Greetings from Taos, New Mexico.

It has been almost 2 months since I landed in this small, unique town tucked beneath the mysterious and grandiose Sangre de Cristo mountains. The summer is already flying by before my very eyes, but I am savoring every second of it. I remember my first moments of arrival here, being immediately awestruck by the massive dark blue mountains contrasting the sprawling silver-green sage brush land beneath it. The words of friends who have visited Taos echoed in my mind, and I finally understood what they meant of the magic feeling of this place. The land of enchantment is quite an apt description of New Mexico. Taos is an eclectic town with a wide variety of people that live here. The food here is tasty, and I have been thoroughly enjoying New Mexican food, i.e. smothering everything in green chile. There seems to be a lot to do here, whether it be seeing live music, going to the farmer’s market, getting a drink at the Mesa Brewery, attending a festival, floating down the Rio Grande. And you can’t forget the fantastic access to the gorgeous mountains and forests surrounding the town.

Backpack trip up to Trampas Lake

Working in the Taos BLM office has been an interesting and educational experience. The SoS Interns, myself and three others, have made 6 seed collections so far. I’ve  grown to thoroughly enjoy the process of collecting seeds; it can be a very relaxing and meditative activity. As someone who has only worked field jobs in the Northwest, I am learning a lot about Southwestern flora. The plants here are quite beautiful and interesting. I love seeing all the different kinds of cactus and their striking flowers, as well as the numerous species of the pretty Penstemon here.

Two weeks ago, our seed collection duties were put on hold for an emergency rare plant survey. Astragalus ripleyii, a BLM sensitive species, was found on a plot of land that was due to be treated. The treatment involves disking, a disruptive method which uses a large disk to tear up the sage brush in order to allow more grass to grow. However, because this rare species of Astragalus was found, a plant survey was needed in order to map out its populations to include buffer areas around them. Thus, the SoS team, and the occasional special guest, went out for 8 days, scanning 300 + acres of land for Astragalus ripleyii. In the end, we found around 6 populations. I am glad I got the chance to conduct my first rare plant survey, as well as learn about this particular type of land management and the politics behind it.

looking for ripleyii

Finally, this past week I had the opportunity to go out with the Taos AIM crew (Assessment Inventory and Monitoring) for a few days and collect data with them. It felt good to go out on a hitch, doing plots and camping afterwards. I recorded some data for them, as well as conducted some Point-Intercept lines. I also took part in identifying soils, which involves digging a soil pit 70 cm deep, classifying and analyzing the various layers within it. It was pretty interesting to see how the soil layers changed the deeper you went, and interpreting its role in the plant communities present. The next day, we got stuck in the mud on our way to a plot in the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. There have been unusual thunderstorms pretty consistently the past couple weeks, and as a result, the dirt roads many of us BLM workers have to take turn to pudding. We dug for a while without success, and called in on the truck radio to dispatch (which was exciting and kind of nerve-wrecking) to ask for a fire crew to help us. They eventually came to our rescue, and we learned some things about getting trucks unstuck (which involves gunning it and rapidly turning the wheel left and right to wiggle it out). Later that day at a plot off a solid, paved road, we got close and personal with a rattlesnake! Overall, it was an eventful and exciting hitch, and I hope to go out with them again in the future.

Hello again!

Post-storm

Since the last update, we have been working diligently on data organization and analysis. Note-worthy trends have revealed themselves, such as vegetation differences between the open and shrub covered quads, the plant communities at different sites, and presence of non-native plants, some of which, for example Bromus rubens, are not very beneficial to tortoises. However, we must leave the tortoise forage project on the table for a short time while we begin a new one!

I just returned from our first week sampling vegetation in abandoned oil drilling sites on the Colorado Plateau in eastern Utah. We are sampling in Coleogyne ramosissima (black brush) and Artemisia spp. plant communities in different climate zones and lengths of time since abandonment. The more recent sites tend to foster more Salsola (Russian thistle – typical tumbleweed) than the older sites, and the older sites foster different perennials than undisturbed sites. Restoration efforts employed more recently will definitely add an interesting component. Very fascinating findings so far!

Just look at all that Salsola! Note – oil drill site cap in center

In addition to vegetation sampling and learning a plethora of new plants, fieldwork in southeastern Utah consists of riding out brief but intense lightning storms and heavy rain, watching flash floods as they flow by, and camping among hoodoos (precariously eroded pillars of multiple different layers of sedimentary rock). Driving through Monument Valley (igneous intrusions – Alhambra formation) was definitely a highlight!

Monument Valley – ignenous Alhambra formations

Amanda

USGS, Henderson, NV

Last time I wrote, I was about to leave for the CLM workshop in Chicago, so that feels like the right place to start off this blog entry. In short, it was awesome! The workshop was such a great experience for so many reasons. I really enjoyed getting to meet my fellow interns, the workshop information was great, I got to explore Chicago a little bit, the Chicago Botanic Garden is breathtaking, and to be honest, the food they provided was pretty amazing! The workshops included monitoring & inventory methods, plant identification, conservation genetics, and Seeds of Success training.

That’s me being super touristy on the Sky Deck at the Willis Tower.

Being in the mid-west again gave me a little taste of home. Seeing the dense green vegetation of the woods was a sight for sore eyes. I’m absolutely loving the southwest, but I have to admit, I do miss my forests back home.

The amazing Carol Dawson helping us to identify plants on the CBG grounds.

Honestly, I could spend another week at the Chicago Botanic Garden. It was amazing. Between the green houses and the expertly curated gardens, there was just so much to see, learn, and appreciate. I can’t wait to go back! I told my husband we need to go when I get back home.

I wish I had caught the name of this beauty, but I was too distracted taking pictures of it.  This was in one of the many greenhouses. I just think it is breathtaking.

Getting to meet the other interns was one of my favorite parts of the workshop. Being surrounded by biologists was pretty wonderful. I enjoyed listening to what they’ve been working on and where they hope their career takes them. I made a lot of acquaintances, but also built some solid friendships. Here’s an awesome group of ladies with whom I got to make some great memories.

Kayla, Erin, Ginny, and me exploring the gardens together.

I had no idea I was going to find my twin in Chicago! Not only did Kayla and I own the same outfit, we happened to wear it on the same day. Needless to say there was a lot of laughing and a friendship quickly emerged.

To wrap up the week-long workshop, we got to attend the Janet Meakin Poor Symposium and learn about large-scale ecosystem restoration efforts.

The speakers took questions at the end of the symposium.

While Chicago was great, it was nice to get back to the grind and back into the field. We were welcomed back to Utah by four fledgling prairie falcons. I can’t put into words how incredible it was to watch as those young birds learned how to fly!

Two of the 4 prairie falcons at the nest. They would go to the edge, flap their wings to strengthen their flight muscles, squawk a lot, and more often than not, chicken out and hop into their cavity. Eventually though, we got to see all of them fly!

We had been working on completing a general wildlife/raptor monitoring and inventory project in a PJ (pinyon pine/juniper) and sagebrush dominated community before we left, and were able to join the rest of our team and finish that up. Since then, Zach and I have been balancing report writing and collecting native seeds for the Seeds of Success (SOS) program. We have had the opportunity to partner with two fellow CLM interns from a nearby town for in-the-field SOS training. Sam and Ellie showed us around and helped us to identify the particular species we’re interested in collecting in Utah. While I am very happy to be a wildlife tech, it has been nice to work on my plant identification skills and enjoy the laid back process of seed collecting.

Eating lunch and learning plants with Sam, Ellie, and Zach.

The beautiful Sego Lily (Calochortus nuttallii). While looking for some of our target SOS species I stumbled upon this wonderful flower, which happens to be the Utah state flower!

Last but certainly not least, my most recent exciting experience has been prairie dog capture and relocation training. I was able to train with the local Department of Natural Resources and learn to capture, sex, weigh, handle, and ear-tag the Utah prairie dog. Since this is a threatened species, there is an effort to partner with landowners who do not want them on their property and relocate them to a new, suitable area. I will be getting to work more on this project in later in the year and I can’t wait.

I’ll leave you with this photo of the adorable little Utah prairie dog.

This past week the SOS East group visited the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We started on Hatteras Island after a 4 hour drive from our home base in Chapel Hill. Meeting up in separate vehicles at the Hatteras Lighthouse parking lot, we drove together to the Buxton Woods Coastal Preserve to begin our day of site monitoring, species identification, and seed collection.

We started off by getting a good sense of the diversity in plant species at the site. In the tidal marsh area on the Sound side of the island, we saw lots of potential. With big populations of Typha angustifolia and latifolia, Juncus roemerianus, and Schoenoplectus americanus, among others, this is sure to be a fantastic spot to return to in the coming months.

During this particular visit, we split into pairs and collected both Juncus roemerianus (Black Needle Rush) and Schoenoplectus americanus (Chairmaker’s Bulrush). The Juncus, for those of you who are not familiar, is strikingly dark in color when seen in large patches, and you may be able to point it out in the image above in the background on the right. It also requires gloves and at the very least some thick pants and sleeves to protect your skin from the needle-sharp leaves. The Schoenoplectus, on the other hand, is easy to collect from, with seed heads neatly arranged near the tip of the waist-high plant in easy to see clusters.

Our next stop was way up north, almost two hours up NC 12 along the Atlantic coast on Pine Island, just North of Duck and Kill Devil Hills. There we stayed at the Pine Island Sanctuary and spent the afternoon and following morning surveying and collecting more seeds. We ended up collecting an impressive amount of berries from Vaccinium fuscatum (Black Highbush Blueberry). Although not as tasty as our store bought (or farm fresh) Vaccinium corymbosum, this berry is abundant on its bush, and was a nice treat for us in the heat of our hot NC summer. We also made collections of Juncus effusus and Eleocharis fallax.

As we prepared for our next site, I found this little guy on my car:

Our next stop was Currituck Banks Estuarine Preserve, further north on NC 12. Although we weren’t able to see any of its famed wild horses on the beach, or its elusive wild boars, we did see lots and lots of stunning panoramic views from atop its sandy dunes!

Here we began a collection, the following morning, of Prunus serotina (Black Cherry). Despite the name, care should be taken if the berries are eaten. Any bit of the seed that is crushed by your teeth while eating the flesh will release enzymes that can convert the harmless amygdalin (found in the flesh), to cyanide. So don’t chew on the seeds!

The other beautiful view we got during our time there was in what I understand to be a maritime forest. Lots of interesting trees here!

Our last stop was Kitty Hawk Woods, where we had a nice hike through the woods to the Sound Side, accompanied by a student Intern from the University of Mars Hill in the mountains just north of Asheville, NC. We will be sure to return for more surveying, collecting, and good company.

Until next time.

In early June, I began working as part of the Seeds of Success (SOS) East program stationed at the North Carolina Botanical Garden.  The first few weeks were full of training, herbarium research, organizing gear, searching for potential collection sites, making contacts, and applying for permits.  These are all essential tasks of course, but after a few weeks of mostly indoors work, the crew was more than a little antsy to get into the field.

Within the past week, our permits to collect seed have begun to roll in.  This was fantastic news for us, because it meant we got to load up and ship out to the North Carolina Outer Banks on Tuesday morning!  Our first foray was into the Buxton Woods Coastal Reserve, right next to the Cape Hatteras lighthouse.  The Outer Banks is a chain of barrier islands; thin strips of sand separating the mainland coast and Pamlico Sound from the Atlantic Ocean.  The islands measure about 3 miles at their very widest points, making it convenient to investigate both the sound side and the ocean side coasts.   The Outer Banks is naturally the first part of the North Carolina coast to absorb the effects of hurricanes coming in off the Atlantic.   SOS focuses on species that will colonize and stabilize coastal areas, particularly after hurricane damage, so these islands are a great place to find what we are looking for.  We have a list of about 160 species targeted for collection.

As soon as we got out and began looking around at Buxton Woods, I was grateful for all the time we have spent in the herbarium and in the keys researching some of our species that may get confused.  Having moved to the Southeast fairly recently from the Pacific Northwest, I’ve been confronted with dozens and dozens of unfamiliar taxa.  While I can say that my knowledge of the Southeastern flora has grown by leaps and bounds over the past month, I still have so much to learn!  Even so, our study of the species list really paid off.  Before last month, I couldn’t have told you anything about Schoenoplectus americanus, which is a type of brackish-marsh dwelling sedge also known as chairmaker’s bulrush.  At this point, however, I think I will forever recognize Schoenoplectus and the closely-related Bolboschoenus species when I come across them in their watery habitats.  S. americanus was one of the first collections we made at Buxton Woods, along with seeds from Juncus roemerianus (black needle rush).  I quickly learned to be cautious where you step, not only because of the water mocassins (!), but because the deep marshy mud will suck the boots right off your feet!

Ground level view of Schoenoplectus americanus and Eleocharis fallax, two of the species my crew collected seeds from this week.

Getting those first seeds into the bag was deeply satisfying for me.  We were finally doing what we came here to do!  The rest of the week was spent exploring the Coastal Reserve system on the Outer Banks, which includes the Currituck Banks and Kitty Hawk Woods Coastal Reserves, in addition to Buxton Woods.  We also made collections at the Pine Island Audubon Santuary, where we were fortunate enough to stay at a bunk house on the property.  We made about 6 collections for SOS, and did quite a bit of scouting to see which sites contained our species of interest, and where these species were in terms of phenology.  I kept a running list of which species we found at each site, which is helping me to learn the plants better and will be useful when we plan to return to each site. Many of the plants we looked at were either still in the vegetative stage, or had just begun to flower.  We will revisit each site at intervals through the season to capture the full spectrum of seed maturity times.

My crew hard at work pressing specimens and recording data on Pine Island Audubon Sanctuary

Rhexia mariana, or Maryland Meadow-beauty. This is a species we will revisit at Pine Island in the next month to see when the seeds are mature.

The view out from the dunes at Currituck Banks Coastal Reserve.

We will return to the North Carolina coast next week to continue our collections and reconnaissance.  The crew is moving into the full swing of field season, and it feels good.  I’ll be saving up our stories until next time.

Til then, cheers!  And watch out for snakes.

Emily

A couple weeks ago, I was asked to introduce the Pine Hill Preserve to a group of high school students. The task of introducing the preserve and its mission in a compelling way felt like a challenge. The landscape of the preserve is dry, thorny, steep, and shrubby. It lacks most of the features that usually attract people to the outdoors – and in fact, it wasn’t really protected for the purpose of recreation in the first place. Instead, the primary mission of the preserve is to protect several species of rare plants.

Around the same time, we found out that a new species – Carex xerophila, named in 2014 – may constitute a new rare plant for the preserve. Before this sedge was recognized as a unique species, it had been lumped in with Carex brainerdii and Carex rossii in the Pine Hill Preserve area.

Inflorescence from the newly described Carex xerophila

As I considered the possible addition of this new rare plant and my upcoming task of presenting the preserve, I got to thinking about the philosophy behind rare plant conservation. Is it truly important to prevent species from going extinct? If so, why?

There are a few go-to responses to the question of why to protect rare plants. One is that if a species goes extinct, there are likely to be unforeseen consequences for the entire habitat. In complicated ecosystems where pollinators, primary producers, predators, and prey are tightly intertwined, it is nearly impossible for us to predict what will happen when a species disappears.

Another is that individual species of plants can be immensely valuable to humans in ways that aren’t always obvious. Medicinal plants are a good example – many of the compounds used in pharmaceuticals come directly from plants. So, when we drive a plant to extinction, we could be losing an effective treatment or even a cure for some human ailment.

But is it worthwhile to protect a species even if it isn’t a linchpin in its ecosystem, and even if it doesn’t hold any secrets for our well-being? I think that protecting a species from extinction could be justified as a simple demonstration of respect for life. We don’t understand very much about many species, and in some ways we don’t know very much about life itself – so perhaps we should prevent extinction simply out of deference to the unknown.

Carex xerophila at Pine Hill Preserve (low shrub on bare soil)

Hey there,

It’s Erin checking in from Lakeview, this time with a few visuals. So far, I have been working in Oregon for about two months. Lakeview surely hasn’t changed since my arrival, but my outlook on the surrounding landscape has. As for the town, I have been exploring more and have come across the little things that make Lakeview standout. Although it’s not a big city with great diversity or numerous places of local commerce, this makes room for its own quirky spots and artwork.

Here is a sign advertising Lakeview as the “tallest town in Oregon.”

I stumbled upon this quaint piece of artwork in a surely unvisited alleyway in town.

As for the surrounding landscape, I have rounded up cattle trailers full of information on local flora, fauna, and landforms that makeup the “outback.” Since my first week at the BLM we have made a total of 12 collections, including the beautiful Astragalus lentiginosus.

Astragalus lentiginosus (Freckled Milkvetch)

As well as collections, we have made plenty of optimistic vouchers. One of my favorites is the complementary colored and charming Calchortus macrocarpus.

Calchortus macrocarpus (Mariposa Lilly)

A few of my favorite species that we’ve stumbled upon are in the Polemoniaceae and Asclepiadaceae families.

Linanthus ciliatus (Wickerbrush)

Asclepias speciosa (Showy Milkweed)

Asclepias fascicularis (Narrow Leaf Milkweed)

A few notable activities since I have started: Visiting Bend, Oregon for a very informative  grass workshop under the Carex Working Group, and the vehicle rodeo put on by the BLM to test our driving skills.

Vehicle Rodeo at the Lake County Fairgrounds

Grass workshop in Bend

Although the local forbs and artwork have left me wide eyed and breezy, the tempestuous weather the past two weeks has been quite the challenge in the field- starting with temperatures above 100 degrees last week, to the thunderous rain of this week, and ending in a dust storm last night- has combined to create an awe inspiring finish to the week.

A rainbow over the Warner Mountains.

-Erin

It has been a bittersweet time this month as it will be on of my last in this part of the state. I am going to be leaving intern status to start my Permanent GS 9/11 gig in Rawlins, Wyoming.  I have been applying for permanent archaeology jobs for 5 years and never getting callbacks.  Then all the sudden I had 3 interviews at once. However leaving a place you love for a job is tough, but a career has to start somewhere! This last month I have been doing tons of fieldwork in some of the more interesting and scenic parts of the field office. This field season I have surveyed hundreds of acres of BLM surface and found very few sites, however a lack of sites is important scientific information as well. It’s going to be tough to leave a  office I have been in for four years, but I am sure many cool new mountains and archaeological sites await.