2003 Field Course in Northern Mexico

Note:  Due to unanticipated personal circumstances, the 2002 trip has been cancelled.

This course is limited to a small number of new graduate students and advanced undergraduate students in geography, or Latin America studies and environmental sciences with an interest in geography.  The focus of the course is on the northern and northwestern Mexican states of Chihuahua and Sonora, with an emphasis on resource and environmental issues, past and present.  By means of a two-week intersession excursion, this course will introduce students to numerous (1) locales, (2) issues/topics, and (3) professional contacts that will result in their conducting thesis or dissertation research in the region.

Each participant will be expected to (a) keep a detailed daily journal, (b) be enthusiastic and engaged at all times, (c) interact freely and frequently with local people, both lay and professional, (d) participate in daily activities, exercises, and evening discussions, and (e) never express a desire to go shopping.

 
Interested students are encouraged to contact the instructor immediately via email, dolitl@mail.utexas.edu

Course title:    GRG 380 Field Course in Geography (first summer session)

Prerequisite:    Permission of instructor required (to be obtained April 10-12)
Instructor:    William E. Doolittle
Tentative Schedule (subject to change)
Day Date Activity
W June 4 Drive from Austin to El Paso, Texas
Th June 5 Cross the border at Columbus, New Mexico
Stop at Janos, Chihuahua to inspect Spanish colonial presidio
Visit the Cerro Juanaquena site being excavated by Drs. Robert Hard, UTSA, and
John Roney, BLM
Visit the archeaological site and museum of Paquime
F June 6 Visit sites being surveyed by Drs. Paul Minnis, OU, and Michael Whalen, Tulsa Univ.
Visit ceramic-producing town of Mata Ortiz and Mormon town of Colonia Juarez with
Dr. R. Ben Brown, INAH
Visit a "healthy environment" in the Sierra Madres with William Forbes, Ph.D. cand., UNT
Sa June 7 Drive to Caborca, Sonora stopping briefly at the town of Magdelena
Su June 8 Visit the archaeological site of La Playa being excavated by Dr. Elisa Villalpando, INAH
Visit the archaeological site of Trincheras
Drive to Hermosillo, Sonora (the state capital)
M June 9 Visit the regional office of INAH, Drs. Fernando Tapia, Cesar Quijada, Julio Montane
Visit ColSon, Drs. Nicolas Pineda and Jose Luis Moreno
Visit CIAD, Dr. Ernesto Camou Healy
Visit the regional office of INEGI, Lic. Agustin Gonzalez D.
Visit the regional offices of CNA, SAGAPA, and possibly IMADES
Drive to Baviacora, Sonora
Tu June 10 Visit Arizpe, the colonial capital city
Visit varios archaeological sites
Explore agro-ecological issues in the Rio Sonora Valley
W June 11 Drive to San Carlos, Sonora, and enjoy a day at the "Catch 22" beach
Th June 12 Inspect an irrigation district, the birthplace of the Green Revolution, and visit CRUNO
Drive to Alamos, Sonora
Examine slash-and-burn shifting cultivation in a dry, thorn forest
Explore Spanish colonial cityscape
F June 13 Drive to Yecora, Sonora, stopping enroute to examine agriculture in a dry forest
Sa June 14 Cross the Sierra Madre, stopping to explore charcoal-making at Maicoba, Sonora
Visit Basaseachic fall--the highest waterfall in Mexico
Visit timber yards, sawmills, and pulping plants near San Juanito, Chihuahua
Drive to Creel, Chihuahua
Su June 15 Visit Barranca del Cobre
Examine induced-erosion agriculture practiced by the Raramuri with Dr. Robert
Bye, UNAM
M June 16 Visit Raramuri communities of Cusarare and Bashihuare with Dr. Barney Burns
and Mahina Drees, NS/S and/or Dr. William Merrill, Smithsonian Inst.
Tu June 17 Drive to Chihuahua city, stopping at rolling mill and Cuauhtemoc
Inspect Spanish colonial aqueduct
Visit Pancho Villa house, Juarez house, and Hidalgo dungeo
W June 18 Visit the regional office of INEGI
Visit the regional office of INAH, Antrop. Elsa Rodriquez
Drive to Cd. Aldama and visit CEISS
Cross the border at Ojinaga, Chih./Presidio, Texas
Drive to Fort Davis, Texas
Th June 19 Visit CDRI, Dr. Cathryn Hoyt
Drive to Austin, Texas

Estimated trip expenses per individual

Lodging (based on double occupancy)
City or town Facility Rate Nights Cost
El Paso Motel 6 25 1 $  25
Nuevo Casas Grandes Motel Hacienda 31 2     62
Caborca Motel El Camino 35 1     35
Hermosillo Hotel La Finca 26 1     26
Baviacora Motel Familiar 16 2     32
San Carlos Motel Creston 27 1     27
Alamos Casa de los Tesoros 34 1     34
Yecora Motel Las Brisas 14 1     14
Creel Motel Nuevo 27 3     81
Chihuahua Posada Tierra Blanca 34 1     34
Fort Davis TBD 20 1     20
Sub-Total $390
Food
16 days at $15 per day  $240
Total $630*

*This should be maximum amount any student may have to pay.  Sources of

outside funding are currently being sought to offset student expenses.

Group transportation expenses (funds secured from other sources)

Van (15 passanger)
Rental 16 days at $55 per day      $  880
Insurance     500
Gasoline     470
Total $1850