I find it hard to believe that 5 months have passed.  It feels awkward to walk out the front door and feel a cool breeze rather than a sweltering heat wave.  Moving from Chicago to Southeast California was a definite shock when the internship began.  Reflecting upon my experiences out west I can say that I feel less anxious and irritable.  I have retained some cynicism but nonetheless I am at ease when talking with my superiors and working in groups.  My time in the BLM office has definitely prepared me for a job in the future where I will have to work with people who may or may not share common values.  As a professional I feel that I have gained a great deal of experience doing independent work.  There were many occasions when I had to work solo in the field with little information about where I was venturing.  Every time I drove out of the office parking lot in the work vehicle was taking a great risk.  The venomous snakes, summer heat and abandoned mine shafts were always looming threats.  As tacky as it may sound, I feel like more of a man after the internship.

Rewarding experiences that stand out would have to include my bat surveys with expert Patricia Brown.  I partnered with Pat on more than ten occasions to visit abandoned mines and track bat entries and exits with night vision.  Not only did I have the joy of using expensive, militaristic equipment but I also witnessed some fascinating bat behavior.  I don’t know many people who can say that they have worked this closely with flying, nocturnal mammals.  The rattlesnakes that scared me while navigating dark mountainsides with only a headlamp also added to the fun.  Another rewarding experience was the day I substituted our front desk man Murl.  I talked to visitors from all around the country (many who were driving route 66 to LA) as well as some Europeans who were exploring “the land of gold and cowboys”.  It was a challenge to describe a region that I was only beginning to understand to these visitors, but it brought satisfaction that I made their trip less confusing and more exciting.  Last but not least I cannot stress how great the Grand Canyon workshop was.  I wish I could see the other interns again because many of them felt like old friends despite only knowing them for five days or more.  The smores cookout, the ethnobotany class and the weekend hike down to the bottom of Grand Canyon are all moments I will cherish.  New interns that do not attend the workshop will surely miss out.

CLM Blog Update #2

August 9^th, 2010

Hello again from the BLM office in Needles, CA.  I am surprised to find myself getting used to the ridiculous heat.  Light clothing, sun block, shades and plenty of water have kept me going.  It’s going to be very interesting to return to Chicago and be raking leaves during a chilly November.

The internship has been a great experience thus far.  I had the pleasure to assist some coworkers with a birding presentation at the local library in mid-July.  Despite a young audience, most of the kids were very engaged in the discussion and excited to answer quiz questions.  Perhaps they will take time in the near future to visit our parks and identify wildlife.  It is always nice to get involved with the community and work outside the office.

I also had the fortune to help with bat surveys in the San Bernadino County.  On July 19^th I helped some graduate students and volunteers to catch bats with mist nets in a wildlife refuge near Lake Havasu.  We identified species, gender, forearm length and general health for each bat. This was the first time I held bats.  I finally felt like one of the scientists seen on Discovery Channel or Animal Planet television programs.

On the note of bat biology, I also spent two days helping a bat scientist, Pat, and her mine-exploration partner, Eric, to locate abandoned mine shafts and assess future courses of action.  Do not fret – I did not enter the mine shafts.  The other Eric did that risky work.  Though many of these mine shafts are scheduled to be sealed, some serve as homes for bats and owls.  Eric even found some gopher and racer snakes at the bottom of one mine shaft.  Later in the evening, I used night vision goggles to do an in & out flight survey for California leaf-nosed bats.  Before departing to go home late that night, Pat was daring enough to walk past two rattlesnakes at the cave entrance to examine the inside, only to declare, “There’s three more rattlesnakes in here and they’re huge!”  I declined the offer to get a closer look.

Monsoon season is expected to hit soon, meaning that some populations of late-flowering plants will produce seed for additional collection.  This is good news because the majority of plants in the region have already shed their seeds.  I am also assisting an effort with my mentor to disperse seed on a stretch of land near Horsethief Spring that used to serve as an allotment for cattle.  The patch of land currently contains dense populations of red brome and there is a serious lack of native grasses and forbs.

It’s hard to believe that two months have already passed.  To my fellow interns I wish you the best in your future endeavors.  The Grand Canyon workshop was one of the best times in my life and it was a pleasure to meet so many of you.  I speak highly of the internship opportunities and the workshop.

Cheers.

– Eric Clifton