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General Information for Visitors
to Prescott College's Kino Bay Center
For General information about the Prescott College Kino Bay Center,
please start by visiting the Mission and
Objectives, Location and Facilities,
Regional Ecology, and Staff
web pages. The Kino Bay Center hosts many different types of educational
user groups, from single researchers, to grade school environmental
education classes, to photography and writing workshops, to ecology
or conservation classes. We can host conferences or meetings also.
As long as your purpose is in accord with the mission and objectives
of the Center, and we have room, we will be happy to host your group.
High
School Marine Studies Courses are offered through the Kino Bay
Center. These courses are tailored to compliment each individual
school's curriculum and designed to foster self-direction and personal
growth through experiential learning and exploration of the Gulf
of California coast.
Housing and Facilities
The Center is best suited to host small groups (10 - 20 people)
if you are planning multiple days living at the station. Larger
groups who wish to use the Center for conferences or meetings can
do so but need off-site housing (which we can arrange). Because
we are only 1 hour from the international airport at Hermosillo,
it is relatively simple to get to the Center. Busses and cabs or
rental cars are available to go from Hermosillo to Kino at reasonable
rates. From the station, mangrove estuaries, native indigenous villages,
several offshore islands, rocky intertidal areas, mudflats, and
diverse desert habitats are all within an hour's drive or boat travel
time.
 See
Location and Facilities page for a description
of our facilities. All visitors must bring their own bedding, the
station can provide cots for sleeping. Visitors also must bring
their own towels and toiletry items. Kitchens are well equipped
and visitors may bring their own food from the states, buy food
in Hermosillo or Kino, or eat out at restaurants. The Kino Bay Center
does not have a kitchen staff, if your group wishes to have meals
prepared, we can help make arrangements to hire a local kitchen
crew to prepare meals for you.
Fees for visiting groups
are charged per person per night (see fee schedule below). This
includes use of housing, bathroom, and kitchen facilities as well
as access to library and computers. Visitors who wish to use phone
or fax must pay on a per call basis or (preferably) purchase phone
cards to use at public phones. See fee schedule.
Boat support can be provided
using the Center's outboard driven skiffs, and staff, or arrangements
with local boatman can be made.
Climate
 During
the months of September and October the weather is usually quite
warm, water temps are in the low 80's and there may be mosquitoes.
Late fall is mild with warm days and pleasant nights, sea water
temperatures are becoming lower. January and February can be quite
cool, with occasional rain, cool windy days and cool nights. Sea
water temperatures drop to the low 60's or 50's. This is a good
time to see baleen whales however, windy conditions often upset
boating schedules. Spring months of March and April are usually
periods of unpredictable weather with warm spells and windy periods
and the water is cold. May and June are warm months with hot days
and warm but comfortable nights; water temperature is in the 70's.
The summer months of July - September can be very hot, humid, and
mosquitoes can be a real problem.
Being prepared with layered
clothing, and sun protection is a good idea especially when boating.
This part of the Sonoran desert can be extremely dry; heat, dehydration,
and sun exposure are all important factors.
Scheduling and
Reservations
 In
order to make a reservation, please open the Visitor
Form document (it is a word document), save it, fill it out
and then either fax, mail, or email it back to us. Scheduling should
be made as far in advance as possible by contacting Co-director
Ed Boyer. We require a 50% deposit in advance for groups in order
to hold reservations. Payment should be made to Prescott College
at the address given below. Upon arrival at the Center, your group
will be given an orientation by either the Administrative Coordinator
or the Field Coordinator (see Staff web
page). They will go over rules and policies, research ethics, cultural
sensitivity, safety issues and etc. with your group. Knowing when
you will arrive will help us schedule your group's orientation.
Ed Boyer, Lorayne Meltzer; Co-directors Kino
Bay Center for Cultural and Ecological Studies
Prescott College
220 Grove Ave
Prescott, AZ. 86301; (eboyer@prescott.edu;
lmeltzer@prescott.edu;
928-350-2209; 350-2236; fax 928- 776-5104)
Lodging Charges:
Prescott
College Groups
$7.50/person/day for visits that are less than block or quarter
$50/person/week
$125/person for a block course
$150/person/month for a quarter course
Non-Prescott College Groups
$15/person/day for visits that are less than block or quarter
Collaborative Research Groups
$10/person/day
$50/person/week
$200/person/month
We
require a 50% deposit from external user groups to hold a reservation. ALL groups should arrange reservations and payment through Lorayne Meltzer (lmeltzer@prescott.edu) or Ed Boyer (eboyer@prescott.edu)..
Boating Charges:
Prescott
College Groups
 Our
classes pay for Gas, Oil and Launch fees out of their course budgets
when we use our boat and our boatman. Cost is highly variable
depending on number and length of trips. Please communicate in advance with Co-directors
to schedule and budget for boat outings.
Boatman = $70/boat/day
Launch Fee = $15/boat/day
Gas = $50 - $125 depending on destination
Non-Prescott College Groups
Inshore - Pelican Island, Kino Bay and Punta San Nicholas $210 dollars
Offshore - Tiburon, Turner, and Cholludo islands $280 dollars
Offshore - San Esteban, San Pedro Maritr islands or Ensenda Blanca $370 dollars
Collaborative Research Groups
Boatman = $70/boat/day
Launch Fee = $15/boat/day
Gas = $50 - $125 depending on destination
Boat fee = $50/boat/day
Other Fees
All Groups pay the following:
Seri Permits visiting Tiburon island = $2.00/person/day
Seri Guides (natural history guides for extended trips to the islands) = $100/day
Biosphere Reserve fee for visiting San Pedro Martir island = $4.50/person/day
Gulf Island Reserve fee for visiting all islands (except Alcatraz) = $2/person/day
Non-Prescott College Groups and Collaborative Research Groups also pay for:
Snorkel Gear rental (Mask, snorkel, fins, booties) = $20/day
Classroom rental for groups not staying at the Center is $25/hour.
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