At the bottom of a valley along a river were multiple survey points that were next on our priority list. We could see that the area was very green and wet, distinct from the many sites we had previously visited. Determined to reach the Great Valley, we took the only two-track we could find in the direction we wanted to go — down. The descent was an uneasy one, to say the least, with extremely uneven and rocky terrain. I continued to realize new limits of the truck (limits you do not want to go out of your way to try to test). Oh, what a great feeling it was when the truck was finally parallel to the horizon. It was one of those roads that you went down with no intention (or possibility) of climbing back up. “We will find another way out of this valley, for sure,” I reassured Maria. She was hesitant to believe my naive optimism, an unfortunate foreshadowing of what was to come later.

On the brighter side, the valley was everything I would have hoped it to be and more. It was a beautiful wetland, with a slow moving stream and flooded grasslands; an oasis for insects, amphibians, and many interesting and unique flora that we do not usually get to see in the sage.

The winds picked up and I felt a sudden cool down, you know that, “oh, there’s a storm brewin’ feelin'” ? I looked up to find a large mass of dark clouds headed our way. We wrapped up our current survey and headed back to the truck. Come to find out, all of the two tracks that had appeared promising were on the other side of the stream, a winding stream with banks too steep and too wet to drive over. In addition to the stream, there were deep canyons that ran through the landscape like the way a small crack in your windshield soon spreads and expands in unpredictable ways. Without a two-track in site that was reachable, we knew we would have to “off-road” it for a while. The vegetation was thick and made it difficult to see what was ahead or beneath us. The soil was damp, alkaline sand. It was about an hour and a half of driving a few meters, stopping, getting out of the car, walking to see if it was “do-able,” realizing it is not, walking to find a new route around or through it, repeat. When we at last reached a track that headed up and out of the valley, relief and pride energized us both. I couldn’t help but to burst out with laughter.   “Two-tracks” was a foreign concept to me when I first arrived; little did I know that the mere sight of one would feel like winning a championship game.

It was hard to believe that we pulled that one off without getting stuck. Gaining new skills every day.

I remember reading through the CLM blog after submitting an application, feeling very curious and eager to imagine what my life could look like in just a few months. And I also remember trying to de-code all of the acronyms people were using and figure out what it was that they were doing, as I had never worked for a government agency and was fresh out of undergrad.

running transects through a greasewood dominant plot

AIM (Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring) is a method that the BLM is now using to monitor natural resources, make better management decisions, and contribute to long-term monitoring of the land and the vegetation that occupies it.

In a nutshell: At each site, three 25-meter transects run in different directions from a central point. At multiple points along those transects, many measurements are taken such as soil stability and canopy gaps. Species richness is calculated for the site, and a 1-meter deep pit is dug to determine the composition of the horizons, the soil’s texture and color. Knowing the common species of plants in your area makes it go a lot faster, but even then, each site takes the crew about 2.5 hours, sometimes 3 (depending on how easy it is to navigate to the site). I enjoy going out with them to AIM and am starting to recognize most common species; my appreciation and admiration for both the botanists and the plants they study has grown immensely.

my co-interns valiantly opening and closing all gates as we pass through

As the office is pressed for time to get all sites surveyed, we get the chance to help out as much as we can, even if it is just to help record data. For the most part, however, the two other wildlife interns and I are focussing on our amphibian project. We have over 200 locations that we need to navigate to and assess the quality/suitability of the habitat. Finding the locations is the most time consuming part, but also the most adventurous and fun.This need for navigation has led to daily practice with GIS/GPS software, a great skill to take with you wherever you go. Also, we are now all experts in barbed-wire fence climbing, two-track finding and gate-opening, other useful skills to have in life, certainly. 

Often the sites we survey are stock ponds, but when we are lucky, we get to trek through stream beds and river banks searching for any life form of amphibians: egg masses, tadpoles, metamorphs, and adults. Before this internship, I did not have a lot of experience with amphibians (other than hunting for them and keeping them as pets as a kid), but have since enjoyed the opportunity to thoroughly research the biology and life history of these organisms. It’s always an exciting day when we find frogs.

Nearly all of the frogs that we have found thus far are Boreal Chorus Frogs (Pseudacris maculata). Just two days ago, my co-intern Lara found the first (what we think) Boreal Toad! It was a juvenile which made it more difficult to identify, but the red spots appear to be indicative of the western boreal (Anaxyrus boreas). Miles from any permanent source of water or forested area, we found this toad to be quite the enigma as they are generally absent from dry, shrub-steppe habitat.

In addition to the amphibians, there is undoubtedly something new to see and discover each day. Knowing this has continued to fuel a sense of wonder and curiosity, as well as eagerness to wake up and go into work each morning.

We’ve also had opportunities to participate with other spontaneous and miscellaneous projects. One of the Biologists that works permanently at the Pinedale field office, Teresa, invited us to help set up bluebird houses with the local 10th grade class. I loved the chance to interact with the community and to share some cool facts about bluebirds with the students. They all seemed eager and excited to be there, which was great to see and a blast to be a part of.

The workshop in Chicago was a great experience, and I highly recommend going (if feasible) to all future CLM interns that are thinking about it. The first day we attended a symposium at the Chicago Botanic Garden called “Seed Sourcing for Restoration in a Changing Climate.” We were fortunate to be able to hear from recent academic researchers as well as professionals that work for various government agencies, including: Dr. Julie Etterson, University of Minnesota Duluth; Dr. Matt Horning, USDA Forest Service; Jack Pizzo, M.S., The Pizzo Group; Greg Houseal, program manager, Tallgrass Prairie Center; Peggy Olwell, plant conservation lead in the BLM.

Q & A session

At the end of the day, we had plenty of daylight left to explore the garden.

I also recommend eating at the garden’s cafe at least once during your stay. Their veggie burgers and grilled portabella mushroom salad are amazing options for the vegetarians out there. The brat and cheddar beef burger were also a favorite for the omnivores.

CLM interns hard at work in the classroom

We reviewed the protocol and methods for the SOS program, and even for an intern that does not work specifically with SOS, I enjoyed the training and hope to be able to be a part of the program in the future — perhaps a second internship! There was also a “crash course” in the botany of the West, which was extremely helpful. I look forward to going out into the field in my free time to practice plant identification.

practice with plant identification and seed collection

plant press demonstration

I would also like to point out that the amount of resources they provided all interns with was nothing short of impressive. We received two binders and also a flash drive, full of information that was organized to perfection. So many kudos go out to both Krissa and Rebecca for everything they do for us.

I am most grateful for all of the amazing people I had the chance to meet and get to know. The Wyoming interns and those close by are planning a camping trip / 4th of July get-together in Lander, and I cannot wait to see them again.  From the West to the East coast, and even all the way from Alaska, we are as diverse as the plants and wildlife we observe, while our passions for conservation and field work bring us all together.

a beautiful welcome back home to Wyoming

Cheers,

Valerie

Pinedale, Wyoming

Hello all.

Only two weeks in, I am impressed by the wide variety of projects we have been a part of. One day we are assessing the quality of a reclamation site at an oil pad, the next we are surveying for raptor nests and using telemetry to track grouse. We even had the opportunity to work with the Game and Fish Department to collect data for and survey an aspen stand that would be treated the following day.

The staff at the BLM office are exceptionally friendly, welcoming, and always willing to take us along for the ride on their field projects and answer any questions that we have. In addition to the first aid, UTV and four-wheel drive training, they have dedicated a lot of their time to show us around the field office and explain how their systems work. I have enjoyed getting to know them and the other interns, and look forward to working with them for the next few months.

Osprey

Osprey perched on nest on a spruce snag

Phlox hoodii

Mule Deer

the diversity of lichen out here is astounding!

Two young fox came out of their den to explore

Lupinus argenteus

Yellow Warbler

“Half Moon Lake”

Blue Grouse

Ruffed Grouse