It’s been a busy summer and hard to believe it’s mid-August. Life in Buffalo has dramatically changed in my eyes since first moving here in June. Most of the snow melt from the mountains is gone and the rivers are lower. A town I didn’t think had much to offer is filled with outdoor recreation opportunities that makes me think that I could be here awhile.

Myself and the 3 other CLM interns just got offered an extension till end of December. Some of us may stay and some may go. It’s hard to choose but there is just so much to do at work! I’ve participated in seed collections, rangeland health assessments, habitat restoration, the cutting of Juniper trees, fish surveys, parks and recreation field work, weeding, mapping fence, and so much more to come! I particularly am working on the Powder River Basin Restorations program objective of visiting historic wildfire sites and visually estimating the ecosystem health. Thankfully this project is just kicking off so I will have plenty of field work till the beginning of October. Many CLM blogs written in the fall season mention having limited field work and some desk work. Less work=time slowing down and I am not a fan. I like to go, go, go and do, do, do. This project is just what I need. Buffalo is just what I need.

Other than work, our group of CLM interns went to Thermopolis mineral hot springs and white water rafted a section of the wind river canyon. Great experiences! I won a grill from our local grocery store and am looking forward to hooking that up this weekend, along with a color run, horseback riding, and possibly a 8-mile hike in the Big Horn mountains. Trying to be a busy bee in a small town of Wyoming is easily achievable! (***Get at me if you’re having difficulty in your respective small towns!)

Trying to fall asleep but instead staring at the stars above Wyoming is bliss. My room has three awkwardly set windows. The sashes all small and stuck in the casing with paint peeling back to expose historic trim, I look out. It takes work to gain a vantage point, cradling my head against the wall at a right angle to see out. Looming over the house the bright balls of gas glittering the night sky, sometimes not even a cloud, I feel so connected to the world around me. I briefly think about the prairie we’ll be visiting the following day, but soon settle into my dreamy state for the night.

Our house is at the top of the hill in Buffalo and its view provides a panoramic of the Big Horn Mountains. I say ‘our’ because the two other CLM interns live here too. We bustle through the kitchen, preparing lunch, eating breakfast and sounding early morning grumbles. We share this humble abode and the five minute commute to work. Down the hill then over the clear creek and up the scenic route that leads to the Buffalo Field Office (BFO). Most mornings we discuss how lucky we are to live here as we pass Pronghorn grazing in the grasslands. Then temporarily ignore our behooved amazement of the scenery and alter our attentions to the task at hand.

In the prairie, our team performs point line intercept while others calculate the slope, explore signs of wildlife, identify the soils and determine the ‘story’ of our present site. BLM calls this S & G or ‘rangeland health assessments’. We question if there has been a historic fire or high levels of cattle grazing or possible noxious weed treatments (past). We work in collaboration at times but mostly the interns focus on the native and non-native plants along each transect.

The Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), Japanese Brome (Bromus japonicus), Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula) and other non-natives which the Bureau claims responsibility, for its introduction, then curses its existence as it plagues the landscape. These noxious weeds leech the water from the ground and grow high, out-competing their neighbors, Wyoming’s native grasses and forbs. “Bro-ja, soil…BRTE, VEDU, soil…none, soil…” our day continues in this scheme until we’ve achieved all transects at each site. Relying on our visual interpretations and simple calculations for ground cover, we begin our return journey to the office.

Back at the base of the mountains, we clarify notes and extend our list of species seen that day, then add field data to our database. Later it can be used to make presumptions of our failing landscape. Our landscape is transforming into toxic fields of noxious weeds, invasive species, pesticides and cow pies. It’s certainly not perfect, but back at the Buffalo Field office (BFO) it sure looks beautiful enough from our panoramic view to believe it’s doing just fine.