August was a packed month that brought a lot of new experiences in and out of the field. My partner and I have continued to monitor where cattle are grazing and check on the health of their favorite “ice cream feed” spots, the coveted riparian areas that dot the allotments. Doing these compliance checks has allowed me to gain more experience in using the GPS, try out different monitoring techniques and get out in some of the most remote areas of the field office to see some incredible views and creatures. Recently, while solo surveying a riparian area, I came across a group of about 150 wild horses and was able to admire them from a few hundred yards away while they snorted at me and slowly trickled out of the draw we were in.

At the beginning of August, a friend came up from Colorado and we went on a spectacular backpacking trip to the Cirque of Towers in the Wind River Mountain Range. We quickly learned that most people took four or five days to do the route we were completing in three, but it was a great challenge and we came home sore but refreshed. A couple weeks later I went home for a weekend and it was so fun to see friends, family, and of course my dogs!

Since I didn’t start the internship until early June I still have about a month and a half to go and have just recently started the arduous task of applying to jobs all over the country. There is still plenty of field work to be done and the weather just recently changed from being in the high 80s or low 90s to all of the sudden being in the 40s when we wake up (not even mad about it). I am excited to get our first snowfall and see how our work may change as the weather gets a little less predictable. The cows have about a month before they are rounded up for the winter, a task that still blows my mind after seeing how spread out and surprisingly adept at hiding they are. In the mean time, I will be switching from iced to hot coffee and busting out the wool socks.

I apologize for the title, but when you primarily work in grazing compliance for six months the puns just start flowing. My personal favorite was finding sneaky cows at a water trough and saying “well, well, well…,” (my poor field partner).

It has been an awesome season working for the BLM in the Lander, Wyoming field office. While reflecting on my time here I recalled first driving through Wyoming and noticing, a little nervously, how flat and tree-less it was compared to the forested Pacific Northwest. Now, having been able to spend hundreds of hours driving to every corner of the field office that distant concern seems silly. This state has provided the ability to see some of the most picturesque landscapes (blue skies and snow capped mountains), kooky and majestic wildlife (think badgers flinging soil feet into the air and hundreds of wild horses running through a valley), and land that has been untamed. I am going to miss the chance at experiencing something new in the field every day but I am thankful that this internship has provided me with even more of a perspective focused on the “little things.”

Being in the field for much of the season was another great chance to prove to myself how much I love working in the outdoors. I’ve realized over the past six months that whatever career I move towards, it needs to be one that incorporates hands-on field work and the ability to get outside and get a little muddy. That being said, I was also able to learn a great deal about the inner workings, policies, and politics of the BLM and worked on everything from administrative tasks to NEPA documents, which was an equally valuable experience.

This internship has provided a comprehensive overview of what it is like to work for a federal agency. Before working with the BLM I had little to no idea how public grazing worked, the extent of the role that the BLM plays in managing our lands, or what challenges surround multi-use management. My views have definitely changed this season, going from more strict, conservation based ideals, to understanding that sustainable management means utilizing resources for multiple purposes. I think that this position has helped me to gain a more realistic perspective on how to apply natural resource management principles to satisfy the major aspects of sustainability.

I am thankful for all of the things I have gained through this internship, including a tan that is already fading, friends I will have for years to come, and great insight into what my goals are for a future in environmental work. It is bittersweet to say goodbye to one chapter but I am excited to see what the next one will bring.

Cheers!

It is bittersweet to be leaving Wyoming right as winter hits. It would have been fun to experience another weather season here.

I ALWAYS had to stop the truck to watch the wild horses when I was in the field.

Well, what began as a group of six original CBG interns at the Lander Field Office in Wyoming has dwindled down to single ol’ me (luckily Gwen, our co-worker who started out with the Great Basin Institute was recently hired on through CBG and I am not without a field buddy). It has been an awesome summer getting to know my fellow interns who hail from all over the country. Along with our adventures in the field, we all shared a penchant for Thai food, “Just Dance,” and movie nights, all of which I will miss!
We have been having surprisingly nice weather in this part of Wyoming, with a taste of snow that only lasted for a couple days. The cold and clear days mean that the last month has still been full of field projects. Some last cow scouting was done to make sure there were no stragglers left behind and with our riparian monitoring mostly finished we became jack-of-all-trades interns, working on sagebrush planting, fence mending, and even some sheep tracking. My biggest task for the next week is to mark an approx. 8 mile fence with sage grouse clips to make it more visible for grouse and other wildlife this winter.
Another project that I recently started working on is a template for an Environmental Assessment that looks at the potential impacts of a proposed conifer removal project. I have learned a ton about the NEPA process and was excited to be brought in on a more policy oriented project for the BLM which will also lend itself to a future career in environmental consulting.
It is bittersweet to be facing my last couple weeks as a CLM intern but I’m happy to be kept busy until the very end. Until next time…

– Coli
Lander Field Office
Lander, Wyoming

August was a packed month that brought a lot of new experiences in and out of the field. My partner and I have continued to monitor where cattle are grazing and check on the health of their favorite “ice cream feed” spots, the coveted riparian areas that dot the allotments. Doing these compliance checks has allowed me to gain more experience in using the GPS, try out different monitoring techniques and get out in some of the most remote areas of the field office to see some incredible views and creatures. Recently, while solo surveying a riparian area, I came across a group of about 150 wild horses and was able to admire them from a few hundred yards away while they snorted at me and slowly trickled out of the draw we were in.

At the beginning of August, a friend came up from Colorado and we went on a spectacular backpacking trip to the Cirque of Towers in the Wind River Mountain Range. We quickly learned that most people took four or five days to do the route we were completing in three, but it was a great challenge and we came home sore but refreshed. A couple weeks later I went home for a weekend and it was so fun to see friends, family, and of course my dogs!

Since I didn’t start the internship until early June I still have about a month and a half to go and have just recently started the arduous task of applying to jobs all over the country. There is still plenty of field work to be done and the weather just recently changed from being in the high 80s or low 90s to all of the sudden being in the 40s when we wake up (not even mad about it). I am excited to get our first snowfall and see how our work may change as the weather gets a little less predictable. The cows have about a month before they are rounded up for the winter, a task that still blows my mind after seeing how spread out and surprisingly adept at hiding they are. In the mean time, I will be switching from iced to hot coffee and busting out the wool socks.

Hanging out with some wild horses.

Our first night’s camping spot.

Arrowhead Lake in the Wind River Range.