The small town of Tala, located about 19 miles west of Guadalajara, harbors geological secrets so extraordinary that a team of the world’s leading volcanologists traveled here in October, spending ten days in the field to investigate them.

Guadalajara’s 13 urban parks, along with details about what each one offers, can be easily found on their website, BosquesAMG.mx.

It’s 7 a.m. at Rancho El Zapote. The air is full of early morning sounds. Loudest of all are the roosters, just meters from my tent, who have been trying to wake me up since 4 a.m.

You are likely to see more horses than cars on the cobblestone streets of Navidad, Jalisco—a pueblito nestled among the high mountains above Mascota, some 130 kilometers west of Guadalajara.

In Nahuatl, it’s known as Citlaltépetl, the Star Mountain, a shimmering snow-covered peak that dominates the horizon for hundreds of kilometers.

A small initiative that began as a summer research opportunity for Mexican undergraduate and graduate students has grown beyond the wildest dreams of its founders.