Four years ago, when I went to Maine for college, I learned that blueberries could be divided into 2 different categories: high bush and low bush blueberries. Until that point, I never thought of it as such–they were just blueberries, a delicious treat! Yesterday, my understanding of blueberries was augmented further when I learned to identify six different species of blueberries–3 high bush blueberries, and 3 low blush blueberries. And, to complicate the matter more, the species of blueberries can hybridize!

Yesterday, we got to spend our day hiking a mountain, as opposed to our normal routine spent more along the coast or in fields. North Pack Monadnock is located at the end of the Wapack Trail in Greenfield, New Hampshire. In addition to getting to hike a mountain, we got to collect blueberries along the way. In other words, best day ever (and to add to it, the high temperature was only supposed to be 80 degrees!!)

View from the summit of North Pack Monadnock

To begin our day, we needed to ensure that we understood the difference between the species of blueberries. From a previous plant survey on the mountain, we knew that Common Lowbush Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium), Velvetleaf Blueberry (Vaccinium myrtilloides), Early Lowbush Blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum), and Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) are all found on the mountain. Vaccinium corymbosum is the only high bush blueberry on the list, making plants taller than about 3 feet pretty easy to identify.

Vaccinium corymbosum

However, this is not the case with low bush blueberries (the other 3 species mentioned). Vaccinium myrtilloides is the easiest to identify, as it is covered in fine hairs on both the twigs and the leaves, and feels very soft or velvety to the touch.

Vaccinium myrtilloides

Unfortunately, the ease of identification stops there. Vaccinium angustifolium and Vaccinium pallidum are very similar, and the best identifying feature according to the Flora Nova-Angliea is the width and length of the leaves. V. angustifolium has smaller, skinnier leaves for the most part. To our knowledge, we only found V. angustifolium. 

Vaccinium angustifolium

Fortunately for us, we had a species list to use to springboard our identification because in New England there are 3 species of high-bush blueberries, and 6 species of low-bush blueberries. The other species of blueberries don’t grow in the habitat where we spent our day, so thankfully really understanding those species can be saved for another day.

All in all, yesterday was a magical day spent in the woods, picking blueberries, meeting friendly dogs, and staying out of the sun!

Happy campers in the woods!

I can’t believe we are already halfway done with our internship! We have gotten to explore so many great places, and I have learned to identify so many plants. I look forward to collecting more seeds, hopefully seeing some rain, and getting to further my knowledge of plants as the internship continues!

–Julia Rogers, SOS Intern, New England Wild Flower Society

My last blog post as a CLM intern is definitely a bittersweet occasion. Although I’m excited for the next step (grad school), I will miss working with such a great team at my field office and beyond.

When I showed up for my first day at the Motherlode Field Office, I didn’t know what to expect. I remember waiting confusedly outside, not sure whether to use the public or private entrance, and not wanting to call my new mentor yet because I was a bit early. Luckily someone showed up and let me in, and Graciela (new mentor) took me under her wing, introducing me to everyone in the office.

Since then, I have gotten to visit amazing landscapes and have learned countless new skills. To avoid a making a laundry list, I will highlight three of my biggest take away lessons.

First and foremost, I learned how to work in a team. I have always been an independent person, generally preferring to work alone rather than in a group; but of course a nationwide effort like SOS can’t materialize from a bunch of lonely botanists refusing to talk to one another. Working with my mentor and coworkers, and training new volunteers and interns, taught me a lot about how to coordinate the efforts of many people towards a single goal and how powerful it is to do so.

Another big take away was to be ready for anything and that attitude is key. The nature of our fieldwork is such that plans can easily go awry – weather, dead electronics, locked gates, steep hikes, and countless other obstacles can stand in between you and your 10,000 seeds. Staying positive and on task no matter what was crucial in this internship and has been a good general life skill.

Last, I have learned that opportunities will unfold if you seek them earnestly and enthusiastically. Graciela and other BLM/CLM employees have opened so many doors for me – I am grateful and humbled to be moving on to my next step with such wonderful allies.  Thanks to all, and best of luck to current and future CLMers!

I took this photo in my first week.  My mentor and hero, Graciela Hinshaw, alongside a rare Ceanothus roderickii

Castilleja foliosa, one of my all time favorite plants!

Bounty has come to us in Northern Country. In the form of seed. So many varieties each sporting their own colors, sizes, textures, shapes, and personalities. It is no easy feat to scope seed and have timing just so for a successful harvest in a land this vast. The target areas for Seeds of Success (SOS) collections this year were the White Mountains up the Steese Highway (Northeast of Fairbanks) and Dalton Highway around Coldfoot (North of the Arctic Circle). That’s right seed collecting North of the Arctic Circle, how wild and how wonderful. Both locations yielded productive collections. The White Mountains charmed us with their blustery alpine tundra and challenged us with the sedge seed succumbing to blight. Up the Dalton Highway we were surprised to see fall colors descending down the hillsides heralding the season’s change. Some highlights include our hands being dyed pink by the fireweed, our ears entertained by the musical pea seeds, and our eyes held in wonder at the Dr Seuss like fluff of the Eriophorum.

Much thanks and happy harvesting! Kim Hack

Blight on a sedge.

Oxytropis deflexa ripe for the picking.

A bumble bee visiting a cheery Potentilla fruticosa

Pillars of Pedicularis seed.

Seed collectors, Justin Fulkerson and Sam Snodgrass, must be mighty in the alpine

Feathery beauty of the Calamagrostis.

Fall colors have begun north of the Arctic Circle.

Barbed wire like seed must be plucked with caution.

Avalanche of seed overtakes Justin Fulkerson.

Eriophorum seed makes a compelling mustache on Justin Fulkerson.

Eriophorum seed makes for a lush fluffy bed.

Six months ago, I had never even visited a desert, never experienced 110°F+ temperatures, and never heard of Needles, CA. I did have a B.A. in biology, some field experience, and a willingness to learn new things outside my comfort zone. My main goal when I accepted this internship was to gain field experience and skills that would help advance my career. I definitely checked those boxes during my time at the BLM Needles Field Office.

The most surprising thing to me when I first came to the Mojave was how alive it all was. I’d always thought of deserts as dry, sanding places with a few straggly tumbleweeds. And maybe a lizard or two. In reality, the Mojave supports tons of flora and fauna—some of which I had never even heard of. Case in point: ocotillo.

Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens)

Ultimately, I’m really glad I accepted this internship. It gave me the opportunity to gain field experience within a government agency in an ecosystem that was completely different from anywhere I had ever been before. If you’re considering applying to the program, I definitely think you should go for it.

Advice for future interns:

As with any new experience, what you get out of it ultimately depends on you—your willingness to learn new skills, your openness to new ideas or ways of doing things, and your outlook on the internship at large.

Remember that you are part of something bigger. You may sometimes question whether what you’re doing actually matters, or you might feel like you’re not doing enough. Trust me, it matters. You may only make a few seed collections or map a small percentage of populations during your field season, but you are just one of many people doing that same thing in different places throughout the country over a period of several years. Any seeds or information or whatever it is that you can deliver during that time is adding to the overall seedbank or scientific knowledge. Don’t undersell that. Be proud.

Drink water. Lots of water. Lots and lots of water. And wear sunblock. And a hat.

Your fellow interns are your friends. If you’re lucky enough to be stationed somewhere with other interns, use that support system—especially if you’re in an isolated area like Needles.

Perspective is everything. If you start an internship and it doesn’t quite meet your original expectations, that doesn’t mean that you made a mistake or that you’re wasting your time. It just means that your internship will be a little different than what you thought it would be.

Don’t let the clicking creosote bushes scare you. It’s just a grasshopper.

Happy Trails

Jessica Samuelson

BLM Needles Field Office

• A special note to future CLMers in Pinedale: go to the Great Outdoors Shop and ask about this loop — they can tell you all about it and supply you with any maps or accessories you need. You have to do this hike while you’re here!

“This was the best I have seen of the Winds,” claimed Lara (she does a lot of hiking around WY area). I feel so very fortunate to have her as a friend/partner in crime/hiking guru. I learned so much from her this past weekend, and look forward to the continuation of our adventures.

This is a “lollipop” loop trail, about 34 miles in total. Unless you are like Lara and I, who just can’t help but hike off course to see some of the other pristine lakes in the area (recommended), or get kind of lost every now and then, you should plan for 40.

Passing up and over two mountain saddles, crossing a number of streams, scrambling across a boulder field, along bountiful alpine lakes and forests, meadows and basins, this hike holds the absolute beauty of the Wind River Range for the adventurous spirits.

If I were to do this hike again, I would love to spend at least 4 or 5 days in order to smell all of the flowers and spend more time fishing the lakes. However, we only had one weekend, and Lara is a bit crazy, so she convinced me that we could do this in 2.5 days.

The first 6-7 miles gently roles uphill in a dense, shaded pine/spruce/fir forest, then through a meadow sprinkled with boulders and trees with a backdrop of the mountains that faithfully await you.

Dad’s lake is the first major landmark you will reach, about 6 miles in. Follow signs toward Marm’s Lake and Pyramid Lake.

This is Trigger. He technically belongs to Lara but I wish he lived with me.

You will see Pyramid Peak and Mount Hooker ahead. Before the lake is a junction that takes you up to Hailey’s Pass, marked with a wooden sign on the ground. Dumbfounded with the views ahead and unaware of our pace, we cruised right by the sign. Staying straight will take you up to Pyramid Lake, around 3 miles there and back to the junction. This lake was absolutely gorgeous, a must see for this hike in my opinion. So, I was glad we missed the turn off point. I would even suggest camping here if you have time. If you don’t’ have time, you should create some and stay.

The ascent to Hailey’s Pass is steep, but the views surrounding you will keep your feet moving.

top of Hailey’s Pass

Also very steep is the decent, with a loose-gravel trail that winds down the east side of the pass. With the weight of your pack and heavy winds, your adrenaline is sure to kick-in high gear. Bring your trekking poles for this one! Or grab a walking stick before the climb.

Lacking trekking poles, this really was the best way to crawl down without injury, for us. I tried to stay on my two feet and was humbled to the ground twice. Continuously I was being teased by the views and tempted to look up and out over the pass. Each time I would lose my footing and slip.  My pants became gluteless-chaps in this process. Literally, the backside of my pants was ripped off. This was the only pair I brought, so I decided to follow and not lead the rest of the trip out of curtesy.

Slowly but steadily, you will make it.

Our goal was to make it to Grave Lake to camp, but again got a bit side-tracked. We ended up on the wrong side of the stream about a half mile from where we should have crossed to continue on. The sun was about to set and we felt exhausted, so we pitched camp along a creek with Grave Lake as our first destination in the morning.

Shortly after you cross the creek is a sign for Baptiste Lake just 1.6 miles away. Lara gave me this puppy-eyed look and asked what I thought. In her head I know she was thinking please say yes, please say yes! We stood there for a while just staring at the junction, and finally decided to go for it.

Baptiste Lake

Grave Lake

Grave Lake

Who told you that there were no beaches in Wyoming?

We were surprised by a boulder field around the side of Grave Lake. It was a challenge, but we were more concerned for Trigger than anything. After watching him bounce from boulder to boulder with ease, we realized he was much better off than we were.

Washakie Pass

view from the top of Washakie

After Washakie Pass and back to the junction at Skull Lake, you will have completed the “lollipop” of the loop and will finish out the way you came in.

Happy Trails

Val Stacey

Pinedale, WY

As I write I am starting my second to last week here at the Grants Pass Interagency Office. Kiki and I have completed her FRGE field collection and so have finished going out in the field together. She is stuck in the office while I tag along with whoever needs help in the field.

Kiki and I had one last FRGE visit to do before we went to ESA and it was a wonderful day! The weather was nice and the views were pretty. We walked along a dry creek bed full of dragonflies and through a pleasant oak woodland. Our site itself was inside a stand of Ceanothus cuteanus, which wasn’t very pleasant. But we ate lunch on a decommissioned road under the pines and doug firs. It was a nice day! I’ve really enjoyed visiting rare plant sites with Kiki, we’ve had a great time. I’ll certainly miss exploring the backcountry with her!

Our last site was in the Butte Falls resource area. It looks a lot like this!

The poison oak has started to turn this pretty pink color. It looks harmless! (it isn’t)

This is what we look like after a successful day of back country hiking. BeWILDered. haha

We had to park on BLM land that was right next to someones farm. When we made it back to the truck these cute farm dogs came and checked us out. They were sweet!

Kiki and I started our internship in March so we didn’t attend the training in Chicago. Instead, we went to the Ecological Society of America conference last week! It was in sunny Ft Lauderdale, Florida! Except it wasn’t so sunny, which turned out to be a blessing because it was still horrifically hot and humid. But we had a great time! There’s so much interesting research going on all around the world, it makes me really excited to go on to graduate school!

Our hotel was right on the marina. We ate lunch overlooking the water quite a bit~

And we often watched the sun set over the marina.

Almost all of our time was spent listening to talks at the conference, but we made time to hit the beach one afternoon. The water was really warm.. like a bath. And the sand was hot like coal embers.

This is a bad picture but we took a water taxi back to the hotel from the beach! It was a fun experience.

With our FRGE work done Kiki and I are sometimes enlisted to help with seed collection. The Medford district is huge and very diverse, so there is no shortage of seed to be collected here! Our Botany crew can knock out a collection in a few hours, easy!

The crew is collecting Horkelia in French Flat. It’s a pretty spot!

Kiki was feeling a little hot and exposed, though. This pose is what we in the biz call ‘collection dejection’.

This week I got to help with a trash cleanup project in a place called Reeve’s Creek. People dump their trash here instead of taking it to the dump because it’s cheaper to just throw trash away on BLM land. But it’s also incredibly disgusting. As we were picking up the huge amount of trash in one of the drainages on the side of the road, I wondered if the people knew that some poor intern was going to have to clean up their huge mess one day. Or that their habit of dumping on public lands is a really awful one. Do they feel guilty, I wondered? Do they have trouble sleeping? We packed up four overflowing truck-beds worth of trash and we barely made a dent. Do they know how we suffer when we’re cleaning up their mess? Anyway, it was an awful experience. But my boss Mr Wender said that without suffering we’d never know when we were experiencing happiness. This may seem dramatic but honestly, a few hours of picking up a huge amount of household trash in the hot hot heat is not fun! I would not recommend it!

Someone put old headphones on this cute little stuffed animal to add some whimsy to the event.

The whimsy is lost when the toy is sitting on a throne of garbage.

Anyway, this week I’ll be saying goodbye to Queen Nasty herself, Kiki Fahey. We were the dream team this summer. I never dared to hope that I’d get along so well with the person I’d be spending my work days with, but we have so much fun together! Whether it’s playing basketball with grapes or cherry tomatoes where the hoops are our mouths, singing along with Drake or Janelle Monae or Kiki’s fave Down with the Sickness, or laughing at jokes that are questionable at best, we always had a great time. I’m sad to see her go but I know she’ll do excessively well in her masters program at Northwestern.

She’s Queen Nasty because she eats grapes and cherry tomatoes off the ground.

And you know we’re always playing scrabble!

Next week is my last week. It doesn’t seem real, but I’m excited to be going to home see my family and to have some time to focus on looking at graduate schools!

Anyway, it’s been a hoot and a half!

Lillie P

Goodness, how time flies! We are about half way done with our internship already! While the beginning of the summer focused more on scouting out sites for plants we were able to collect, we are now finally getting into the full swing of seed collecting season. We’ve made over 40 collections so far (sometimes up to five in one day) covering all five New England coastal states. We’ve voyaged over seas of sand dunes, gotten sucked into mud waist-deep, narrowly escaped endless clouds of mosquitos, bushwhacked through 10-foot tall stands of Phragmites, walked through creeks chest-high in water, canoed through rivers that were more plant-matter than water, and had a few lucky days of being caught in the rain – a very welcome way to cool off. Every day has been a different adventure with new things to learn. It’s been a very immersive (figuratively and literally) way to experience the natural world, and I’ve been enjoying every bit of it.

The rare winged monkey-flower (Mimulus alatus) – totally worth the wading through a creek up to our chests!

These seeds drying in pans really brighten up our living room, but our neighbors think we are really weird…

Our first fleshy fruit collection! Gaylussacia baccata (black huckleberry).

Currently most of New England is in a moderate to severe drought. Although we don’t have enough comparative data to draw any solid conclusions, we are pretty sure that the drought has been impacting many of the plants very badly this year. Last week were in a small salt marsh in Southern CT, when we came across a huge patch of Schoenoplectus pungens (three-square bulrush). There were plenty of plants to collect from, however after sampling a few of them we realized it wouldn’t be worth it. The seeds were either absent or had turned to mush, the top half of the plants yellow and sun-scorched. Similarly, there have been several times now that we’ve witnessed a very distraught population of Juncus gerardii (black grass). This is one of the four main component species of a salt marsh, usually filling the landscape of the upper marsh area. Most of our sites with J. gerardii have massive populations, yet we are having trouble finding good seed – some we have had to not even attempt a collection from. According to our mentor and last year’s records, J. gerardii should have plenty of seeds available for collection well into August.

Great Marsh, Barnstable, MA. Most of the green here is composed of Juncus gerardii, but we haven’t been able to collect it here because the seeds simply were not there. But it is still a really beautiful site.

I don’t think I would have fully understood the effects of the drought if I hadn’t been out in the field this summer. It’s one thing to read or hear about something like this, but it’s another thing to see it up close. And it’s a third thing to experience it. Because we have been out in the field during the hottest parts of the day, I found I’m able to empathize with these plants on a much more personal level. However, we know that at the end of the day we will catch a breeze in our air-conditioned cars, fill up water bottles from a cold faucet, and eat a nutrient-balanced meal. The plants and animals in these habitats can’t make that assumption, especially during a drought like this. Being out there with these plants on a daily basis is helping me not take these gifts essential for our survival for granted… Yet for those few hours of our day, we are united in our experience. We’ve been drained and wilted under the relentless heat, and we’ve been dancing and laughing and re-energized during the rains. I like to think that the plants are having the same reactions too – we are just much more vocal about it.

Dry/dead Juncus gerardii at Great Marsh, Barnstable, MA. Sometimes you have to just make the best of the situation…

…and take a nap in the salt marsh 🙂

Here’s to hoping for more rain, and moving forward with gratitude.

—

Krista Heilmann

Seeds of Success East Intern

New England Wild Flower Society

Framingham, MA

It’s crazy that summer’s over. I don’t mean my internship – that still has several months left – but summer itself. We’ve had weeks of crazed collections and 95+ degree days, but now the highs are in the 80s, it’s begun to rain again, and we only have a handful of species to collect.

Besides filling out herbarium labels and sending off the rest of our seeds, we’re starting to move onto other projects. Some of them are plants-based, such as pre- and post- aspen treatment monitoring and abandoned mine land restoration replanting. Others are wildlife-based, like prairie dog surveys. We’re not really sure exactly what the next couple of months will hold, but there are a lot of cool projects that we’ll get to help out on.

Outside of work, our lives have settled into routine. Evenings generally leave time for one extra activity before dinner, and three-day weekends encourage a lazy day before adventures. I’ve been in a slump for a couple of weeks, but gained some momentum last weekend and went backpacking in the Tetons with other Lander interns. I’m tied to Lander for a couple weeks while housesitting, and I’m hoping to stay out of the lazy funk and do some local climbing and general getting-my-life-together things.

Yep. August.

BLM – Lander Field Office