EDUCATION

WORKSHOPS AND SPEAKER PRESENTATIONS

Ruta del Jefe seeks to raise awareness around the beauty and biodiversity of the borderlands, their native peoples, and the border wall's impact on animal and human migration. We achieve this by hosting informative presentations by local conservation, humanitarian aid, and indigenous organizations from Mexico and the U.S. In addition, bird walks, workshops, and habitat tours will be offered to round out the experience.

Leading up to the event, participants are provided with a list of resources: books, journals, films, stories, art, and articles related to the borderlands.

WORKSHOPS

Bird Walk

Bring your binoculars and discover the incredible birdlife of the Madrean ecoregion during one of our early morning bird walks. Guided by experienced experts from Cuenca Los Ojos, you'll have the chance to spot a wide range of bird species in the beautiful Sonora, Mexico ecosystems. Whether you're a novice or an experienced birder, these walks offer an unforgettable avian adventure in this biodiversity-rich region.

Madrean Sky Islands Ecosystems Tour

Join an expert guide from Cuenca Los Ojos for an educational and captivating journey on foot through Cajón Bonito’s breathtaking landscape to foster a deeper understanding of the natural area you’ll call home during your time at Ruta del Jefe. On this tour, you will explore diverse habitats, encounter rare flora and fauna, spot a myriad of bird species, witness signs of wildlife, and learn about the restoration efforts of Cuenca Los Ojos.

Discovering the Agave Spirits of Sonora and Chihuahua

Join us for a tasting session to unveil the rich history, cultural significance, and diverse flavors of the remarkable agave spirits of Sonora and Chihuahua. Session highlights include understanding the agave plant's vital role in the region's culture and economy, agave spirits' cultural significance in local communities and their role in celebrations, rituals, and daily life, modern craftsmanship and innovation, sustainable conservation, tasting, pairing, and mixology.

Café Justo: Brewing Change Together

Café Justo is a coffee grower cooperative based in Salvador Urbina, Chiapas, Mexico. They market a pure, organic coffee grown, harvested, and marketed in the spirit of justice. Their goal is to incentivize people to remain on their family lands. During this workshop, participants will learn about Café Justo's mission and the benefits of their unique cooperative structure. During this workshop, you'll also have the opportunity to taste Café Justo coffee varieties, gain insights into sustainable coffee farming practices, understand the environmental and social consciousness behind their coffee production, and explore ways to support and partner with Café Justo to further their mission.

Stick in the Mud Sculpture Making

Build living sculptures with artist David Tarullo using carrizo (reeds), mud, clay, and sand. Sculptures will be designed to be homes for bees or native plants. Get a brief introduction to how 3D objects are designed, then build a sculpture with a partner or by yourself that can house new life. Bring them home to watch as they shift and change over time, or find a spot where they can become an installation at Cuenca Los Ojos.

The Legal Immigration Simulation

This simulation gives participants a simulated experience of navigating the legal system as potential immigrants, to help answer the commonly encountered question, “Why don’t all migrants enter legally?” and debunk common immigration myths. Borderlinks will use historical context to explore how the US/Mexico border has become 'the deadliest land crossing in the world,' and what change local organizers are advocating for.

Explore Mexican Cacao: From Bean to Chocolate

Join us for an immersive experience that will take you on a journey through the world of Mexican cacao. This interactive workshop offers a tantalizing cocoa and beverage tasting session, providing a firsthand taste of this exquisite bean's flavors. During this, you will understand every aspect of cacao, from cultivation and transformation, history, ethical direct trade, innovation, and how consuming fine Mexican chocolate contributes to rainforest conservation and restoration efforts.

The Outdoorist Oath Workshop

The Oath workshop* is a ZERO-BS experience that teaches a model to approach allyship for the planet, inclusion, and adventure. During the workshop, you’ll reflect and learn tools to create a unique plan to take action for Planet, Inclusion, and Adventure. They’re not there to give you answers. Instead, the Oath provides a way of being and doing. It is designed as a way for any outdoorist to think about the intersections of planet, inclusion, and adventure through their outdoor experiences and identify how they can uniquely show up for all three in relationship. After the workshop, participants have the opportunity to take the Outdoorist Oath.

Speaker Presentations

  • Juan Longoria

    N'DEE/N’NEE/NDÉ NATION

    Juan Longoria is a member of the N'dee/N'nee/Ndé Nation, a group of people with their own ethnic identity, customs, traditions, language, beliefs and religion, living in the Mexican states of Sonora, Chihuahua and Coahuila under organized communities. Juan will share how the N'dee/N'nee/Ndé Nation fight for being included in the list of the country’s indigenous peoples, which has been achieved so far in Sonora and Coahuila, and are working to revive their language, dress, traditions, ceremonies, songs, and dances, that were lost as a consequence of the persecution that their ethnic group faced.

  • Rodrigo Sierra Corona

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BORDERLANDS RESTORATION NETWORK

    Dr. Sierra Corona is a conservation scientist with over 20 years of experience researching and implementing conservation practices on endangered landscapes, including at Cuenca Los Ojos. As the executive director of Borderlands Restoration Network (BRN), Rodrigo will share BRN’s mission to partner to grow a restorative economy by rebuilding healthy ecosystems, restoring habitat for plants and wildlife, and reconnecting our border communities to the land through shared learning and their vision for a connected borderlands where rivers flow, plants, wildlife, and cultures thrive, and communities develop an inclusive restorative economy where a sense of place inspires a sense of purpose.

  • Jaco Gallego

    MEXICO COORDINATOR, FRONTERA DE CRISTO

    Jaco will share inspiring stories and humanitarian insights from Frontera De Cristo’s work along the borderlands, focusing on its transformative impact on both sides of the border. Discover the dedication and hope that drive Frontera De Cristo's mission, fostering understanding, collaboration, and positive change in border communities. This presentation explores the organization's efforts to build bridges and create a better future for all.

  • Diego Valles

    POR LA DEFENSA EL RIO DE CASAS GRANDE

    Diego Valles of Por la Densa del Rio Casas Grandes will explore the collective's efforts to halt the construction of a dam on the Casas Grandes river, which sustains vital agricultural and natural lands, including the Cuenca Los Ojos area. Valles will discuss their concerns about the project's approval, promotion, and the potential harm it poses to the environment and local communities. His presentation is a call to action, urging listeners to join the cause and protect this critical ecosystem. Attendees will gain insights into grassroots activism and the importance of safeguarding the natural heritage in northwestern Chihuahua.

  • Valerie Gordon

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CUENCA LOS OJOS

    Valerie brings a wealth of knowledge and passion for conservation, biodiversity, and sustainable practices in northern Mexico. In this engaging presentation, She'll share insights into the organization's mission, ongoing conservation efforts, and the critical importance of preserving the natural treasures of Cuenca Los Ojos.

  • Ganesh Marin

    NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER, BEAR PROJECT

    In the borderlands of Mexico and the United States, northeastern Sonora holds an astonishing collection of wildlife that used to roam freely between the mountains and canyons of both countries. From water to jaguars, we will explore why this place is unique and relevant for binational conservation efforts. Epic landscapes and tremendous challenges for wildlife will be presented through the stories of bears on the move and the people behind the preservation of one of the last conserved streams in Mexico.