Baja California Sur Skillshare

Looking up at the Organ Pipe skyscrapers. Credit: Murphy Hazeltine, BRN

March 16th, 2026 — 

The longest Monday in BRN history started with the shortest flight possible: from Tucson to Phoenix. Directors and field crews from the Watershed Restoration Program and Native Plant Program, along with our fearless leader Rodrigo, united at Tucson International after a weekend of preparation to begin our week-long trip to El Sargento, Baja California Sur, Mexico - 400 miles south of our home in Patagonia. No, this was not a vacation (although the scenery definitely created the illusion of one, usually your bosses aren’t at the beach with you). 

Aspen (left) and Lupe the mule (right).  Credit: Ryan Golb, BRN

We were traveling to Rancho Cacachiles, a regenerative ranch that promotes sustainable land use practices, to participate in an ecological restoration skills share that was bidirectional and bilingual. The ranch operates under iAlumbra, an ecosystem of organizations that promote and incorporate sustainable economic models that restore land, water, and culture, and fund opportunities like this skillshare. Rancho Cacachiles is located in a reminiscent landscape - mountains surrounded by desert lowlands that are full of beautiful, arid-adapted plants. The only big difference is the smooth, satin swath of blue that meets the sky in the east: the Gulf of California. Otherwise, the region looks very similar to the Sky Islands of southern Arizona and northern Mexico - unfortunately, the region also faces similar environmental challenges. Rancho Cacachiles promotes land stewardship and educational opportunities, and we were invited to participate in a binational skills-share to learn about new ecological restoration techniques and broaden our capacity to improve our watersheds back home.

We drove about an hour to the first site, and counted Crested caracaras along the way (one day we saw 7!). Crew leads from the ranch, along with local agency members, were our gracious hosts and counterparts. The skills-share began with the Native Plant Program discussing ethical seed collection practices, seed treatments, and clonal propagation. They also shared about on-the-ground restoration in action, like outplantings and seed application in the form of hydroseeding and seed pellets. Finn, our horticulture lead, and Francesca, our Native Plant Program Director, then led participants in a hands-on demonstration of plant propagation and seed pelletization. The ranch is interested in collecting local seed to use in seed pellets, and in utilizing clonal propagation as a way to enhance vegetation cover across the ranch. 

Above: Workshop participants learn about clonal propagation techniques, and create seed pellets

The next day, BRN’s Watershed Restoration Program led an erosion control workshop teaching participants the style of building erosion control structures that we utilize in the borderlands region: using locally collected rock and rows of rock standing up, hammered flat against each other like books on a shelf that match the contour of the channel they're being placed in. After introducing our program, we split into groups with each BRN crew member aided by a translator to begin building erosion control structures. This was a new and eye-opening experience for many of us, having never taught others a skill using a translator. But the workshop flowed smoothly, with it becoming quickly apparent that our participants were VERY familiar with rock work, reading the landscape, and hard work. After building a handful of structures each, we spent the afternoon spreading seed pellets that were made the day before in the newly finished structures, as we do in many of our projects back home. But not before we had one of the most delicious field lunches I’ve ever had - I can still taste the calabacitas.  

Above, left: Erosion control workshop participants pose for a photo while building rock structures

Above, right: Seed pellets to be incorporated into erosion control structures

On the final day, we switched roles and Rancho Cacahiles’ Watershed Management Program taught our crew how to build jute-bag structures and rock and jute-bag gabions in the uplands of the ranch. This was a completely new technique for our crew and we took hundreds of photos to document the material-making process, which was much more involved than just picking up rocks like we usually do to gather material.

Above: Rancho Cacachiles Crew Leads demonstrate how to mix material and fill jute bags

After selecting a site to build jute-bag structures, cement was mixed with sand at a specific ratio and then filled into bags made of jute: a sustainable, natural fiber that is woven into items like rugs, ropes, and other types of bags. Once the bags were assembled, Lupe the mule hiked them up the mountainside to our work site where the Rancho Cacahiles crews showed us how to place the bags to create the strongest type of structure. Like our style of erosion control structures, high and low points were designated, and the bags were laid to match the contour of the drainage as much as possible.

Above: Rancho Cacachiles crew members demonstrate how to build jute-bag structures

The jute bag structures and our rock based erosion control structures achieve many of the same goals: slowing water, increasing infiltration, increasing moisture availability, stabilizing sediment, capturing soil and organic matter, decreasing downstream sedimentation, and promoting vegetation growth. Larger structure types like the rock and jute-bag gabions at Rancho Cacachiles have a larger goal, which is to recharge aquifers. Extractive industries and practices have depleted fresh water sources in a place that is even drier than the Sonoran desert, so focusing on improving groundwater resources is a high priority at Rancho Cacachiles.

Above: The Watershed Restoration Crew practices building a small, rock gabion before touring installed rock and rock- jute-bag gabions

This trip revealed the stunning parallels that exist between two distant places. Southern Arizona and Baja California Sur are both incredibly dry places - but we discovered that El Sargento received half the annual precipitation that Tucson does, yet boasted a beautiful landscape full of delightfully familiar plant species. Cardon cactus (Pachycereus pringlei) towered over the understory like Saguaros, we found Rock figs (Ficus palmeri) growing out of boulders in upland canyons where I pictured Sycamores would be, and everywhere we were snagged and simultaneously healed by Elephant trees (Bursera microphylla) instead of catclaw and mesquites. But decades of development, along with drought, increased temperatures, and invasive species encroachment threaten ecosystem health across both regions. That is what makes organizations like iAlumbra critical partners in helping bolster community and climate resilience.

Thanks to iAlumbra and the Centro de Estudios Aplicados del Agua para Zonas Aridas, we were able to learn new skills that will allow us to restore what we thought were previously untreatable reaches of our local watersheds.

Above left: Cardon cactus; Above right: Rock fig tree

“Often the availability of rock within the watershed determines whether or not we are able to construct erosion control structures. Now we have learned new techniques from our partners in Mexico utilizing a mixture of sand, concrete, and jute bags. This will open up a whole new world of possibilities allowing us to slow the flow, accumulate sediment and promote vegetative growth even in locations that previously we could not work due to the lack of rocks.”

 —  Trevor Lauber, Watershed Restoration Technician

“I was unable to join the skill share but appreciated the knowledge that was shared by the Baja team, as well as everything that went into bringing that information back to Patagonia. I am excited at the prospect of being able to incorporate alternative ecs in places where our standard materials are unavailable, allowing us to expand where we can be effective in our work.

 — Rohan Sorta, Watershed Restoration Technician

“I really like the idea of using jute bags in areas where we don’t have access to rock or other types of materials. I’m sad to have missed the workshop. I hope to be able to make the next trip!” 

—  Dalton Trantham, Watershed Restoration Technician

Above: A view of the landscape at Rancho Cacachiles

Not only did this trip expand our idea of what our crew is capable of, but it also connected us with people who are restoring the foundation of ecosystems everyday, just like us - and now we really want to hire a mule of our own. Even though most of us could not understand each other’s languages, the language of rock work transcends the need for verbal communication. I could see and feel that we all shared this common understanding and value of our efforts, and how to work with the land to achieve our shared goals. It was truly grounding and inspiring, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to experience a new place, culture, and meet people who did not feel like strangers, but like a long lost rock crew. This skills-share embodied the intersection between two parallel organizations that are separated by space, language, and barriers, but united by hard work, place-based knowledge, and hope for a better future. 

Above: Sunrise over the Gulf of California

“Our skill share in Baja was a wonderful opportunity to connect with partners across the international border. We got to meet, learn from, and work with fellow watershed restoration professionals who are skilled, knowledgeable, and similarly passionate about their work. We are hopeful that the techniques they shared will enable us to implement erosion control in places we have previously been unable to have an impact. Places like the sandy uplands around the San Pedro River, where our traditional material of rock is unavailable, but we can now use Jute structures to capture sediment and slow rainwater. Additionally, it was a pleasure to be in Baja Sur, to encounter a new landscape, to meet some folks who live there, and to see how these communities, in a place even drier than southern Arizona, are protecting their precious resource of water.”

— Murphy Hazeltine, Watershed Restoration Technician

“The BRN trip to El Sargento and Rancho Cacachiles was incredibly meaningful and educational. This was my first international trip for work. Visiting the town of El Sargento was a chance to practice my Spanish speaking with locals and experience the culture of Baja California Sur. Teaching, practicing, and learning erosion control techniques with the Centro de Estudios Aplicados del Agua para Zonas Aridas crew was an amazing opportunity. It was informative to learn about and see different types of erosion control structures implemented in a more arid but similar environment to southern Arizona. Working with the crew leads and members of Rancho Cacachiles was fun and engaging. I learned so much from talking (mostly through a translator and occasionally with my broken Spanish) to the restoration practitioners from the region attending the workshops.” 

— Ryan Golb, Restoration Specialist

“It was nice to work with other people doing the same kind of work. The experience was great speaking and communication with others was fun and interesting. I liked the jute bag workshop a lot, I think we could definitely use it in our everyday skills. I also liked the way the other team communicated with us, even having fun with me - I know people like me when they give me a hard time. I had a great experience with the whole project.”

— Zach Farley, Watershed Restoration Crew Lead