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Ever since the work of seminal natural historians such as Humboldt, Wallace, and Darwin, islands have held special fascination for biogeographers, as they have attempted to sort out patterns of distribution of plants and animals. Interestingly, island biogeography theory has become a key foundation for modern conservation biology. The Gulf of California supports an exceptional array of flora and fauna, and its many islands are considered a laboratory for evolution. Some of these uninhabited desert islands support a number of endemic species found nowhere else in the world, as well as important seabird nesting colonies and sea lion rookeries. This course offers the opportunity to understand the generation of biodiversity on islands in relation to geographical isolation and the dispersal abilities of various organisms. Through field observations, discussions, readings, lectures, and camping trips, students will study facts and patterns of species distributions and not only ask “why?” but what is sometimes even more crucial, “Why not?”SPECIAL NOTES: This class is offered at the Kino Bay Center for Cultural and Ecological Studies, Sonora, Mexico. Passport required.