Field trips will be led by botanist Sergio Medellin.  Other guides will be experts on birds and butterflies of the area. Wednesday September 17, 2008 People purchasing the ALL INCLUSIVE Plant Trip; will board the bus at 7:00 AM in McAllen, Texas. Boarding Location Drury Inn            Cost $720 U.S CY. Per person (2 people per room)          Cost $800 U.S CY. Per person (Single room) From Reynosa to Ciudad Mante, we will drive through Tamaulipan Brush.  This type of vegetation is typical of north and central Tamaulipas and extends into the southern United States. The predominant species include medium-sized trees and shrubs such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa), ebony (Pithecellobium ebano), palo verde (Cercidium sp.), and baretta (Hellieta parviflora). We will stop for lunch at the Mezcal Museum on the way to Ciudad Mante. After crossing the Tropic of Cancer, some tropical vegetation begins to appear sporadically. Later we´ll stop at La Morita plant nursery to observe vegetation and birds.  Here participants can purchase mango pie and mango juice. Arrive at Hotel Mante at approximately  6 PM. 6:00– 7:30 PM. Welcome Dinner. This will be the inaugural event for all activities. 8- 9 PM:  Lecture by Sergio Medellin on plants and ecosystems that we will visit (optional $5 dollars). Thursday September 18, 2008 8:00 – 9:00 AM  Breakfast 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM. Visit the gallery forest and semi-deciduous forest at Rio Sabinas and El Encino. The first is a riparian ecosystem, where we find species such as Montezuma cypress (Taxodium mucronatum), orejón (Enterolobium cyclocarpum) and several types of figs (Ficus cotinifolia and other F. species) as well as other species such as elephant ear (Xanthosoma robustum).  We will visit Hostal Casa de Piedra for lunch and then continue observing plants in Gomez Farias. Tropical subdeciduous forest of southern Tamaulipas is considered the northernmost extension of the so-called "Selvas Veracruzanas". Predominant species include tropical cedar (Cedrela odorata),  gumbo limbo (Bursera simaruba), shaving brush tree (Pseudobombax ellipticum), wild orchid tree (Bauhinia divaricata), jobo (Spondias mombin), and species of tropical orchids. 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM. Rest time. You can rest, mingle or roam around Ciudad Mante and do some shopping. 5:00 -7:00 PM: Cooking class on preparing native-plant dishes (optional $25 dollars).  Participants signing up for this workshop will learn to cook typical Mexican dishes with native ingredients, handmade tortillas with corn masa, huitalcoche, flor de calabaza,  and other surprises. 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM Dinner Friday September 19, 2008 8:00 – 9:00 AM  Breakfast 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM. Travel to Gomez Farias, where we board 4x4 trucks to ride up the mountain to Alta Cima. Visit the Cloud Forest or "Bosque Mesófilo de Montaña" at Alta Cima. This ecosystem is in danger of extinction in Mexico; it covers only 2% of the country.  It is characterized by a mixture of species from the Neartic and Neotropic biogeographical regions. Interesting species in the area include Mexican sugar maple (Acer skutchii), alamillo or sweetgum  (Liquidambar styraciflua), magnolia (Magnolia Tamaulipana), oyamel or Mexican fir (Abies vejarii) and moquito or yew (Podocarpus reichei).  Local women at Restaurant La Fe will prepare plant dishes typical of the area for lunch.  Continue up the mountain to the Casa de Piedra Area, stopping along the way to observe plants. 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM. Rest time. You can rest, mingle or roam around Ciudad Mante and do some shopping. 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Dinner Saturday September 20, 2008 8:00 – 9:00 AM  Breakfast. Your luggage should be ready since we will lodge in Cd. Victoria tonight. 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM. Today we will visit tropical oak forest and “vegetacion xerofila” (xeric) in Sierra de Ocampo and Tula on the south and west sides of El Cielo Biosphere Reserve.  The tropical oak ecosystem on the south side is very interesting from the biogeographical point of view, allowing us to find interesting plant and mushroom species of temperate forests. We will carry box lunch with us on the bus. In the afternoon we will visit the Jaumave Valley (Tula, Palmillas, Miquihuana and Bustamente) which is considered the easternmost section of the Chihuahuan Desert; it is characterized by a great variety of plant associations of the desert zones like “Matorral Desertico”, “Matorral Microfilo”, and others.  This area has a great variety of cacti, many of them endangered, such as Obregonia denegrii, Ariocarpus trigonus and others.  Other succulent species include tree sotol (Dasylirion miquihuanensis), Yucca filfera and Yucca treculeana. 7:00 PM – 7:30 PM. Check in at hotel in Cd. Victoria 7:30 – 9:00 Farewell Dinner. Sunday September 21, 2008 8:00 – 9:00 AM  Breakfast. Participants should load their belongings on the bus since we will be returning to the Texas Valley today. 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM. We will drive the old Ocampo Road up to 1,200 meters above sea level to visit Tropical Oak forest and “Matorral Alto Subinerme” located at Altas Cumbres Reserve. Very interesting ecotone between Tamaulipan brush, matorrales Subinermes de la Planicie and desert vegetation.  Besides a great variety of tropical oaks, there are dry ecosystem species such as Dasylirion miquihuanensis. We will pack a box lunch on the bus. 1:00 PM Departure for Texas, approximate arrival time in McAllen 7:00 PM ALL INCLUSIVE PACKAGE INCLUDES: Transportation from McAllen, Texas to Cd. Mante and back, 3 nights lodging in Mante and 1 night in Victoria, Welcome Dinner, all meals, plenty of bottled water and snacks, plant tours to El Encino and El Azteca, Gomez Farias, Alta Cima, Ocampo, Jaumave Valley and Altas Cumbres Reserve. Remember: If you are a US or Canadian Citizen You must bring either: 1) A valid passport, or 2) Voter´s registration card accompanied by Driver´s license, or 3) Original Birth Certificate acompanied by Driver´s license.