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

Hi everyone,

Since my last blog post I have had the opportunity to get involved with yet another research project here at the USGS Las Vegas Field Office. I recently assisted with nighttime prey surveys that involve driving along designated transects late at night, shining a bright light out of the car, and noting the animals that are encountered throughout this process. During these surveys we saw kit foxes, poorwills, jackrabbits, kangaroo rats, and several other small rodents. I enjoyed having the opportunity to see how the desert comes alive after the sun goes down.

In addition to the prey surveys, my fellow interns and I also recently completed our third set of vegetation surveys at Coyote Springs this field season. Temperatures in the Mojave Desert are rising as we head into the late spring and summer months so we started work early each morning to avoid the heat of the late afternoon as much as possible. While we were out in Coyote Springs this past week my fellow intern Meaghan and I spotted a Burrowing Owl. This is a bird I had been wanting to see ever since I moved to the Southwest so it was a pleasant surprise for me.

It is hard to believe I only have about a month left in my internship but, when I reflect on how much I have learned and experienced since I arrived here, it almost feels like I have been here much longer than 4 months. I am excited to see what lies ahead in these finals weeks.

-Renee

My fellow interns and I have stayed very busy the past few weeks monitoring and measuring plants all across the Mojave Desert. This past week we traveled to all three of our common gardens to monitor and measure our transplants for a second time. We were happy to see that survivorship in the gardens is still quite good and many plants have new growth.

In addition to measuring and monitoring the common gardens, I also traveled to the Eureka Valley in Death Valley National Park to continue with measurements of two endemic and endangered species: Eureka Valley dune grass (Swallenia alexandrae) and Eureka Valley Evening Primrose (Oenothera californica ssp. eurekensis). Although the strong winds, heat, and aridity of the Eureka Valley create a rather hostile environment, these plants don’t seem to mind! Many of them have dramatically increased in size since my last trip to the dunes and several have an abundance of flowers and seed pods.

As I struggled to stay hydrated and avoid sunburn I couldn’t help but marvel at the adaptations that enable many organisms, including the plants I measured, to successfully live in the dunes. Although I finished each day of fieldwork feeling exhausted and a little sunburnt, my experiences in the dunes were extremely rewarding. I enjoyed working with plants that are found nowhere else in the world. Additionally, the scenery of Eureka Valley is absolutely breathtaking. Each night when I would camp under the stars I had a stunning view of the Milky Way stretched across the entire night sky. This is a sight I had never seen before and it is one that I know I will never forget.

Until next time!

Renee Albrecht

Las Vegas Field Office, USGS

The sun sets on a day of fieldwork in the Eureka Dunes!

Springtime has arrived in the Mojave Desert and has ushered in a busy field season! We recently completed the preparation and planting of 3 common gardens across the Mojave Desert (2 in California and 1 in Utah). Additionally, we assisted with a vegetation survey in burned and unburned areas of Coyote Springs, NV and we just started our work in the Eureka Dunes at Death Valley National Park.

Horned Lizard in Coyote Springs, NV

This past week we collected data on Eureka Dunes evening primrose (Oenothera californica ssp. eurekensis) and Eureka Valley dune grass (Swallenia alexandrae). These two plants are endemic to the Eureka Dunes and are federally listed endangered species. It was exciting to work with plants that are found nowhere else in the world and I hope this research will contribute to the improvement of their populations.

Eureka Dunes evening primrose (Oenothera californica ssp. eurekensis)

Eureka Valley dune grass (Swallenia alexandrae)

In addition to collecting field data on these plants, we also installed soil moisture probes 5 meters deep into the dunes using a manual auger. This proved a little challenging at times, but it should aid in our understanding of how these plants are impacted by dune soil moisture dynamics.

digging 5 m deep holes for soil moisture probes using manual auger

Although the field season has been busy I have enjoyed having the opportunity to help with a variety of different projects. Doing fieldwork on several projects has enabled me to discover and learn about a variety of different areas within the Mojave and this has been one of my favorite aspects of my internship.

I can’t wait to see what else spring has in store!

-Renee Albrecht

Although it has only been a few short weeks since I started my CLM internship working with scientists at USGS in Henderson, NV, I have already gained a wealth of knowledge and experience. This is my first time ever working in the desert and I have quickly learned just how hostile of an environment it can be. Nevertheless, I am captivated by its beauty and I am curious to learn more about the flora and fauna that feel at home in such a seemingly hostile place.

The majority of my internship thus far has been focused on establishing a common garden experiment at various sites throughout the Mojave Desert. Working on this project has given me the opportunity to travel and work in Nevada, Utah and California! I am thrilled and honored to be a part of a research initiative aiming to develop native plant materials to revegetate the Mojave and enhance habitat for the threatened desert tortoise.

I am excited to see and learn more about the desert over the next few months. With so many new experiences under my belt in just a few short weeks I can only imagine what the future holds!

-Renee Albrecht

a beautiful desert sunset

a desert iguana seeks refuge from the heat in the shade under our truck

a truck full of plants headed to Utah for the common garden experiment