Seed collections have really picked up on Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. It’s been fulfilling to watch our collections grow, especially for the species where we can only pick a couple seeds at a time. The table we organize our seeds on is starting to get full, and we still have more to go! Each month seems to pass by faster, and it’s hard to believe that three months have gone by since I moved here to Montana. It’s been quiet in the office since the two other interns on our crew left for school, but we got to send them off with a celebratory dinner before they left. I’m feeling grateful to be working with such a great team.

My favorite field day from this month was when we learned about lichen biomonitoring. I absolutely love anything related to fungi, so it was great to be able to ask about the obligate partnerships that lichen use to survive. Once we were done with the biomonitoring, we were able to hike to the top of Goat Flat and do some bee surveys. It was such a beautiful hike, even though our bee survey got interrupted by a hailstorm. I had never actually been outside for one of those. They hurt a little, I found out. But it was an experience I will never forget! We have such a great crew who all worked together to get us down the mountain safely, and we even managed to preserve our notes and finish our survey after.

August was also a great month for exploring outside of work. My parents were able to fly out and visit me, and we decided to spend a day at Yellowstone. My favorite sites were definitely the Grand Canyon (not that Grand Canyon, the other one), and the prismatic pools. These are places I likely never would’ve seen if I didn’t move here. It’s my goal to visit at least two more national parks in September, since they will (hopefully) be less crowded. As the months go by, I’m really trying to be present and enjoy the rest of my time here. It’s hard to believe that in about two months, I’ll be able to see my dogs back home (don’t tell the cat).

Speaking of the cat, an update. Skateboard has been finding new ways to entertain herself since I’ve been a little busy recently. Her favorite thing has been sitting on anything I pay attention to. Perhaps she hopes that’ll get her attention by proxy. I promise, I pet her literally all the time.

The second month of my stay here in Dillon, MT is coming to a steady end. Work has definitely picked up quickly in terms of seed collection, with various species predicted to seed here in the next few weeks. There’s been a lot of prep work and anticipation, since most of our collection species at Beaverhead-Deerlodge seed later in the season. It feels like the season has been working in multiple stages as work ebbs and flows, and I can feel a new stage approaching. I’m eager to focus more on seed collection, since a lot of the scouting so far has been more of a multitasking effort.

Working with the botany crew has given me many opportunities to explore Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest while scouting for collection sites. I’ve found it super exciting to come in everyday knowing I’ll see and definitely learn something new. We got to join on a wildflower tour earlier this month, which was quite beautiful and made for a great scouting experience.

One of my favorite things we did this month was camping out in Maxville. There was a beautiful lake directly across the street from our campground, and it was great to cool off from the heat every night. We also went to this amazing candy shop in nearby Philipsburg. I was not like a kid in a candy store, I was better. My life has been changed. I’m also incredibly excited to share that my dream for the season has been fulfilled. I saw a moose! Unfortunately, I was so excited that my photos were very shaky, but I do have witness accounts.

July has gone by much faster than expected. It’s taken me a while, but I’m finally feeling adjusted here in southwest Montana. Some days I miss the Appalachians. The green lush mountains and summer tomatoes (there are tomatoes here too, but if you know you know), or the muggy sweet smells of the forest. But I also know that, someday, I’ll miss the smell of sagebrush, or the tart yet sweet taste of a fresh-picked huckleberry. I’ve completed field seasons far from home before, but this year has brought me a greater appreciation for the importance and uniqueness of place.

P.S. Cat update: she is doing absolutely fabulous. Her favorite summertime activity has been watching the black-billed magpies from the window and clawing at it. She has an unmatched focus face.

As other CLM folks will likely attest to, the first month of interning with the forest service can be quite shocking. New challenges present themselves often and in interesting ways. Working with a botany crew will show you how much you really do not know about plants. Having your sleeping bag break on a cold night will show you how little prepared you are to take on a Bear Grylls style survival situation. And yet, even though the challenge persists, you get better at handling it as the days go by. You’ll find yourself saying crazy things like “You see those palmate leaves? Obviouslyyy a lupine”. Or not so crazy things like “We should probably pack an extra sleeping bag.”

Luckily, just as challenges present themselves, wonderful examples of how to face them also do. When I feel overwhelmed about being far from home, I think of my courageous cat Skateboard, who braved the journey from West Virginia to Montana, taking in all the smells on the way. I also think of the wise advice given by our crew lead Riley, who reminds us not to expect ourselves to know everything right away. Instead, she says to take our time, try our best, and enjoy the challenge.

Between seed collection and botany fieldwork, there have been a plethora of opportunities to nerd out and learn as much as possible. So far, some of my favorite projects have been rare plant monitoring in Big Hole National Park and nonlethal bee collection for the Montana Bee Atlas Project. I’ve learned so much from our botany crew, including our entomology intern, who taught me how to set up beetle traps this week! The list of plants I can reliably identify in the field grows (slowly) every day. I’m excited to see how much I have learned by the next blog post. Until then, I’ll take things one day at a time.