Issue #7

The night is dark and cold beyond the window of my cabin. It is well after midnight but I have no desire to sleep, so I have come to the window to watch and to "feel" the New England night. Leaning my head against the cold glass I feel the last remaining tendrils of winter swirling just beyond the glass. Though my body is still, I feel restless and agitated. Suddenly my mind is no longer drifting among the forest shadows, but back in my body, alone, a moonlit statue in the silence of my home. Like an angler in a misty morning stream, I begin reeling in the long, drifting threads of my thoughts, retrieving them from the swirling pools of darkness beyond these walls.  Instantly I realize the source of my agitation. For the first time in nearly four months I am sleeping inside a building! Even though this two room house is rustic and simple, relying on the sun to power my two light bulbs, a small wood stove for those icy winter nights, and no running water, and even though I  am located in a wild, forested area free of paved roads, telephones and even neighbors, I still feel  "shut in" and disconnected from the natural world around me. No longer do I hear the comforting "pwush-pwush-pwush" as a pod of dolphins breathe in and rapidly exhale as they glide by my tent. Nor do I hear the deep and resonant "WHOOSH" of the fin back whales spouting a towering spray of sparkling vapor in the early morning sun. From mid December to mid March Global Classroom volunteer, Charity Ritscher ,and I have been blessed with the magical sights and sounds of Baja Mexico's spectacular wilderness. Though the trips are now over until next season, the impact of our service projects continue on. The Global Classroom has become a welcomed annual visitor to the Baja, with many completed projects and successes. In this issue of the newsletter we will discuss our support of schools, private environmental groups and the national park service, as well as introducing you to a cast of characters that make it all possible. Enjoy.
— Colin Garland

The Sea of Cortez has always been known as the bread basket of Mexico, but over the years Fernado watched as huge fishing trawlers dragged  the  rich bottom with huge nets, scraping it completely void of life, leaving an underwater desert in their wake. He knew about the whaling ships slaughtering tens of thousands of gray whales, filling their holds with oil and meat in a matter of weeks, turning Pacific bays a crimson red throughout the late 1800's.  By 1985 tourism was beginning to be a reliable and much needed source of income for many local people throughout the Baja peninsula. Giant billfish like marlin and sailfish had been luring sport fishermen like Ernest Hemmingway to the Baja for many decades; in the nineties, the trend turned towards adventure travel, golf courses at fancy resorts and big game hunting and fishing. With North America basking in a booming economy, record numbers of people jumped on the vacation bandwagon. This is when Baja began seeing some major changes. Beaches that were secluded and deserted just a few years ago now had as many as a thousand visitors a week. It was not uncommon to see kayakers in groups large enough  to take over small countries, hitting the beaches along side other tour operators' pangas, filled with tourists, barbecue grills and coolers. Though the rapid rise in tourism was bringing in much needed revenues, the small bays and fragile desert ecosystems could not sustain such huge numbers of people in such concentrated areas. It was also clear that the dollar-wielding tourists in their Raybans and sunblock were here to see pods of dolphins, schools of tropical fish, and of course the massive whales. One major fuel spill, and say "good-bye" to the white sand beaches, the tropical fish and the feeding whales.  Fernando knows the crumbling fuel tanks are a  time bomb just waiting to go off, creating an ecological disaster for the marine life of the Cortez, as well as an economic hazard for hundreds of locals who now make a living off tourism. If this spill occurs you can bet your greenbacks the dollar-toting tourists will be retreating on the tails of whales and dolphins, heading for safer waters and cleaner beaches. Like all the creatures that do not escape the spill, many businesses may likely go belly up.
We meet Fernando at the waters edge and shove off in his fiberglass panga. A panga, for those who do not know, is a no frills, open boat powered by an outboard motor. These boats have been made locally for generations, and like all things made locally they work well and do the job they are intended for. Lacking  the smallest of creature comforts, pangas hold little appeal for  pampered Americans. Being completely open to the elements, with flat bench-style seats made of wood and back rests that stand perfectly vertical, they are not exactly made for the "chronically unpadded" people like me. Add a few whitecaps and rolling seas to the ride, an occasional rain shower and the constant "El Norte" winds, and you have a wonderful opportunity to be "one with the sea." Leaving behind the clatter of the boat launch we break out across the open Cortez on our way to the sunken ship on the back side of Isla Carmen. About 10 minutes into the ride we are greeted by a pod of 20 or more dolphins but they quickly disappear into the distance. We resume our ride across a glassy smooth ocean to the northern most point of the island. Isla Carmen is over 20 miles long and quite varied in it's topography. The north west end consists of high rocky points that have been beaten and carved into precipitous cliffs, the result of storm waves battering the volcanic shore for eons.

A New Marine Park is Born

1996 was a special year for GEA and many other people concerned with the fate of the oceans in which they depend. On July 19, 1999, a total of 206,580.75 hectares of the Sea of Cotez became officially protected with the creation of the Parque Nacional Bahia De Loreto. Beginning just north  of Loreto and stretching south many miles to the small fishing village of Agua Verde, the park encompasses five major island groups containing 3,452 species of flora and fauna, several critical feeding areas for whales and  dolphins, breeding sites of  hammerhead sharks, coastal mangroves, tidal flats and  crucial nesting areas of threatened bird species. Some of these islands support plants and animals endemic to the area (not found any where else in the world). These areas have finally been given the protection they deserve, but the new park boundaries also contain a sunken shrimp boat, giving Fernando  one more pointed stick to prod with.

The Global Classroom and Parque Nacional share a seat...

A toilet seat that is!  Every winter Global Classroom volunteers travel to Baja, Mexico to explore the waters and deserts and offer assistance to schools and environmental groups. In January of 1998 we were invited to a meeting at the GEA office to discuss the concerns of the new marine park. The group consisted of commercial kayak companies, the Colorado Outward Bound School, various environmental organizations and park employees. Many issues were raised regarding the impact on the park including commercial and private fishing, rapid tourism growth and unregulated beach use. One theme that kept coming up was the problem of human waste disposal on the beaches which are frequented by kayak tours and tourists frequent. It is true that on many pristine looking beaches one only has to walk back 30 meters into the scrub to discover mountains of toilet paper and the land mines that go along with it.
After silently sitting through nearly four hours of discussions, I decided it was time to speak up. I introduced the Global Classroom project and suggested the construction of composting toilets within the heavy use areas. The idea was an instant hit but was quickly dismissed due to lack of funds and expertise. Again I offered a solution.  The Global Classroom volunteers would offer their skills and labor, as well as solicit the funds needed to build the first unit. In a country that has a reputation for doing everything "tomorrow" and littered with unfinished,  delapitated projects, I felt we were not taken seriously. Well , I was dead serious. 
Thanks to the powers of e-mail I was able to contact Carol Steinfeld, a woman I met several months back that worked for a company called The Center for Ecological Pollution Prevention. CEPP designs state of the art composting toilets and Carol happened to have some free time to come to Baja and assist in the construction of the unit. With only 15 days remaining on my visa, we had to act fast. In a matter of days sufficient funds were raised, materials were scrounged and a site was chosen. The spectacular beach of Playa Blanca on Isla Coronado would be the first site for these units. Park staff donated the pangas needed to deliver materials and helpers. Estimated to take 10-12 days, we completed the unit in just 8 days thanks to park staff Benito Bermudez, David Maldonado and Alfredo Gutierrez, who made constant deliveries of materials, fresh water, food and tools. Kudos go to the many tourists, local students and passersby as well.  After seeing the enthusiasm and support of the park staff, the  hard work and all the laughs they gave us, it was clear a happy marriage was in the making.

Supporters Behind the Scene

All of our time in Baja is not spent slinging cement, toting boxes and sending e-mail. One of my favorite past times is visiting my friend and GCR supporter, Gwen Bayne. Born and raised in the American deep south, she lived a life I can only dream about. Gwen drove south into the Baja with her Husband "T" back when roads were something you occasionally stumbled upon during your journey and it cost a whopping 75 cents for fuel to drive from San Diego to Loreto. Living in the Baja for over 30 years Gwen has more adventure stories about the Baja than I will ever accumulate in my lifetime. It is so much fun for me to be on the receiving end of a good yarn. I love her polite tisk - tisk's, her animated "Geezie-Peezie's"  and those bubbly chuckles as she recalls her adventurous days, back when she lived among the "locals" on deserted beaches, checking  her bed for rattlesnakes and scorpions.  The thing I find most appealing about my friendship with Gwen is the fact it is so simple, straight forward and honest. She speaks her mind and I like that. There ain't no beating around the bush with Gwen. I suspect she does not know this, but the truth is, without her support of the Global Classroom Baja project, we would not accomplish a fraction of what we achieve there. She does not swing a hammer or a saw, she provides us with the means to make so much happen. She has a phone line! Trying to accomplish these projects in a country where the post office seems to still be waiting for Amelia Erhart to appear (I received my family Christmas card in April) the use of a phone line for e-mail makes it all possible. Using our solar powered laptop we can sit on deserted beaches creating proposals, letters to the embassy and a myriad of other tasks. Gwen's phone line is our connection to the rest of the world. Her generosity is outdone only by her eagerness to share her life's experiences. They are both  precious. Thank you Gwen.

Christmas Brings Surprises to Santo Domingo

GCR volunteers returned to Baja in December 1999, entering the new year under star studded skies and starting off the new millennium by offering assistance and donations to various causes. Thanks to the generosity  of GCR readers and supporters, we arrived Christmas day in Baja with record numbers of clothing, school supplies, children's books and even two computers.  Loading up several pounds of school supplies in various boxes, bags and backpacks we entered the tiny fishing village of Santo Domingo. Located well off the "tourist track," the students of Santo Domingo see very few foreigners and in a matter of seconds we were surrounded by dozens of dark, grinning faces escorting us into the  school. Entering the classrrooms it was clear the school was in short supply of books, paper, pencils and other basics. Returning to our truck we started unloading, but with so many excited and willing helpers, GCR volunteers did not carry a single one of the 2,400 crayons, 5,000 sheets of paper, 100 pounds of books, 2 baseball mitts or the computers into the school.
As part of an on going program we will be offering continued support through donations of school supplies and clothing as well as placing student volunteers who will provide English lessons and other assistance. Our long term goal is to establish an e-mail station within the classroom, creating an electronic pen-pal program linked to sister schools in the States.
Thanks to our supporters
We would like to give special thanks to Overton's water sports of Greenville NC for their donation of snorkeling equipment to GEA's environmental education programs in Baja. As a result of Overton's generous support the students of the EE program now have the opportunity to see first hand the creatures they are working to protect. Thanks also go Necky kayaks, Timberline tents and the many private donors helping to make our program a success.