Considering the constant fragmentation of habitat, or in other words the lack of ecosystemic continuity, as a result of the current climate crisis and other causes; it is essential to understand the interdependence of species and the fragility of these ecological relationships. In this sense, a colorful, winged and full of flavors story is worth to be told, to understand the connection that exists between: bats, agave and the elaboration of spirits distilled from the latter; such as Bacanora, Mezcal and of course Tequila.

With this and other ideas in mind, several border organizations (Cuenca Los Ojos, Bat Conservation International and Borderlands Restoration Network) met in the field with a few questions: Is the nectar from the flowers of Agave palmeri a food resource for the Lesser long-nosed bat and the Mexican long- tongued bat (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae and Choeronycteris mexicana, respectively)? Is Cuenca Los Ojos (CLO) part of the habitat occupied by these winged friends along their migratory route? Is the flowering of Agave palmeri synchronous to the winter migration and therefore the nectar can be an indispensable resource? What is the conservation status of the agaves in CLO, in the face of climatic vulnerability such as drought or the agave weevil plague?

In other words, the Agave Bloom Summit (as we named the event) was a gathering around agave flowers. During August 19-23 at CLO, we had the opportunity to share experiences, work and time in the field to address our questions together. We learned techniques to collect samples of nectar available for flowering in two agaves (Agave palmeri & Agave schottii). In order to analyze them and search for eDNA (environmental DNA) of bats to learn which winged species visit and pollinate the agaves in Cuenca.