Are payment plans and financial aid available? Yes! Please schedule a call with us.
Can I help sponsor a low-income student? Yes! Please write us at fieldstudies@ecothropic.com.
Do you have a question or want to apply?
What do participants say about Ecothropic study abroad?
“Thank you for this mind-expanding learning adventure”
“..the program enriched my understanding and left me contemplating the multi-faceted impact of climate-change and the approaches needed for communities to adapt and thrive.”
“ We considered challenging questions about how to apply what we learned and change the consciousness of our communities back home. With the small group size, we had intimate discussions within the group and individual interactions with the people we met.”
“An awakening. Hands down the most impactful and adventurous experience I have ever had.”