This month brought a fun change to the seed collecting routine. We were sent out on a three day backpacking mission to check in on a rare endemic, the Cup Lake Draba!

Draba asterophora var. macrocarpa only grows between two small, granite-lined lakes in the Desolation Wilderness. The terrain is rugged and difficult to access. Whitebark pine and gnarled hemlocks hug windswept ridges and a diversity of alpine flowers cling to granite cracks. On the north facing aspect of this ridgeline is where the Cup Lake Draba makes its living.

We began our trip by stuffing as much gear as we could fit into our packs. Tents, sleeping bags and pads, food and stoves, as well as many non essentials such as cameras, moth lights, binoculars, bug nets and UV flashlights. We’re a group of nerds, what can we say!

With our absurdly heavy loads, we began up the 2,500 ft climb; taking it slow and observing the wildlife and plants along the way. As we reached the summit and entered the whitebark pine zone, we were greeted by an exploratory pika, great views of Lake Tahoe, and a very surprised family of sooty grouse.

Cup lake is a tiny body of water situated in a deep granite bowl. The water is cold, and there are several alpine plants who live along its edges. Before setting up camp, we hiked down to the lake and did a preliminary search for the Draba. It was easy to locate the historical polygons, but sadly there were no flowers present.

The next day we split off into two groups. Beth and Allie stayed to remap and survey the main lakeside population, while Tori and I hiked along the ridge to map out a series of populations that hadn’t been visited since the early 2000s.

As we moved along the ridge we began to get a feel for the Draba’s habitat preference. We only encountered it on the north side in slightly sheltered areas. It seemed to thrive in decomposed granite surrounded by bigger boulders and protected from the elements. We were excited to find thousands of plants thriving in these unforgiving conditions. We even found a handful in full flower! If conditions allow, we will be revisiting these populations to make conservation seed collections from this rare plant.

Overall, the trip was a great success! We have another backpacking trip to the wilderness coming up to survey for whitebark pine, and I’m excited to get back out there. The season of flowers is coming to a close, and it’s nice to get up high and catch the alpine ones before fall comes.

The season is in full swing! We’ve been going to every corner of the Eldorado National Forest looking for new populations the past month-getting to know the area and settling into a routine. A few of our plants have begun to seed, and we’ve been able to get some fantastic collections so far. I have a feeling in the next month everything will go to seed at once!

There is something about collecting seeds that feels very human to me. Directly interacting with the creatures around me and being able to feel the potential for new life on my palm scratches something deep in my ape brain.

We’ve been paying attention to the pollinators as well. Watching the little world of bumble bees is a new way of thinking about the ecosystem for me. Absolutely fascinating! No pollinators, no seeds!

With a swish and a thump, Beth secures an iridescent insect in her net. Seconds before, the bee was busy flying back and forth on a determined path, visiting a network of dangling flowers, ripe with sweet nectar. Swoop! Another bee in the jar. I snag a tiny wasp covered in pink pollen. The rush of watching tiny insects jump between flowers in a coordinated dance enthralls us. Suddenly Pauleen shouts “time is up!” and we lay down our nets.

We’re here to support Lewisia kelloggii-a rare plant of the Eldorado National Forest that makes its living on exposed lava caps and decomposed granite soils. The prostrate rosette of fleshy leaves emerges after the snow melts in spring, and the brilliant white flowers follow soon after. Pollinators flock to the exposed sites, feasting on a diverse array of nectar producers. As they buzz from tiny annuals to bushy perennials, they create a pollinator network; a web of interactions which enables both insects and plants to thrive.

Our work will help the research team at Cal State East Bay build an understanding for what pollinators are in the network of our rare Lewisia. We will then be able to collect seeds from the plants that flower earlier and later in the season, supporting the pollinators and in turn supporting the Lewisia.

The first few weeks of the field season have been an exciting time! We’ve already dealt with a fire scare, stuck vehicles (not ours hah), flat tires (also not us) and the onslaught of new knowledge that happens when moving to a new place and staring at the ground all day. It has been wonderful, and I can’t wait to deepen my relationship with this place and all the creatures that inhabit it.