It is hard to believe that one week from today will mark the last day of my 5 months here in the Mojave Desert. The time has absolutely flown by as it often does when you stay busy. As I read through the blog posts of my fellow CLM interns just beginning their internships I feel excited for them knowing that they are likely to have adventures similar to those I have experienced over the past few months.

One of the things I enjoyed the most about my internship was having the ability to completely immerse myself into an ecosystem that I was totally unfamiliar with before moving here. It is strange to think that only 5 short months ago I had no idea what a Joshua Tree or Creosote Bush was and the extent of my desert knowledge was: “It’s hot, dry, and home to cacti.”. This particular internship enabled me to delve into a variety of different research projects and do fieldwork in several states spanning the Mojave Desert. In the process I developed not only a familiarity with the desert but a fondness for it.

Additionally, I have been fortunate to work with so many inspiring, passionate, and hard-working USGS scientists and other CLM interns. I have learned so much from all of the individuals that I have had the pleasure of working with during my time here. I am grateful that this internship has given me the opportunity to create such meaningful personal and professional connections.

This internship has been an absolutely fantastic experience and I am sure to take the memories and lessons with me on all of my future adventures.

Thanks for reading!

-Renee Albrecht