It’s been a BUSY several weeks here in Cody, Wyoming. I have been scouring the field office in search of plants to collect later this year for the Seeds of Success program, taking specimens for herbarium vouchers, and documenting locations. Along the way, I inspect reservoirs for the plant Rorippa calycina (persistent sepal yellowcress), which BLM classifies as rare in Wyoming, as well as any amphibians and reptiles. In the midst of all this searching, I have also been visiting known sage grouse lek locations to collect feathers for a genetic study, although I won’t pretend to understand the specifics at this point! I look forward to learning the results of this study, but that will be some time in coming.

Last week I was assigned to begin one of my favorite tasks: monitoring two golden eagle nests. The chicks are very young still, between 10 and 25 days old. They are fluffy and white, and very clumsy at getting around in the nests. Although it can be challenging to manage 6 hours of monitoring a week per nest on top of everything else, it’s definitely worth it. We are working on finding a way to multi-task while I sit at the nests with binoculars and spotting scopes, mostly by transferring work projects to my personal laptop so that I can accomplish more while I’m out there, such as analyzing sage grouse count data in relation to vegetation treatments. It’s cool to be a part of firsts here: looking at sage grouse trends specific to the BLM’s Cody field office and its management strategies, helping to conduct the first bat survey ever done in the field office, and even setting up a real herbarium in which to store plant specimens that until now have been stored in a cardboard box on top of a shelf. I am again realizing how spoiled I am getting to have such an amazing job where I can be useful, busy, and blissfully outdoors practically every day. I wish I could keep this job forever!

What a day, what a day! Who knew seed scouting could lead me to so many electrifying places. At first, I tried to keep to my comfort zone, up in the moister hills, shaded by trees and buffed away from the wind. Yet, I have found myself tossed out of my shade, my moisture, my home, sent to wander the plains of sage and grasses. I have found myself in the middle of multiple burn sites, exploring canyon cliffs while observing its petroglyphs, to marking plant populations after examining a triceratops dig site. Still, I am drawn more to be amazed by the simple beauty I find all around me, too small to see without the desire to be found. So minute, yet, so overwhelming. Bring on tomorrow!

Over the last few weeks the Mojave and Sonora have become increasingly dry. It’s gotten to the point that even the Larrea tridentata is under stress in some places. Walking through fields of dead or dormant Ambrosia dumosa and Atriplex, I try to stay optimistic that the target species I’m looking for, hope beyond hope, is just around the bend. We’ve had to move to higher elevations, but even in places like the Orocopia Mountains things are bleak.

Despite the extremely dry conditions, we are able to collect many of the most common species and tissue collection for a tortoise forage nutrient study has begun. Wading through cheesebush (Ambrosia salsola), with my hands covered in a resinous coating of cheesebush glue and smelling like the sweetest limburger, I remind myself that this will benefit an endangered animal. But there is beauty in the simplicity of the act of collecting. I get into a rhythm, and feel connected to the desert around me in a very fundamental way. Or, maybe it’s all just a delusion inspired by the 110 degree weather we’ve been having. Regardless, I’ve seen a lot more wildlife and have been having a great time scouting for new seed collection locations.

Green Curcurbita palmata fruits!

It is the start of June and here in the southeastern part of Arizona it is beginning to get hot again. Fires are starting up again on BLM and Forest Service lands. Spring didn’t last long here. But being here for over a year now it has been amazing watching the seasons change in the desert and watching the different plant species come up as well. It is interesting that there are still species blooming.  This time last year there was nothing blooming – not even the creosote was blooming. But, it will be a good summer here.  We have some large projects that we will be working on, and then heading into another seed collection season. :).

My time in Carson City is more to me than the BLM. Generally people, including myself, enjoy our lives more which in turn means we become better workers when we have connections and an interesting life. I am sincerely content in all aspects of my time at the BLM. My coworkers are incredible people–you feel the love and respect we have for one another. The projects that I am involved in are increasing and getting interesting. Field work is always exciting, different, and challenging, what more could one ask for!?

Hello, from Worland, WY! My name is Nate and I come from the distant and exotic land of New Jersey. I began my internship on May 15th but not before a nice little 2,000 mile road trip and getting to see parts of our beautiful country along the way. The Worland BLM field office has 2.8 million acres and the more I see the more I like.  The land varies from a dry sagebrush scrubland to harsh yet gorgeous badlands, canyon carved country side, and finally stopping at breath taking mountain foothills. The flora and fauna here are amazing in their own right, all adapting to this hard environment and thriving. There is a definite learning curve coming from such a different ecosystem but I dove in head first and I’m learning everything I can from weed management to local geology to fire ecology (and most importantly how they all tie together). My mentor, CJ, and the rest of the Worland field office have been great (we even started a weekly ultimate frisbee game) and are more than happy to answer any and all of my questions, which is perfect because I have a slew of them. I am really looking forward to getting into the thick of this internship, tackling some weeds, and seeing all the iconic places WY has to offer (and figuring out how to upload pictures so I can share them with you all). I’ll see you all at the CBG in only a few weeks, have fun, learn a lot, and be safe!
P.S. Let’s go Devils!!!!!
-Nate T

Summer has come early to drought stricken Cedar City, Utah.  With temperatures rising and not a rain cloud in sight, many plants have already flowered and are about to go to seed. One such plant is the dreaded scotch thistle (Onopordum acanthium); a noxious and invasive plant here in Utah. Even though scotch thistle is beautiful when flowering, it competes with native plant species for the meager resources available in this high mountain dessert region. To combat this invader we have spent many hours chopping it down and digging it up.

However, not all my time here in Cedar City has been spent controlling the weeds. These last two weeks that I have spent with the Bureau of Land Management have been filled with new experiences and opportunities to learn. I have been able to participate in Mexican spotted owl (Strix occidentalis lucida) and southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) surveys, been refreshed on how to operate a 4WD vehicle and toured the field office with the regional botanist. I have had the opportunity to see some native wildlife that, although a native myself, I had never seen in the wild –  the Arizona mountain king snake ( Lampropeltis pyromelana pyromelana) and the threatened Mexican spotted owl.

On the weekends I have been able to enjoy the national parks that are nearby; summiting Lady Mountain in Zion National Park was an awesome feat! Thank goodness for public lands!