I began in Grand Junction, CO in early June, without any inkling of the subtle adventure I entered.
I started in what was a very arid and desolate landscape full of cheatgrass and halogeton. Despite the lack of vegetation, heat and the invasive plants I found much beauty. Now I know that the lack of vegetation, stark landscape, and oh yeah and the basalt rock flung everywhere from an ancient volcano, would put most thoughts of beauty out of a sane persons mind. But, fortunately I may not be sane (entirely). There is beauty here but it requires some attention in the beholder, a willingness to see. The flowers were there and they were beautiful but required you to stop and look closely, not casually glance. With closer attention, the plants in this place revealed something of the incredible strategies evolution had given them, over vast time, in order to survive these harsh soils with very little precipitation. But they could find life where few other things survived.
No less incredible ,of course, is the the myriad of adaptations in other ecosystems. But in the desert, what there is to see is perhaps more hidden, so the finding was perhaps more fulfilling.

I am very fortunate that I was able to also work in very different areas. Perspective can be an incredible teacher. Grand Junction offers an tremendous range of habitat, the valley floor, where the city is, lies at about 4600 ft, Grand Mesa whose top is within only 25 miles away, towers above it at 10500 ft, spanning 60 miles.

The change in vegetation as you travel up the mesa is staggering. The desert yields to sage parks, then Pinyon/Juniper woodlands, then oak brush, then Aspen and Fir woodlands surrounding the Grand Mesa’s has 100+ lakes. The diversity and yet similarity of plant life between these 2 areas is beyond my understanding, and yet I seek to know it (not only form a book). So the question arises what is my place in this self sustaining wonder in which I can only attempt to understand.

Jason Reynolds
BLM Grand Junction, CO

And so ends my second year with the CLM internship program. Having been through once before, I feel that this year’s internship built on what I gained from last year, as well as added some new, unique experiences.

Some of the most memorable times were the excursions to some of the remoter areas of the Ridgecest district. In particular, the time I, my mentor Shelley, and my supervisor Glenn did an overnight backpacking trip along the Pacific Crest Trail to examine some of our rarest plant populations, which up until this year, was known to contain only a single individual. This proved to be one of the most pleasant surprises of the year, because when we reached the site, we discovered not only the original plant, but 13 new ones, including seedlings and one which was in fruit. Beyond the exhilaration of the rare plant find, I got to spend some time with my mentor and supervisor, and really got to pick their brains. Not only that, but the scenery up on the mountains was simply marvelous. I’m not exaggerating when I  say that the views were breathtaking, because when I was up there, I got to see some landscapes that I had only ever viewed at eye level. Being able to see the whole of the valley basin from so high up was an experience that I would not give for the world. On the practical side of things, it gave me something of considerable value: experience in backpacking. While I have done my fair share of camping, this was my first time really backpacking. Having true firsthand experience with that mode of camping was a real treat, and stressed to me the importance of knowing what I was going to need. After all, unlike most of the camping I’ve done, I didn’t have the option of getting into the car, and driving for supplies when I needed them. Having to really be prepared made me appreciate just how much we take for granted.

At the office, I was thoroughly introduced (read: thrust into) the world of GIS for the latter part of my internship by performing effectiveness monitoring on restored OHV trails. Though infuriatingly tedious and more than a little obnoxious at times, the experience was valuable. It also stressed to me some of the difficulties of the federal computer system. Case and point, after I completed the effectiveness monitoring, I couldn’t actually off load the data I had gathered, due to permission issues on the system. Thus, I had to find a way to circumvent the system. Though it eventually worked out, there was a significant amount of frustration to be had.

Overall, I felt that the year was a good one, and that I’ve not only learned many new things, but that I’ve found out a lot more about my personal limits and strengths. It makes me feel good that I have completed yet another year, and that I’m going away from it with valuable experience, and new prospects for the future.

Mustangs

I’ve been in Rock Springs now for 19 weeks so I’m nearing the end of my summer here. Already you can feel a change in the air as the mountain west shifts into winter. As I think back on my time here and the things I’ve accomplished I realize how great an opportunity this was. I met really great people while I was here and I made several good friends. I’ve also grown professionally; this internship has allowed me to gain experience and insight into my career. It’s going to look great on a resume I now have more confidence in my abilities and I’ve gained a better understanding and appreciation for the BLM and all that it does. I’ve seen things here that I never thought I would see.
For instance last week I was picking wild rose hips along a creek (with some of the friends I’ve made) and I hear this splash splash splash. At first I can’t really see the animal very well because there are willows in the way. I thought it was just a stray cow, then out of nowhere a moose comes bursting out of the shrubbery right in front of me! He looked at me and I looked at him. I thought about pulling out my camera and before I could even reach for it he was gone in a flash. I’ve never seen a moose that close before, half of me wanted a picture and the other half thought maybe I should back up slowly and high tail it out of there.

A Wyoming Sunset

I guess that’s the way I feel about the end of my time here. Part of me is ready to take my new skills and knowledge and high tail it out of here to new adventures. Part of me doesn’t want it to end; I want to take a picture of this place so I can hold onto the image of my life here for a little longer. Regardless of my bitter-sweet feelings, I know that I’m a much better person for my time spent in this internship. I’ve grown professionally as well as personally. I know that I will always think back on my time here in Rock Springs with a fondness I didn’t expect to acquire. I can honestly say my time working for the BLM here in Rock Springs was time well spent.

So the 2010 seed collecting season at the Rocky Mountain Research Station is just about over with the exception of the few collections that are made in the fall, so this a good time to reflect on the summer and seed collecting season thus far. Seed collecting (for me) entailed lots of mental energy to think like a plant in order to hunt them down and… (jk). It definitely took some physical energy traipsing around the desert looking for the target plant. By the time the plants are producing seed they are usually no longer green and luscious, instead they are golden yellow, very dry and crisp. The majority of the plants look the same way so its harder to spot the target plant. There are some plants that seed indeterminately which means that the entire plant doesn’t seed all at once and there isn’t a specific period of time that the plant sets seed. Some of collections that I helped collect this summer like Lomatium triternatum (LOTR-nine leaf biscuit root) were hard to spot! Sidenote: one common thing to shorten the scientific names of species is to use the first two letters of the genus and the first two letters of the species. So, LOTR, can have leaves as long as 12 inches but when they dry up, the only plant structures visible are the seed attached to a stem. They are covered by taller plants and shrubs got discouraged when I collected from 10 LOTR plants and my mentor from 75! He definitely has the eye for spotting plants, even while driving on the highway! One of the collection sites for Achnatherum thurberianum (ACTH-Thurber’s needle grass) yielded lots of seed and the plants were as close as two feet apart for miles down the road! When a site is as fruitful as that one was, you can just get in a zone and collect your little heart out! The technique to collecting Thurber’s needle grass was pretty easy. I just ran my fingers through the tops of the grass heads and placed whatever seed came off into a bag. The ACTH seed was semi-pokey-hence needle grass! Eriogonum umbellatum (ERUM- sulphur-flower buckwheat) just near Horseshoe Bend, ID ( ̴1 hour north of Boise) was one of the largest areas growing a plant in such a centralized area. I didn’t have to look too hard or far to find the next plant I’d be collecting seed from. We literally had to walk the miles for the ACTH collection, but this site was more of a climb! Some sites this summer entailed walking through fields for miles and miles hoping to stumble on a plant (with seed).

Can you spot the ERUM up on the hill? Hint: Its EVERYWHERE and yellow-orange color (not the sunflowers-that would be too easy).

Try zoning out while seed collecting up there (hard to do on such a steep slope!)

ERUM up close…

..and finally ERUM seed up close.

As there was diversity in plant size, the seed were no different. This is very close up picture of the seed that it is quite small. Some seeds like Artemisia tridentata (ARTR-big sagebrush) are even smaller and lighter than this so you can’t breathe too hard when working with them! I have enjoyed seeing the diversity of plants in the shrubland desert and the higher elevation of pine forest. A lot of time was spent driving to the seed collection sites so I had lot of time to enjoy the scenic drives, listen to good music on our satellite radio and chat with my coworkers. It was nice sharing the enthusiasm of the great outdoors with my coworkers.
I felt really fortunate to get to see different parts of southern Idaho while on the clock. I was able to collect Penstemon acuminatus (sharpleaf penstemmon) while seeing Bruneau Dunes where one of my coworkers ok-ed my running up one of the smaller dunes to see how hard it is to run up sand, and up Bogus Basin where I could look down on the city of Boise on the drive to collect Achillea millefolium (ACMI-common yarrow). The outdoors have just been beautiful here in Idaho and I have enjoyed exploring this summer.
I’m sad that summer is leaving but with all of the collections and field data sheets come lots of time spent in the office working on shipping the seeds off for cleaning or research, and entering information into a database called BG Base. That is what I have to look forward to this winter. I was fortunate to have a ten month position so my story in Boise, ID doesn’t end yet.
Stay tuned,

Merry Marshall
Boise, ID
FS

Looking at the San Francisco Peaks from Kendrick Park

Its been about 2 and a half months now collecting seeds with the Seeds of Success program in Flagstaff Arizona. We’ve gone from hot cloudless skies in early July to several weeks of monsoonal rains, to the beginnings of a cool autumn. The monsoons were really excellent this year, and not only boosted the number of flowering species but also provided for some prolific and tasty mushrooms. People keep telling us we are lucky to be collecting in a year like this, after a long drought cycle of poor winters and monsoons.  There certainly has been an abundance of flowers this year, and hopefully we will be able to keep collecting, even after the growing season ends. Soon the nights will just become too cold. Thats what 7000 feet will for you.

One of our collection sites in Colorado

We’ve also had the opportunity to cruise around the Colorado Plateau a bit these past months, with two trips up to Montrose, Colorado to help with the BLM Uncompaghre Plateau Project (UP project). Its been wonderful passing through the region’s patchwork of open desert and sculpted sandstone. The colors alone are worth the trip.  The Montrose area has been an interesting diversion from our familiar species around Flag, and it has been encouraging to be collecting species at the request of land managers who will directly utilize our collections for sage grouse habitat restoration.  As an added bonus, we were surprised to discover how beautiful the Uncomphagre Mesa is–Its firs, aspens and fresh-water springs contrast dramatically with the surrounding desert. Known as the “Ancestral Rocky Mountains” this ancient range was once much larger but eroded away into the famous red sandstone of the Moab region. It definitely felt like a Colorado ancestral Rocky Mountain high.

The mysterious Pterospora andromedea, or Pine Drops. (not collected, just cool)

Over the past few months we have been learning some of the ins and outs of seed collection. Although collection is never too complicated in and of itself, the logistics and timing of our collections can be a bit tricky.  In some ways collecting is a bit like preparing an elaborate, multi-course meal– if you’re timing isn’t right you might just burn something or serve it underdone.  I remember the sinking feeling as we visited one site after the monsoons started, only to find all the available seeds were gone — shattered by the rain. Fortunately, the species was an aster so we could cut many of the partially immature seed heads and they matured on their own. We learned how important it is to make solid initial collections and to collect often enough in anticipation of inevitable snafus. Fortunately right now we are entering a part of the season when there’s probably something to collect almost every day, which is pretty exciting. The weather is getting cooler, school is in session, and football is on tv– looking forward to fall

It is hard to believe that I am halfway through! I have seen and experienced so much since my last post…where to begin?  Stephen and I are up to over thirty collections and will have a busy week ahead of us.  As my collecting area is the Colorado Plateau, I have been fortunate to see beautiful parts of Arizona, Utah, and Colorado!

We just returned from Montrose, Colorado where we spent a week camping and collecting on BLM land located on the Uncompahgre Plateau.  The Uncompahgre Plateau covers around 2,300 miles on the western slope of the Rockies and is a high domed upland peaking at 10,300’.  Due to the elevation gradient, the UP supports a wide range of plant and wildlife communities and is BEAUTIFUL! The plateau’s varying landscape ranges from shrubby desert plants in a pinyon-juniper woodland to lush green forests comprised of Ponderosa pine, aspen and blue spruce.  It is so interesting how drastically different the life zones are given the close proximity.

We met with folks from the Uncompahgre Partnership, comprising of Sate and Federal agencies including: Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Colorado Division of Wildlife, Public Lands Partnership, Western Area Power Administration and Tri-State Generation. The Uncompahgre Partnership strives to improve the ecosystem health and natural functions of the Uncompahgre Plateau. We’ve had the privilege to play a role in the partnership’s goal of improving habitat quality for threatened and endangered wildlife species- specifically, the Gunnison sage grouse. We collected seeds from plant species that are of special concern for reestablishing a healthy habitat for the sage grouse. It is very rewarding to play even the smallest role in working towards conserving the habitat of a declining species. Hopefully with time, sufficient habitat for the sage-grouse can be restored and enhanced. Well, until next time.  Hope all is well!

One of our collecting sites

Lupinus argenteus-my favorite forb!

enjoying the desert

Rebecca

Flagstaff, AZ

Coming down to the final stretch out here in Newcastle; hard to believe it’s September already but the change in weather confirms it.  I’m continuing work on some projects and finishing others, in the coming weeks I’ll be tidying up my data and summarizing some things.  My point counts didn’t turn up any mountain plovers but I did see a few burrowing owls which was pretty sweet.  Except for a nest or two my raptor nest checks are complete.  Still tracking my sage grouse and in the next few weeks my mentor and I will be trying to get some of the young of the year sage grouse fixed with radio collars.  Didn’t get as far on my habitat assessments for sage grouse as I would have liked, but what can you do.  I had a blast this past summer doing bird work and I am ever grateful for being given this opportunity; I learned a ton about avian research and biological field work as a whole.  Bird work is where I want to stay and make my career.

Hello All!

It has been about 2 ½ months and over 800 pictures since my first blog. A lot has happened since. I have gotten to know almost everyone in my field office. They’re some of the best people I have ever worked with! I have seen parts of Wyoming not many people in Kemmerer have ever seen before. That is thanks to the 160 miles of hiking (and counting). My G.I.S. project is rolling and I have digitized over 560,000 acres of the field office. The crazy part about it is that I am only about 1/3 of the way finished! I have already finished one of my projects and I am very proud about it too. We had to go to 30+ oil pad sites and collect data for the final reclamation. In the beginning it took my partner and I about 2 hours per site. By the time we finished, she and I had each site finished in 50 minutes (thanks to our growing knowledge of western flora).

The amazing view from inside Raymond Canyon in the Smithsfork Allotment in the Kemmerer BLM Field Office.

Myself digitizing the perimeter of the disturbed area with a Trimble geoXT at one of the sites for the oil reclamations.

Myself at Shoshone Point for the Grand Canyon Workshop

The days are now getting shorter, I have to wear my winter jacket in the morning (only to work in shed layers throughout the day), and everyone is telling me snow will start soon. But, as for the rest of my time here in Kemmerer, Wyoming, so far September is booked solid….I don’t mind at all.

Larry Ashton
Kemmerer, WY
BLM

Entering my last month of work in Roseburg, Oregon, I feel like I finally have a moment to breathe!  The last few months have been hectic with population monitoring and seed collection, with my fellow intern and I attempting to maintain the balance of collecting seeds too early and risking that they’re not viable, and waiting too long and missing them completely.  It’s a much more complicated task than we ever imagined!  Now, however, with nearly three months of sunny skies and no rain, many of our targeted species populations have finished seeding, and we’re left with a lot of brown grass!  Amazingly, however, we’ve managed to identify a few lone native species hanging on throughout the hot summer, waiting until now to bloom.  Neither of us can believe that we can still go anywhere in the Roseburg district and still manage to find something worthy of collecting -I feel very thankful to be here!

Liz Thompson

Roseburg, OR BLM