About

Image: Ramon Ojeda

The N-Gen Summit is a four-day gathering in Álamos, Sonora for ca. 150+ members of the Sonoran Desert research community.

N-Gen Summits are watershed events that provide the space and time to advance collaborative action on the key scientific and conservation topics of the Sonoran Desert. The Álamos Summit will be an inflection point of our collective efforts.

Format

The gathering follows an (un)conference format where the agenda is dynamically created by all participants at the outset of the meeting and focuses on shared priorities through round table discussions in sessions, the core of the Summit.

An (un)conference format takes normal scientific gathering and flips it on its head. It focuses on the best part of a conference, talking to the people you want to about the topics most important to you, and makes that the whole event.

Sessions, the core of the summit, are 1.5-2 hour collaborative discussions focused on relevant topics. We expect about 30 distinct sessions covering a wide range of subjects. Session topics can be proposed on the first morning of the summit, but also can be submitted now- submit your idea today!

Images by: Griselda Guadalupe Franco Piedra, Rada SC, and Ben Wilder

Highlights

Food by Janos

We are fortunate to be partnering with the infinitely creative, award winning Chef Janos Wilder from Tucson, Arizona. Janos will be providing the food for the closing night gala dinner on Saturday, April 27th, which is included in your registration. With Jennifer MacKay, Alamos resident and Summit co-organizer, Janos will also be hosting a fundraiser dinner for the N-Gen Summit at Jennifer's beautiful El Pedregal hotel on Friday Night 4/26. Tickets to the fundraiser dinner are $125 and available for purchase as an add on to your summit registration.

Zero Waste

The 2024 N-Gen Summit 2024 is a “zero waste” event. We invite you to bring your personal items: cup(s) for your water, coffee, or beverage of choice plate, cutlery. These items will also be available for sale at the event, the proceeds directly benefiting local partners and community members. These items will be available for sale at the event, the proceeds directly benefiting local partners and community members.

La Recua Film Screening

N-Gen is honored to partner with legendary Baja California Explorer Trudi Angel to screen her recent movie "La Recua," at the Álamos Casa de Cultura, on Thursday evening 4/25. “La Recua” (the mule pack-train) is a muleback journey of more than 300 km on the Old Camino Real along the arid landscape of the Baja California Peninsula. On the journey, Dario Higuera brings to life the history of the journey, and shares with Azucena and Ramoncito, two young muleters, the ancient knowledge necessary to inhabit the desert in an adventure that seems taken out of distant times.

Field Trips

Friday, 4/26, is a day of exploration. Discover and learn from the people and landscapes of Álamos with your fellow summit attendees on one of several thematic field trips. Preliminary field trips are: Rancho Agua Nueva historic and current bacanora ranch tour; Parque La Colorada hike; Reserva Monte Mojino tour to Rancho El Guayabo and box canyon hike with a stop in El Sabinito Sur.

Cena de Clasura

The closing night of the Summit will be a special dinner at a local ranch in Álamos. We will celebrate the N-Gen awardees, have a silent auction, enjoy the amazing food of Chef Janos Wilder, sample the products of local beer and bacanora producers, and celebrate the collaborations we have formed over the previous days.

Venue

Right in the heart of Álamos is the Centro Comunitario Nelita Bours (CCNB), our venue for the 2024 N-Gen Summit. A historic building with ample space and inspirational charm, CCNB is the ideal setting for this gathering of our research community.