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Field trips will be led by botanist Sergio Medellin
and Dan Hardy, pathologist with wide knowledge of butterflies and their host plants. Other local guides
will be experts on birds and butterflies of the area.
Wednesday October 20th, 2010
People purchasing the ALL INCLUSIVE Plant Trip; will board the bus at 7:00 AM in McAllen, Texas. Boarding
Location Drury Inn
Cost $875 U.S CY. Per person (2 people per room) Cost $975 U.S CY. Per person
(Single room)
On our journey 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 juliflora), ebony (Pithecellobium
flexicaule), palo verde (Cercidium praecox), and baretta (Hellieta parviflora). We will stop for lunch at La Picota, a Mezcal brewery with a beautiful botanical garden. 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. Here participants can purchase mango pie and mango juice. Once in Gomez Farías, we will
visit CIE (Interpretative Ecological Center), where we will enjoy a lecture by Sergio Medellin "Plants
and ecosystems of El Cielo" and another by Dan Hardy "Butterflies as botanists: butterflies and their
host plants". Dinner and lodging in Gomez Farias (NOTE: The first participants to PAY will be lodging at Casa
de Piedra, when that option is full we will start accommodating participants at Posada Campestre).
Thursday October 21st, 2010
8:00 – 9:00 AM Breakfast at Posada
Campestre 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
Gomez Farias. 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 and other surprises. 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Dinner at La Cabaña
Friday October 22nd, 2010
8:00 AM Participants should load
their luggage and bring a separate handbag with some overnight clothing and amenities, since we will be spending the night
in the mountains. We will stop for some home cooked breakfast a Hotel Posada
Campestre. We board 4x4 trucks to ride up the mountain to Alta Cima. At Alta Cima we will visit the Cloud Forest or "Bosque
Mesófilo de Montaña". 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 San José, stopping along the way to observe plants. 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM. We will settle in rustic cabins
for the night (we recommend you bring your own towel, sleeping bag and flashlight, there is no electricity here). We will
try to honor singles, but availability will depend on the number of participants. We might have to lodge several men in 5
or 6 people cabins. All cabins have private bathrooms and hot running water. 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM. We will have dinner at a local restaurant in San José
Saturday October 23rd, 2010
8:00 – Breakfast. Your bags should be ready since we will be heading to Ciudad Victoria. We will slowly come
down the mountain, loading and unloading our 4x4 vehicles as we please. We will have lunch at La Fe in Alta Cima and continue
down the mountain. In Gomez Farías we will board our bus again and head to Ciudad Victoria for the night. 7:00 PM –
7:30 PM. Check in at typical mexican hotel in downtown Cd. Victoria 7:30 – 9:00 Farewell Dinner.
Sunday October 24th, 2010 7:00
– 7:30 AM Breakfast. Participants should load their belongings on the bus since we will be returning to the Texas Valley
today. 7:30
AM - 2:00 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. We will be dropped
off at the top of “Camino Real” and slowly walk down where our bus will be waiting for us. A Van will be following
us to pick up tired ones, provide water and snacks. We will encounter a 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. 2:00 PM Departure for Texas, approximate arrival time in McAllen 7:30 PM
ALL INCLUSIVE PACKAGE INCLUDES: Transportation from McAllen,
Texas to Cd. Mante and back, 2 nights lodging in Gomez Farias, 1 night in San José and 1 night in Victoria, all meals,
plenty of bottled water and snacks, plant tours to El Encino and El Azteca, Gomez Farias, Alta Cima, San José and Altas
Cumbres Reserve.
(If you are a US or Canadian Citizen please bring your passport.)
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