It’s going on my fourth month now in Rawlins, Wyoming as an amphibian intern. Since my last post, there have been many more frogs/toads and many more interesting experiences. The weather has finally gotten better. The snow eventually stopped and the sun has finally come out to stay.

My daily work schedule has involved driving around the Rawlins Field Office searching for amphibians. I have had the privilege of seeing many different types of frogs/toads including spadefoots, chorus frogs, northern leopard frog tadpoles, and even the occasional salamander. Aside from these awesome amphibians, it’s been common to see baby antelope, wild horses, and even a young badger on our surveys.

As for the landscape out here, there has been mud, giant playas, and rocky/cobble roads. I even managed to get stuck in a muddy playa. I managed to get out, but lost my wader boots in the process. The bugs have also been an obstacle this year; bug spray kind of does the trick, but constant swatting is the only way to guarantee a limited number of bites. However, these obstacles are a small aspect of the exciting work I get to take part in here.

I look forward to witnessing more of Wyoming’s wildlife as I finish out my internship position these next couple months.

Talk to you later,

Jackie Taylor

Rawlins, Wyoming

I’m going on my fourth week in Rawlins, Wyoming working as an amphibian survey intern. I have to admit my first week here was a little different than what I expected. There was lots of paper work of course and office preparation. There was also the constant rain and foot of snow we received just last week. However, each week has brought new adventures and excitement. Southern Wyoming has lots of hidden beauty, and its appeal has become increasingly visible to me over the past few weeks.

As a recent graduate of the University of New Hampshire, both the Wyoming landscape and weather were a bit of a shock to me. Both the lack of trees and consistent rain/snow made me weary of the new area. However, every week here the weather has improved, and the shrubs and grasslands have really started to grow on me. I’ve also been able to travel to many incredible areas located within the Rawlins BLM district.

The second week here we took part in a drive up to Seminoe State Park located less than an hour north of Rawlins. The combination of mountains, aspen and pine trees, and sparkling water made for an incredible sight. This trip really made me realize the unique beauty of the Wyoming Landscape.

As the weather began to warm, we were able to go out into the field and see some amphibians. My first trip out was to a series of wetlands southwest of Rawlins. This seemingly plain landscape contained an array of wildlife. As we drove into the wetland area, we were met by several ground squirrels, antelope, and a large variety of wetland birds. A closer investigation allowed us to hear several boreal chorus frogs and a few northern leopard frogs within the wetlands. This was truly an amazing area and really made me appreciate both Wyoming and the internship work itself. I am excited to be participating in something that will allow me to see such an array of wildlife and that will help bring more attention and protection of our declining amphibian populations.

Sorry no pictures yet.