PRESS RELEASE

Research Station Near Rocky Point Honored for Aiding Diversity In Marine Science

September 27, 2010

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CEDO, the Tucson-based Intercultural Center for the Study of Deserts and Oceans, has received a national award for its 30 years of promoting diversity in field science along the Upper Gulf of California and surrounding deserts.

"CEDO is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year," Peggy J. Turk Boyer, CEDO's executive director, said, "so this is a very timely and greatly appreciated acknowledgment of its work."

Most of the programs for which CEDO was recognized occur at the field station  where visitors can observe a 55-foot fin whale skeleton, explore tidepools and learn about endangered creatures like the vaquita porpoise and the totoaba, a fish threatened by habitat loss and commercial nets.

The award recognizes CEDO's efforts to involve people of all ages and diverse backgrounds from Mexico, the United States and elsewhere in science programs along the Upper Gulf, said Turk Boyer.

On Sept. 25, The Organization for Biological Field Stations presented CEDO with its Annual Human Diversity Award for 2010 at the group's annual meeting at a bioresearch station near Pellston,Michigan, run by the University of Michigan.

For three decades, CEDO's intercultural programs in education, research and conservation have brought thousands of students, senior scholars and others to participate in research and educational activities at the station on the beach in Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point), Mexico, about 60 miles south of the US/Mexico border.

CEDO also maintains a support office in Tucson. CEDO is incorporated as two nonprofit branches, one in the U.S. and one in Mexico, and operates as a bi-national organization. CEDO stands for Centro Intercultural de Estudios de Desiertos y Océanos.

"CEDO's very essence as an organization is intercultural and inclusive," Turk Boyer said. "Our approach to conservation embraces the many cultures on both sides of the region's international border, including institutional cultures. CEDO involves local communities in conservation solutions that address current and future human needs."

CEDO offers conservation programs that help local stakeholders who depend on the region's natural resources and develop sustainable economic alternatives. It also delivers education programs that reach more than 10,000 people each year, and produces bilingual publications, both electronic and print, about the region's ecosystem and what people can do to help protect and benefit from it.

"CEDO offers a unique perspective on environmental issues, promoting understanding of how issues are viewed by scientists, local stakeholders, visiting tourists, and government agencies in Mexico and the United States," Turk Boyer said. "We work to share these multiple views, so that they may be used for good decision-making."

In addition to the honor and recognition of its peers, the OBFS Human Diversity Award includes a permanent plaque for the winning station; an official award letter and a second traveling OBFS plaque that will record previous winners and be housed at the most recent recipient's facility. CEDO will be recognized on the OBFS website (www.obfs.org). 

 

Intercultural Center for the Study of Deserts and Oceans - CEDO, Inc.
P.O. Box 44208
Tucson, AZ 85733
Telephone/Fax: 520-320-5473

Centro Intercultural de Estudios de Desiertos y Océanos - CEDO, A.C.
Apartado Postal #53
Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, México C.P. 83550
Teléfono y FAX: 06-382-0113, 0115

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