So we’ve been in Newcastle, Wyoming for almost a month now. It’s crazy how time flies when you’re having fun!

Doing forestry work for the BLM is fantastic and interesting in so many ways. While you usually don’t associate forests with this agency, they ended up with a lot of non-traditional forest land here in the Black Hills. Forests around here are typically even-aged ponderosa pine, with little variation. The BLM forests on the other hand are very dramatic, with cover types changing very rapidly. One area that we are working in is a great example of this. In less than 500 horizontal feet, you gain 300 vertical feet. This makes for an incredible hike (ow, my legs), but also transitions from grass, to mountain mahogany, to ponderosa cover types in that short distance.

While I know the rest of my time here will go quickly, I’m excited to come to work everyday, and know that feeling will not leave easily.