We just had our first snow of the year last week here in Wyoming! It went from being a comfortably warm 80 degrees one day to blustery and snowing the next. The Bighorn Mountains were transformed overnight into a winter wonderland that I am not used to experiencing in early October!

The last few weeks were filled with new experiences for me, which included helping out with an archaeological survey with two of our seasonal archaeologists. One of the greatest parts of this internship so far has been getting to collaborate with specialists in a variety of fields. I feel lucky to be working in a field office where my co-workers are so open to sharing their knowledge and expertise.

Buffalo Man pictograph with Petrophytum caespitosum

First snow in the Bighorns!

It’s autumn and can’t believe that my internship is over in just a few weeks!  This last month has gone by so fast.

Last week, I got to re-visit the Pine Ridge fire, which burned in mid-July, to monitor the veg regeneration.  It was really cool to see how much the site has progressed since the first post-fire visit I went on with the BAER team.  Monitoring fire effects at the Pine Ridge site has really helped put into perspective the older wildfire sites I visited this summer while conducting rangeland health assessments.  It’s incredible to see a burned site ten or so years later and realize how many of the grass species present are there because of a post-rehabilitation treatment, and how long regeneration really takes.  I had no previous experience with wildfires, but this summer has definitely sparked an interest in fire ecology.

Time is flying here in Farmington, New Mexico mostly due to all the seed collections we have been making lately! The summer monsoon was just strong enough in the region south of Farmington to allow many of the forbs and grasses to seed out, which has created lots of field work for us.

One of my favorite collections was a globe mallow (Sphaeralcea), a common genus down here in the southwest desert. The plants in the patch we were collecting from looked very different from one another. This led us to believe that there were a number of different species growing in close proximity. Some had long narrow leaves, some had shorter fatter leaves and the flowers were ranging from bright orange to dark purple. This didn’t become apparent until we were in the middle of our collection process and we were thinking we would have to ship out a premade seed mix.

However, after much deliberation and advice from our mentor, Sheila Williams, we were able to figure out that it was Sphaeralcia emoryi, a species with alot of natural variation.

Sphaeralcea emoryi

Hopefully the frost holds off long enough for a few more collections!

De-Na-Zin wash we have been collecting in

Exposed sagebrush root on bank of De-Na-Zin wash

In Farmington, New Mexico, news about the weather is informative to the news about the plants. The news is, we have received some rain, about 40 miles south of town near the De-Na-Zin/Bisti Wilderness badlands area. A wash that we had started monitoring two months ago was yielding young shoots of a couple species.  When we returned last week, those little forbs in the wash were completely buried in a blanket of sand brought forth by a rushing flood that barreled through the desiccated desert. The dusty, smooth slopes of the sandy wash had been transformed into violently cut jagged banks. Hearty sagebrush plants had been ripped out of their bed and left to dangle on edge, calmly billowing in the wind. Heaps of disheveled soil were scattered around curves of the wash. Portions of the sand bed had been transported elsewhere in the flow, leaving areas deeply sculpted into fragile miniature canyons. Despite this destruction, many native plants were flourishing on the edges of the wash. Seeing how the wash had transformed was one of the highlights in the past couple weeks. It was a reminder that the earth is an organism- and this particular wash just went through a molt.  

Cute Little Tarantula of the De-Na-Zin

Blister Beetle- Genus: Megetra. If handled, adults exude an oil called cantharidin that causes dermal blistering and can be fatal to livestock if entire beetle is ingested

                                               As hours passed by collecting broom-like ragwort, hoary tansy aster, and galleta grass, the movement of a black, leggy patch caught my eye. It was the first tarantula I have seen in the United States. I went on a short (yes, Sheila, short) arthropod chasing safari at the De-Na-Zin site. For me, part of being a botanist is noticing the other biota of your surroundings and becoming fascinated by an organism that you don’t quite understand and taking a little time to observe.  

 The De-Na-Zin/ Bisti wilderness area has a reputation for being an abyss of eerie phenomenon. So far, the photo below depicts all strangeness I have seen. The wind and water of the De-Na-Zin can be quite powerful as well as artistic.

 Fall is here in Farmington- the cottonwood leaves are firing up. We are racing to collect seeds before the frost sets in. I see that many others are finishing up their internships. Please get in touch if you would like to visit the four corners area or are passing through! I will be here through December.  

Deidre Conocchioli

Farmington, New Mexico, Bureau of Land Management

The mountains surrounding Pinedale, WY have turned white. We got our first dusting of the season and with it came the undeniable feeling that winter, true winter, will soon be here. I could definitely do without the wind but I welcome the lower tempuratures on the condition that they will be accompanied by plenty of precipitation, a very pleasing combination to all snowsports enthusiasts.
With the onset of winter come the final few weeks of my CLM internship. I am pleased to have had the opportunity to spend the second leg of the program in Pinedale. Not that Rock Springs didn’t have its charm, well perhaps charm is a bit too generous of a word, but I’ve enjoyed Pinedale very much. It’s a cozy, quaint little community at the foot of the Wind River Range that has lots to offer in terms of culture and recreation. And they have a great brewery here, too. What more could one ask for?
This year’s drought left plenty to be desired in regards to available projects but luckily, upon my arrival in Pinedale, I’ve been able to keep busy and get out into the field. No seeds were collected by this intern but many a wildlife survey and habitat assessment have received the McCoy treatment.
The absence of rain made most of the plants brown and crusty and the field season less than ideal. But how often is anything ideal really? My Wyoming adventure hasn’t quite turned out how I expected but that alone has served as a valuable learning experience. And thankfully, I got to move to Pinedale.

  Field Season here on the Modoc is definitely on its way out. Walking out of the Alturas field office one can feel the crisp cold bite of winter on its way. Hiking up Patterson Lake in the South Warner Mountains last weekend was incredibly beautiful. Amidst the dark pines and grasslands groves of Aspens were beginning to turn a golden delicious yellow.  One by one other seasonals from all departments are falling away like leaves, returning to school or their next adventures. My partner Joe and I have made so many seed collections this season we have lost count. Among the last ones aquired were Yellow Rabbit Brush, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, California Rudbush, Cercis occidentalis var. orbiculata and Mountain Mahogany, Cercocarpus montanus. The latter of which is aptly nicknamed “hell feathers” by cowboys. The Seed hairs can attach to eyes and skin, and CAN cause considerable discomfort.   If I ever find myself collecting this unique seed again I will be wearing a hazmat suit!  Another collection we made was in a range allotment named Cold Springs. This allotment is in Lassen County, right off of highway 395, in Termo. This particular collection site was at Dodge Springs, a riparian area in the midst of sagebrush habitat which had burned two years ago.    

Dodge Springs when we collected seed in early July.

   Later on this season Joe and I went back to check up on a couple other plants this is what we found…
 

Major change!

 …Once we arrived back at Dodge Springs it was quite obvious we would not be making any more collections at this site. The vegetation use was vigorous and soil erosion was apparent. There were at least 17 head of cattle “hanging out” in the spring area. We also observed 4 wild horses in the area.  When going back to the field office the range supervisor informed us the cows should have been taken out of this area at least three weeks prior. When we went back two weeks later, to check the survival rates of some sagebrush we had planted, the cows were still in the exact same place. One cow had even died — we theorize from getting stuck in the mud. What a drastic impact one season of overgrazing can cause.  Once again here is what it looked like two months ago…

Dodge Springs when we collected seed in early July.

According to the BLM Northeastern California Standards for Rangeland Health and Guidelines for Livestock Grazing Management, “Adequate stubble will be present on all stream-side areas at the end of the growing season, or at the end of the grazing season if grazing occurs after fall dormancy. The residual or regrowth should provide sufficient herbaceous forage biomass to meet the requirement of plant vigor maintenance, bank protection, and sediment entrapment” (June 1999). I also read that a 4-6 inch minimum stubble height must remain at the end of the growing season in most riparian areas.  

It is clear this is not the case in this riparian area. Possibly this type of heavy use could be improved, with changes in season of use, timing, duration, rotational grazing, herding, fencing, herding and or changes in number of stock. Unfortunately, however, although Dodge spring is surrounded by BLM lands the spring itself is privately owned. As of now the state of California has no rural private landownership standards or guidelines for riparian areas currently in effect.

Thanks to my extension I still get to spend two more months in Alturas and I am looking forward to seeing the first flurries of snow fly on the tablelands.

Over the past month, I have continued working primarily in the office on data entry and writing academic papers. The most exciting moment of the last month was when I realized that a species of lichen, Polychidium dendriscum, was listed as found in Florida. This seemed unlikely because it is known from Alaska and the Pacific northwest. I requested loans from other herbaria in the United States  to evaluate the species. It was incredible to handle specimens collected over 50 years ago. There is something magical about preserving specimens for future study, and I’m grateful for the opportunity. In addition, it was awesome to see who collected the specimens. One collector wrote a large book on Florida lichens. Hopefully, a specimen from the Smithsonian will arrive next week. The collector at the Smithsonian, Mason Hale, taught my supervisor Roger Rosentreter. I’m very excited to see that sample, and publish this paper very soon.

My time here is winding down, and this will be one of my last posts. One of the joys of working at the BLM State Office in Idaho has been the people here in the office. I learn something new from everyone. One of my coworkers, Pamela Hess, is a geologist. She can look at a geologic view and say, “that rock outcrop looks different.” When we approach it, and look around, there are unique ecosystems. Coming from Florida, I never appreciated how much geology defines a landscape and limits what grows in that area. From my coworker, Susan Filkins, I’ve learned to have a good attitude and how to better take care of myself (especially in the winter!) and not sweat the small stuff.  From Dan Simpson and Brett van Paepeghem, I’ve learned more about horticulture and that gardens need love and caring and constant maintenance. From Roger Rosentreter, I’ve learned how to use my energy efficiently towards science and academia, as well as more than I ever imagined about lichens and life.

It all goes to show, if you love your work it will continue to grow and take you in ways and places you never imagined.

Barry

BLM Idaho State Office

In the last month the eastern Californian Mojave has experienced record rainfall. Because of the regular patterns and consistent showers, seed collections have been picking up again and species like Pectis papposa, Bouteloua barbata, and Kallstroemia parviflora have been carpeting large parts of my field area. It’s an exciting time to be a field botanist! I recently collected from Rattlesnake Canyon, just north of Pioneertown, a village that has been chosen by filmmakers as the setting for many westerns and frequented by actor Roy Rogers.

-Rattlesnake Canyon-

Most recently, the Sawtooth Complex Fire came through the surrounding area, destroying stands of Joshua tree and scarring the landscape. The Joshua trees are now resprouting in some locations, but the damage is widespread and it will take many decades for the stands to recover. Because of the recent disturbance at the site, it seemed fitting to spend some time scouting for plants that are fire and grazing tolerant. There are several grazing permits in the area and I ran into a couple of local cowboys — the first people that I have encountered in the field in 7 months — that were looking for their cattle as I descended further down into the canyon. I was searching for Brickellia californica and Chysothamnus nauseosus, two fire-adapted species that also seem to respond well to grazing pressure. We managed to locate populations of both species that were fruiting and it felt great to make seed collections that I knew were great candidates for restoration on highly disturbed lands.

Last weekend I attended the Southern California Botanist Symposium at the Huntington Botanical Gardens inSan Marino,California. There were many talks given on restoration and threats to our native flora. One of the most interesting talks entitled, “The Current Role and Future of Biological Soil Crusts in the Face of Climate Change” by Jayne Belnap, Ph.D. For those unfamiliar with soil crusts, they are a layer of soil that is a living community of algae, fungi, and cyanobacteria. They exist in many arid environments, including the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. She explained how undisturbed soil crusts act as an impenetrable barrier to invasive plant seed; the appendages on many non-native seeds cause them to be trapped atop the soil crust, never allowing them to penetrate and germinate.

After hearing this talk, I’m convinced that one of the most effective methods of preventing the spread of exotic plant species is to prevent future damage to these soil crusts by reducing impact from development and vehicular soil disturbance. Manual and chemical methods of removal will only go so far if the continued degradation of these communities goes unhindered. I’m very grateful to my mentor for inviting me the symposium. I got to hear all of these interesting and poignant talks and meet many botanists that research plants that I see every day!

Rabbitbrush – Chrysothamnus nauseosus

I’m also taking two refresher courses in GIS that will give me more experience mapping populations and will expand my knowledge of the program. A big thank you to Dean Tonenna and everyone at the BLM who helped make these courses available to CLM interns. They will broaden our skill sets and help prepare us to manage our public lands as we look towards the future.

Aaron Sedgwick

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden Office

Over the past month the weather has begun to clear up and become more like summer here on Fort Ord. Also in the past month I have crossed paths with a mountain lion, learned more and more about GIS dealing with creation of data, and organization of many volunteers.
About a week ago I was walking on in some oak woodlands looking for possible new oak sites where we could bring volunteers to help us plant new oaks. We then saw a deer run by and really thought nothing of it until we saw a mountain lion leap from an oak tree and run to another. My guess was that the mountain lion was not interested in us — it just wanted to watch the deer.  Still, it was a great shock to see a mountain lion.
Over the past month I have received computer access and have begun to get back in the flow of using ArcGIS. We are now creating polygons and are able to transform the data as needed.
The past week we have had many volunteers coming out to Fort Ord and there are many more to come, from Capital One employees to the Sierra Club. We have been trying to get prepared for all of their arrival.
Public Lands Day is almost here and should be a great day to get everyone outside!

I feel as though this field season is best sumerized in a Haiku.

The damp fish shivers
Vibrating river beats…
A LEAP into the light.