My first trip out of the country was on a field trip to Nogales, Mexico to collect acorns. I was a hesitant about going because I thought it would be boring, but I’m glad I went. It was fun and eye opening at the same time. Just across the border, in the city center, we shopped while waiting to rendezvous with our friends from Mexico. I was amazed by the quality of the merchandise, and how inexpensive it was. There were beautiful decorative items for the home, personal accessories and neat trinkets sold on the street that on the other side of the border would sell for at least 5 times as much. My entrepreneurial spirit begged to me to buy by the dozens and try to sell it on eBay for a high return, but I opted not to and settled for two bracelets.
Our friends in Mexico work on the Ambos Nogales Revegetation Project. When we caught up with them, we were whisked away to the suburbs. There is one green area per neighborhood, which is taken care of by the community. Our mission was to collect acorns from one of these green areas to be planted in local high school greenhouses. The plants will then be planted into selected areas of the city in an effort to prevent erosion, which has become major problem as unrestricted building of shantytowns becomes more prevalent.
Before we returned to this great country, we took a ride out to the shantytowns. These communities consist of a range from very poor houses made of scrap wood and sheet metal to a select few houses that although small, if put in a middle class community, would blend in nicely. All the roads are dirt without even the small hint of any gravel. Due to the traffic in these communities, dust is kicked up causing the air quality to decrease significantly. Actually seeing these communities first-hand and not just on television, or in a newspaper, the level of poverty really struck home. The phrase “be thankful for what you have” has a new meaning to me as I think of my consumerist mentality and superficial desires for the biggest and best of everything.
Great trip, thanks Carol.
Matthew Terry, Visiting UBRPer from Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA in Dr. Eugene Gerner’s lab, Arizona Cancer Center
My first trip out of the country was on a field trip to Nogales, Mexico to collect acorns. I was a hesitant about going because I thought it would be boring, but I’m glad I went. It was fun and eye opening at the same time. Just across the border, in the city center, we shopped while waiting to rendezvous with our friends from Mexico. I was amazed by the quality of the merchandise, and how inexpensive it was. There were beautiful decorative items for the home, personal accessories and neat trinkets sold on the street that on the other side of the border would sell for at least 5 times as much. My entrepreneurial spirit begged to me to buy by the dozens and try to sell it on eBay for a high return, but I opted not to and settled for two bracelets.
Our friends in Mexico work on the Ambos Nogales Revegetation Project. When we caught up with them, we were whisked away to the suburbs. There is one green area per neighborhood, which is taken care of by the community. Our mission was to collect acorns from one of these green areas to be planted in local high school greenhouses. The plants will then be planted into selected areas of the city in an effort to prevent erosion, which has become major problem as unrestricted building of shantytowns becomes more prevalent.
Before we returned to this great country, we took a ride out to the shantytowns. These communities consist of a range from very poor houses made of scrap wood and sheet metal to a select few houses that although small, if put in a middle class community, would blend in nicely. All the roads are dirt without even the small hint of any gravel. Due to the traffic in these communities, dust is kicked up causing the air quality to decrease significantly. Actually seeing these communities first-hand and not just on television, or in a newspaper, the level of poverty really struck home. The phrase “be thankful for what you have” has a new meaning to me as I think of my consumerist mentality and superficial desires for the biggest and best of everything.
