|
 |
 Cactaceae or Cactus, have been of interest in my family
for many years, and many unique cacti are found in Baja California. They can
be seen from the border to the Cape. About 120 species and varieties of cacti live in Baja
and nearly 70% of them are endemic; that is to say they live no where else in the
world. They range in size from the little mammillaria not much larger than a golf
ball to the giant cardon which can grow to a height of 60 feet or more. For nearly 10 years I was associated with the San Diego Wild Animal Park as
a volunteer in the horticulture department. I made many trips to Baja with Wild Animal
Park staff to collect plants for the Baja garden at the Park. Incidentally if you
are tempted to dig up a cactus and take it home to plant in your garden , don't. It
is illegal to collect plants from the wild anywhere in Mexico and it is illegal to bring
them into the US. We had a collector's permit from the Mexican government and an
importers license from the US Department of Agriculture.You can see the fruits of our
labor at the San Diego Wild Animal Park in San Pasqual, near Escondido. |
 Our collection trips gave us the opportunity up and down both
coasts of Baja, and through most of the inland portions of the peninsula which are
accessable by 4WD. In the process we saw many places not often seen by people just
passing through on their way to the Cape. I also guided cactus enthusiasts from
England on expeditions to observe and photograph Baja cacti. One of my more
memorable trips was to Cedros Island off the central Baja Pacific coast. The thing
that made the trip memorable was our transportation. We were flown to Cedros in a
vintage DC3. After landing on the island we engaged a boat to take us to the north
end of the island and put us ashore. We camped there for 5 days and photographed
several species endemic to Cedros. The only habitation near us was a camp of abalone
divers. They came to visit us one night and brought us nearly 5 pounds of fresh
abalone cleaned and ready to cook. That was a meal to remember! I would be most
happy to respond to inquiries about Baja cacti and the peninsula in general through the
E-mail link at the end of the next page. |
