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The Crossroads of the Desert, Farm and Sea

By Brandon Rus | Nov 24, 2020

The seduction of discovering new frontiers has captivated the imagination of humankind since we have had the means to explore – and as our history has unfolded, we have charted and mapped essentially every corner of the globe.

In recent decades we’ve evolved to become a global community of travelers, with an insatiable desire to discover the next destination. In many cases we’ve come to realize our craving to follow the trend has jeopardized the authenticity of the very locations we’ve sought out to “get away.”

In 2020 our outlook towards travel has shifted, and our nostalgia for the great outdoors is evolving into a movement. These days, we recognize that to travel sustainably is to travel authentically. We are discovering that all along, we truly are a collective of inquisitive minds – just as eager to explore and protect, as much as we are in need for an escape.

The allure of the Baja California peninsula is not a recent trend. For centuries this rugged coastline has beckoned the exploration of pirates, mariners, and authors. For hundreds of miles, desert islands dot the horizon, and the vastness of the sky is illuminated at night by the infinite constellations above. This land is sacred. All land is sacred.

For eons these coastlines were largely inaccessible, inhabited only by the few scattered communities of generational fishermen, ranchers, and farmers. In all directions, evidence of millions of years of geologic evolution plunge itself into the sea, and the effects of human activity can almost be forgotten.

As travelers, we must remind ourselves that we are guests to this land, and it is an intimate connection to immerse ourselves amongst the delicate framework of any destination.

Conserva Collective is an organization founded in Mexico, and rooted within the communities of Baja California Sur. Their ambitions to develop a network of conservation initiatives honors the environment here, and those whose livelihoods are intimately connected to and dependent on its conservation. Their incentive is to introduce a local harvesting protocol for sargassum – a type of marine algae that washes ashore in abundance during certain seasons. Through collaboration within the community, their efforts to incorporate a sustainably harvested marine crop will fund authentic field experiences for travelers and local students to participate in.

We are here to amplify the voices of those who know this land best, to incorporate education into experiences, and to invite collaboration from the community, and those who are here to visit. Together we have an opportunity to encourage conversations regarding sustainability, conservation, and travel; to rise as a global community – with the collective mindset to embrace and protect these places we seek out most.

Photography by Gabriel Flores

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