The unique El Cielo Biosphere is located in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, about 270 miles directly south of Brownsville, Texas. Here moisture laden winds from the Gulf of Mexico collide with the front range of the Sierra Madre Oriental resulting in intense precipitation, approximately 300 cm annually . This moisture supports a tropical cloud forest at an elevation between 1000-1500 meters above sea level.

The trip was during July 26-31, 2007, for the advanced drawing and studio art classes of Professor Carlos G. Gomez of the University of Texas at Brownsville.