Sadly, this will be my last blog entry. My time with the CLM is coming to an end. This has been such a rewarding experience. I’m glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone and took a chance with a position across the country. It’s been challenging, since my husband had to stay in Ohio. But with support back home and the amazing community of friends that I made in Utah, it has been one of the best summers of my life. I believe I have grown so much, both personally and professionally through my time here.

While I’ve had previous experience with fieldwork, this position has been far more autonomous in nature. I’ve been able to plan and execute projects both with my team and on my own. We’ve ran into many unexpected issues and worked through them. This has helped me to further develop my problem solving, leadership, and organizational capabilities. You never know when you’ll pop a tire or equipment will malfunction, but as long as you can keep calm and improvise, things usually end up working out.

We got a flat while we were out inspecting troughs and installing bird ladders. Luckily, we were on flat ground so it was an easy fix.

I’m grateful for all the skills and experience I have been able to hone out here. A few of the projects I have worked on while in Cedar City are:

Raptor nest surveys
Intensive wildlife monitoring
Avian point counts
Bat mist netting and assessment
Utah prairie dog capture and relocation
Utah prairie dog sylvatic plague research
Electrofishing
Seining and invasive fish removal
Riparian Proper Functioning Condition assessments
Riparian Multiple Indicator Monitoring
Rangeland Health assessments
Rangeland Trend monitoring
Trough evaluation and bird ladder installation
Seeds of Success

Okay, that’s more than a few, but upon reflecting, I was impressed by how many projects I got to contribute towards. I’ve learned so many new monitoring techniques and got the trapping and animal handling experience that I was very much looking forward to. Aside from the protocols and monitoring methods I have learned, I’ve also gotten to develop skills with many of the tools used in the field. Something I was really hoping to get better with was GIS and GPS usage. GIS is such an important tool in fieldwork, and I was finally able to get some hands on experience with it, both out in the field and in the office. I was even able to complete a couple GIS certificates through the esri website.

My mentor has been pretty amazing this summer by arranging for us to experience many different aspects of field biology. Since the BLM is in charge of managing land, most of our wildlife work for the BLM involved monitoring and surveying the land for animal usage. We completed raptor nest and wildlife surveys for a bike trail they were putting in and assessed the data in order to mitigate any negative impacts the trail would have on the surrounding ecosystem. We also performed avian point counts, raptor nest surveys, and intensive wildlife monitoring in Hamlin Valley. This allowed the BLM to move forward with some of their land treatment plans to improve habitat for the greater sage grouse, while balancing the needs of the other wildlife. This work has been of great importance to protecting the greater sage grouse and helping keep it from becoming classified as an endangered species.

Since all of this work was hands off, my mentor arranged for us to pair with the Cedar City DNR and obtain trapping and handling experience. Not only did working with bats, fish, and prairie dogs allow me to develop many new skills, it also gave me the opportunity to get a feel for the DNR and what it is like to work for another government agency.

These wonderful ladies are some of the DNR crew we worked with for the prairie dog sylvatic plague study.

One of my biggest worries about coming out here was that I would be moving to a completely new place and not know anyone. I didn’t know if I would fit in or if I would make friends easily. I am astounded by how many new relationships I’ve made through this internship and how amazing the seasonal biologist community is. I’ve met people from all across the country and gained many new personal and professional connections. My coworkers quickly became friends and we have explored a good chunk of Utah. I think I have hiked and seen more sights this summer than all of my previous summers combined. I will be leaving here with great memories and cherished friendships. Below are photos from a few of my favorite trips.

Hiking my first slot canyon!

Backpacking in the Uinta Mountains with my co-intern and wonderful friend, Zach.

Meeting up in Escalante and going on an adventure with fellow CLM interns Jessie and Jinny. After meeting in Chicago, we really hit it off and were lucky enough to be in the same state!

Finding petroglyphs in Zion national park. As avid hikers ourselves, Nathan and I were excited to find ancient backpackers!

Overall, this entire summer has been one grand adventure. Though it was challenging at times, it was an amazing experience and I’m grateful to have been able to participate in the Conservation and Land Management program.

-Amber Barnes

Hello all,

Since my last entry, I’ve been assisting the range crew with more of their work. I’ve gotten to participate in Rangeland Health assessments (RLH), Proper Functioning Conditions assessments (PFC), and Multiple Indicator Monitoring (MIM). This has been a great opportunity to learn more about both rangland and riparian health and the indicators used to measure them. Below, I’m going to go into a little bit of detail about each of these, to give you a better understanding of how and why these are performed.

When assessing rangeland health, we go out into the field and follow a set of protocols that allow us to collect data on several aspects of the landscape. First, we dig a hole to check the soil type. Then, we run a line and collect vegetative and substrate data. We measure the gaps between each plant along the line. Two crews work on this, one measuring canopy gaps and the other measuring basal gaps. While they are doing that, another team will walk along the line and collect point intercept data. That means that every two feet we record if there is a plant, what the height of the plant is, and what the substrate is. While all this is going on, the last member of the crew is collecting soil samples in order to test for surface soil stability. Once all of the data is collected and everyone has seen the site, it is evaluated based on 17 indicators. We gather around the truck and discuss what we saw in reference to each question and then rate each indicator based on how much it deviates from what is expected.

The first photo is of some of my colleagues recording gap data for an RLH assessment. The second, is all of us gathering around the truck to evaluate the site.

This process allows the range technicians to evaluate the health of the land and manage it accordingly. The results of the assessment can tell them whether the current plan is working or if things need to be changed. For instance, if the area is being over grazed and the plant community cannot handle the stress, they can change the grazing permits to help the land recover. Another example is pinyon pine/juniper (PJ) encroachment. If the community composition is out of whack because of PJs coming in, they can formulate a plan for removing the invading PJ and helping the grass/forb/shrub community to rebound.

Next, I’ll talk about the PFCs. Performing a proper functioning condition assessment involves walking along the riparian area (stream, pond, etc…), photographing wherever there is a transition or disturbance, and paying close attention to the plant communities, stream banks, and surrounding environment. After observing the length of the area in question, we gather together and fill out the assessment form. The form has several questions which allow the observers to determine whether or not the area is able to function properly or if it may need intervention.

My co-intern, Zach, and I were walking down a stream taking photos for the PFC as the vegetative community changed or wherever there were signs of disturbance. After working in sagebrush and pinyon/juniper forests much of the summer, the lush green vegetation is always a welcome change.

MIM is another way of assessing riparian areas. In this case, we follow a protocol that evaluates various aspects of the stream. Several different methods are used to collect data on the vegetation, including species composition and abundance, canopy cover, and presence or absence of browse. The stream bank and stream substrate are also evaluated. We looked for signs of disturbance and animal usage (hoof prints) as well as stream bank stability. I think my favorite tool was the gravelometer. Essentially, it’s a piece of metal with squares cut out of it and you place whatever size rock you find during your pebble count in it in order to measure the size of the materials composing the stream bed. Honestly, I just love the name gravelometer.

Illustrating how one uses a gravelometer.

Like the RLH assessment, both MIM and PFCs are performed every few years in order to track the health of the riparian area over time. While water is always a precious resource in need of protection, it is even more so in the drought stricken southwest. Roads, cattle, wildlife, and recreation can all have a big impact on the functionality and health of a stream. Performing both quantitative and qualitative analysis of these areas allows the land managers to see what’s going on and if any changes need to be made in order to balance usage and conservation of our natural resources.

Using a range finder to determine the distance between the riffle crest and the deepest point in the nearest upstream pool. But to a passersby, I just look like a creeper.

On the wildlife side of things, I’ve gotten to go electroshocking for a fish study and install bird ladders in troughs. I’ll talk more about those in my next post!

As far as my personal adventures go, I’ve been quite busy. Within the last month, I’ve visited the Grand Canyon, explored the mountains nearby, hiked at Zion National Park a few more times, and have gotten to check a few animals off of my Utah bucket-list. It’s been a blast!

My fellow Wildlife Techs and I at the Grand Canyon.

This was my most challenging hike yet. That is a photo of Angels Landing. Yes, you climb up that narrow portion, all the way to the top. It’s a bit scary, but oh so worth it!

This is a female big horned sheep I saw at Zion.

Although they were quite a ways away, I saw my first mountain goats!

Hello everyone!

August was a pretty exciting month! I was able to pair up with the local DNR office and assist in some of their prairie dog projects. Part of the week, I participated in the capture and relocation program. Since the Utah prairie dog is federally listed as a threatened species, how “problem” populations are handled is a delicate process. The DNR has been trying to work with property owners who find the animals troublesome or undesirable and relocate them, so that more drastic measures by the land owners can be avoided.  This process allows the animals to form a new colony at the relocation site, where they can thrive, and relieves some of the tensions that human-prairie dog interactions can cause.

I was also able to participate in a slyvatic plague research study. This allowed me to get a little bit more hands on experience with the prairie dogs. Essentially, we set traps in a location where the SPV (sylvatic plague vaccine) was distributed a week earlier (using sugar cube baits) and collected data from the individuals that were captured. Once caught, there are several steps to processing them, a few examples are: checking for fleas (which can carry the plague), collecting a fur sample (which will contain a biomarker for the vaccine if it’s been ingested), and marking them with pit and ear tags (in order to identify them in future years). For a little bit of information about Sylvatic plague and the work being done to immunize populations of ferrets and prairie dogs, read this brief article by the USGS.

A colony of Utah prairie dogs near our SPV site.

Although the prairie dog work was the highlight of the month (maybe even the internship), I have been keeping busy helping the range technicians finish up some of their trends, check riparian fencing, fix said fencing if needed, visit future prairie dog relocation sites and collect vegetation data, and participate in PFC (proper functioning condition) assessments of a few riparian areas. Next week we’re going to start helping with the rangeland health assessments.

During one of our riparian PFC assessments we came upon a stand of ponderosa pines. This was my first up close encounter with this wonderful tree. If you sniff the bark it smells kind of like cream soda or caramel. It’s pretty wonderful, and I highly recommend it!

This is my co-intern Zach and I with Mike and Lindsey from the range crew.

In my free time, I’ve gotten to explore a bit and see more of Utah and the National Parks (NP). I think in this month alone, I’ve visited Kolob Canyon, Zion NP, Capitol Reef NP, Bryce Canyon NP, and the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Being a midwesterner, I’m really trying to make the most of my time in the southwest!

Looking out at Capitol Reef National Park from the trail. It was quite a view!

I’ll leave you with this gem. Burrowing owls are often found in close proximity to prairie dogs, because the owls will utilize old mammal burrows for nesting sites. I’ve been dying to see a burrowing owl all summer, and as a result of this behavior and my work with the DNR crew, I was able to visit a spot and see an entire family of owls. It was a pretty amazing sighting! I believe there were 5 present during my visit.

One of the burrowing owls.

Hello all!

I can’t put into words how amazing it is to have the privilege to work outside nearly everyday. One of my favorite things to do lately is take a picture of the gorgeous scenery when I’m out working and post a photo on my facebook or twitter when I get home with the caption “this was my office today.” Fieldwork is such a rewarding experience. Yes, it gets hot and tiring sometimes, but the sights, sounds, and sheer adventure of it all makes it so fulfilling.

This is my current “This was my office today” photo.

Lately, I’ve gotten to contribute to several projects. My mentor sent all of the wildlife technicians out with the range crew and we have been learning how to read trends and assess sites for possible prairie dog relocation. Working with the range crew has allowed me to learn a lot more of the Utah plants. A brief overview of what reading trends consists of: We go out to either a historic site (an area where they’ve been collecting data for years) or a new site (where we set up a new plot) and take stock of what plants there are using a combination of methods (point intercept, line intercept, and nested frequency). It has been great getting to know our range crew, practicing new sampling methods, and learning new plants.

Zach and I assisting the trend crew.

We’ve also gotten to pair up with the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) in a town near St. George. They have been seining the Virgin River in order to remove the invasive red shiner. Now that was physically exerting! It was wonderful getting to work in a riparian area again. There’s not an abundance of water out here in Utah, which is very different from what I’m used to. So getting to be in a river all day was quite a treat (even if I was sore for several days after). Unfortunately, since we were in the water all day (sometimes up to my neck), I wasn’t able to get any photos.

Last, but not least, we got to pair up with another DNR team and assist with a bat survey last night. I’ve always wanted to participate in bat monitoring, but I’ve never had the opportunity. When my mentor said he might be able to work something out, I was thrilled. After a couple months of contacting various crews that did bat work, we got the go ahead to help the Cedar City DNR, and my dream finally came to fruition. By some dumb luck, I ended up doing data recording. That meant that I got to see every bat we caught and help assess their age, sex, health, and a few other measurements. I couldn’t have asked for a better night!

Sporting the headlamp and taking a moment to cheese for the camera while helping assess a bat.

Zach and Ruth helping to set up one of the mist nets in the cave.

This month has exposed me to so many new skills and experiences. It’s been great working with both intra- and inter-departmental crews to get involved in different types of plant and animal research and monitoring.

In a non-work related note, I’ve had the opportunity to meet up with some of the other CLM interns in Utah and we have had some pretty great adventures. I’m thankful we all got to meet in Chicago at the workshop. I didn’t realized how many friendships would stem from that trip!

My CLM friends. Jinny (from Vernal), Jessie (from Escalante), and I (Cedar City) met up in Escalante and explored some of Utah’s wonderful outdoors. Here we are posing in a hoo doo.

Last time I wrote, I was about to leave for the CLM workshop in Chicago, so that feels like the right place to start off this blog entry. In short, it was awesome! The workshop was such a great experience for so many reasons. I really enjoyed getting to meet my fellow interns, the workshop information was great, I got to explore Chicago a little bit, the Chicago Botanic Garden is breathtaking, and to be honest, the food they provided was pretty amazing! The workshops included monitoring & inventory methods, plant identification, conservation genetics, and Seeds of Success training.

That’s me being super touristy on the Sky Deck at the Willis Tower.

Being in the mid-west again gave me a little taste of home. Seeing the dense green vegetation of the woods was a sight for sore eyes. I’m absolutely loving the southwest, but I have to admit, I do miss my forests back home.

The amazing Carol Dawson helping us to identify plants on the CBG grounds.

Honestly, I could spend another week at the Chicago Botanic Garden. It was amazing. Between the green houses and the expertly curated gardens, there was just so much to see, learn, and appreciate. I can’t wait to go back! I told my husband we need to go when I get back home.

I wish I had caught the name of this beauty, but I was too distracted taking pictures of it.  This was in one of the many greenhouses. I just think it is breathtaking.

Getting to meet the other interns was one of my favorite parts of the workshop. Being surrounded by biologists was pretty wonderful. I enjoyed listening to what they’ve been working on and where they hope their career takes them. I made a lot of acquaintances, but also built some solid friendships. Here’s an awesome group of ladies with whom I got to make some great memories.

Kayla, Erin, Ginny, and me exploring the gardens together.

I had no idea I was going to find my twin in Chicago! Not only did Kayla and I own the same outfit, we happened to wear it on the same day. Needless to say there was a lot of laughing and a friendship quickly emerged.

To wrap up the week-long workshop, we got to attend the Janet Meakin Poor Symposium and learn about large-scale ecosystem restoration efforts.

The speakers took questions at the end of the symposium.

While Chicago was great, it was nice to get back to the grind and back into the field. We were welcomed back to Utah by four fledgling prairie falcons. I can’t put into words how incredible it was to watch as those young birds learned how to fly!

Two of the 4 prairie falcons at the nest. They would go to the edge, flap their wings to strengthen their flight muscles, squawk a lot, and more often than not, chicken out and hop into their cavity. Eventually though, we got to see all of them fly!

We had been working on completing a general wildlife/raptor monitoring and inventory project in a PJ (pinyon pine/juniper) and sagebrush dominated community before we left, and were able to join the rest of our team and finish that up. Since then, Zach and I have been balancing report writing and collecting native seeds for the Seeds of Success (SOS) program. We have had the opportunity to partner with two fellow CLM interns from a nearby town for in-the-field SOS training. Sam and Ellie showed us around and helped us to identify the particular species we’re interested in collecting in Utah. While I am very happy to be a wildlife tech, it has been nice to work on my plant identification skills and enjoy the laid back process of seed collecting.

Eating lunch and learning plants with Sam, Ellie, and Zach.

The beautiful Sego Lily (Calochortus nuttallii). While looking for some of our target SOS species I stumbled upon this wonderful flower, which happens to be the Utah state flower!

Last but certainly not least, my most recent exciting experience has been prairie dog capture and relocation training. I was able to train with the local Department of Natural Resources and learn to capture, sex, weigh, handle, and ear-tag the Utah prairie dog. Since this is a threatened species, there is an effort to partner with landowners who do not want them on their property and relocate them to a new, suitable area. I will be getting to work more on this project in later in the year and I can’t wait.

I’ll leave you with this photo of the adorable little Utah prairie dog.

I’ve been quite busy since the last time I wrote! Of course, the day after I submitted my first entry I had quite an adventure. Aside from learning a lot of fieldwork and survey techniques, I’m gaining quite a bit of experience in practical skills, such as driving a truck on dirt roads after it has rained. To many people (especially out here in Cedar), that’s no big feat, but I come from a city where there are no dirt roads, let alone mountains! I followed my mentor out to one of our field sites, so that he could show us where we would be working and get a feel for the area. It was a bit nerve-wracking at first, but by the end I was pretty confident in my newfound off-roading skills. The region he showed us that day was one of our main areas for wildlife monitoring and while we were out there, I saw my first glimpse of a wild horse. It was a pretty exciting day! Since then, I’ve seen the horses several more times. It’s both thrilling and unnerving to see them when I’m out in the sagebrush surveying for wildlife and they come closer to investigate, then stamp their feet and make irritated noises.

Wild horses are awesome, sassy, and sometimes intimidating!

I’ve only been working out here for a month, but I’ve learned and hiked so much it feels like much longer (in a good way). So far, we’ve been mostly focusing on general wildlife monitoring in areas where land management practices have taken place or will in the future. We’ve also completed several raptor surveys and I must say, it’s quite exhilarating when you find a nest! Whether it’s currently occupied or not, it’s awesome to see how different species will engineer their nests. It is quite impressive how large some of the sticks can be!

A Ferruginous hawk. I took this picture during one of our raptor surveys. This was a new species for me. It is so exciting seeing a new bird for the first time!

Studying all of my bird calls really paid off during our point count surveys. Coming from the Midwest, it was a bit daunting coming to an entirely different ecosystem. I’ve had to work really hard to get to know all the new plants and animals, but it is incredibly rewarding and fun to go out and monitor all these new-to-me species. Plus, you never know what you will find when you’re out there!

I found a matching set of Mule Deer antlers while conducting a point count. Needless to say, that made my day!

Most of our work so far has been in the mountains surrounding Cedar City or in a remote Sagebrush Steppe. Aside from all the wonderful birds, mammals, and reptiles I’ve had the pleasure to see and experience, I’m also getting to enjoy a completely different vegetative community than I am used to. I really didn’t expect to see so many wildflowers, but amongst the vast expanse of sagebrush and pinyon-juniper habitats are countless wildflowers! One of my favorites is the matted buckwheat (Eriogonum caespitosum). I’m also quite taken with the cacti out here. Some of them are just starting to bloom and they are absolutely stunning.

Matted buckwheat. It starts off yellow and then changes to orange and red as it matures.

The wonderful beehive cactus (Escobaria vivipara).

Next week, is the workshop in Chicago. I’m really looking forward to the lectures and meeting some of my fellow interns. It will be awesome getting to know some of the other bloggers and share our experiences face-to-face. After that, I’ll be back in Cedar City training for the seeds of success program and then assisting in some capture and relocation of prairie dogs. So much to look forward to!

I’ll leave you with this gem of a photo, because who doesn’t love owls? A Great Horned Owl watching Zach as he passed through the trees taking stock of the vegetation and inhabitants.

My coworker Zach was being watched while conducting one of our surveys. My jaw about hit the ground when he showed me this.

Hello! This was my first week on the job, so I don’t have too many exciting stories yet. Most of my adventures thus far had to do with my drive from the midwest across the nation to Utah. It really is amazing how the sights change as you drive along. I’d have to say my favorite part was going through the Rockies. It was breathtaking!

The Rocky Mountains covered in snow.

Of course, I had to stop and see Arches National Park on my way to Cedar City. After seeing Delicate Arch on the welcome sign to Utah, I knew I had to see it in person.

Delicate Arch! The rock formation found on Utah’s license plates and welcome sign! A bit of a hike, but worth every step!

Cedar City is a great little town and even though I’ve only worked with the BLM for a week, I know it’s going to be amazing. The flora and fauna are almost completely different from back home, which is both overwhelming and exciting. There is just so much to learn and experience! As a wildlife technician, I’m going to be doing a lot of field work and identification. To help with that, we’re working on putting together a quick reference field guide to assist us when we find something new.

Putting together a quick reference guide by researching the wildlife we’re likely to see in the two counties we’ll be working out of.

We’ve also been doing a lot of reading up on the project sites we will be monitoring. Today was my first day out in the field. The station’s recreation officer took a fellow intern and I out and showed us the access roads so that we would be able to find all of our worksites.

We drove to the top of a trailhead we will be monitoring and the recreation officer helped us get an idea of where we would be working over the next few months.

We spent the day hiking the mountains looking for signs of wildlife and recording all of the birds, reptiles, and mammals that we found. I’m still getting used to the high altitude, but other than constantly being out of breath, it was pretty fantastic! Hopefully by my next update I’ll have exciting work stories and more pictures from the field!