From St. George to Cedar City, the final one hour stretch in my drive from San Diego, California to Cedar City, Utah, I couldn’t help but draw landscape level comparisons between what I was seeing, and the high desert sagebrush habitats of the Eastern Sierra, an area I became familiar with during the many family vacations to the Mammoth Lakes in my youth. Both areas occur within the outskirts of the Great Basin Desert. Mammoth Lakes lies within the western border of the Basin; Cedar City, the eastern border. I remind myself to tune in, there will be differences.

And there are. From a landscape perspective, the Cedar City field office (and Great Basin Desert in general) lacks Creosote Bush (Larrea Tridentata), a resilient, slow-growing shrub which dominates the Mojave and Sonoran desert. The forbs beginning to expose their flowers to the Spring sun, though similar in their resilient strategies to survive in harsh conditions, display tweaks in color, pattern, and shape. However, during my first two weeks in Cedar City, I have realized the most apparent difference isn’t the view, but culture and society. I’m a California boy living in the desert of Utah.

Because my mentor went on leave two days after my internship began, these first two weeks have been disjointed, yet helpful. Disjointed, in that my work schedule has been in constant flux, subject to daily revision. Helpful, in that my fellow intern and myself have been assigned to various employees in need of assistance, exposing the wide variety of positions housed within the BLM. Each employee has their own set of management issues, and with it, personal opinions about public land, derived from their experiences.

As expected, the first week of work was devoted to training and protocol. Meeting the employees of the office, becoming familiar with the computer system, receiving safe-driving and 4X4 training certification, and driving around the field office to familiarize ourselves with the surroundings. On the last day of the first week, I accompanied a wildlife biologist and forester out to a habitat restoration project, Blawn Mountain. We stopped at various points, areas where the forester wanted to remove Pinyon-Juniper encroaching upon functional sagebrush habitat. Interestingly, the discussion between the biologist and forester focused less on where the restoration would occur, but moreso the methodology on how it was going to be conducted (lop-and-drop, bull hog, chaining), taking into account cost and resulting habitat functionality.

This following week has been more field oriented, comprised primarily of time spent assisting in listed bird species surveys and recreation site monitoring/construction. Upon reading the protocol for the two avian species to be surveyed, it was apparent how much time, research, and coordination must be necessary to create a suitable survey format, taking into account constantly changing biological knowledge about the species gathered by numerous agencies in various geographic locations. Everything is tailored to the species, for example, surveying the Southwestern willow flycatcher involves arriving at the site before the sun rises, and for the Mexican spotted owl, arriving just before the sun sets. Though no flycatchers were located in the riparian area we surveyed, feeling the warmth of the dawn sun as it peaked over the hills, accompanied by the increasing volume and seemingly manic chorus of bird calls was reward enough. After the flycatcher survey, I had the privilege of taking part in a shareholder meeting regarding public safety and interpretive improvements of Parowan Gap, a site of major cultural and architectural importance due to the many petroglyphs left by various native tribes, who have traveled through the Parowan Valley over thousands of years. I found the discussion fascinating, in that each party had their own set of motives and concerns about the project. The process helped me to understand the complicated nature of management issues, and reinforced the fact that the even the best solution cannot satisfy all those involved. Tonight, I look forward to the nocturnal nature of the owl survey, but am a bit concerned about the survey location, in that I have been warned by a few field office employees that it is an area chocked full of rattlesnakes. Two days this week have been spent in the field assisting the Recreation Technician to monitor, maintain, and improve various BLM recreation sites. This is maintenance work; digging post holes for signs and fences, hiking in to monitor remote wilderness study areas, mixing cement to build platforms for fire pits, among other labor intensive duties. I couldn’t help but note the sense of pride the technician derives from his work, and understand the reward felt after a long day of putting the body to work, in the name of serving the recreational needs of the general public on their own land.

In just these two weeks, I have come to the conclusion that taking part in this internship was the right choice. From a professional prospective, I will be gaining the experiences and knowledge necessary to help propel myself onto a career path involved in the natural sciences. Personally, I have and will continue to meet people with backgrounds, values, and opinions different than myself. These experiences will continually open my mind to see society in a more informed way than I previously have.

This day marks the end of our first work week as Botanists (interns) with the BLM in Farmington with the Seeds of Success Program. I think I can safely assume this was a reality check for both Jacob and me. We both went to school on the eastern side of the country and have studied the vegetation that exists in moist, humid, wet climates. Well, those species are quite different from the species that exists in the dry, dry, dry climate here in New Mexico. We quickly realized we have our work cut out for us: learning to recognize new species, learning the common and scientific names (which frequently changes), and learning their life cycles. This task is not for the weak at heart or mind. Jacob has a Plant Biology degree, my degree isn’t so specific to plants. Coming into this experience I knew I would have to work harder to play catch up, but I am up for the challenge. I study in the office, I study in the field, I study after work, I study before bed, I study in my sleep, I dream about plants! I also don’t have a social life at this point…

Prior to this internship or moving to this area, I had heard not so great things about Farmington, New Mexico. I heard it was an oil and gas town that has nothing to offer. That could not be farther from the truth. Yes, it does have many wells (about 20,000) and it is considered oil and gas country. But, it also has a rich culture and history with the Navajo Indians and killer views, from petroglyphs at Crow’s Canyon to unique geology in the eroded badlands of the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, and neat towns nearby like Durango and Ouray, which are booming with history and life.

My first week’s impression is this is going to be a fun summer/fall. We work with such wonderful, welcoming, and funny people who know a lot about everything. Although the scenery and weather is quite different from my hometown in Michigan, it is still beautiful, and fortunately it is my office for the next few months. I will definitely miss summers on Lake Michigan, but I get to explore canyons and Aztec ruins, and scenic Colorado and Zion National Park. I look forward to what the next few months have to offer.

Camille, NM

In the first couple weeks of my CLM internship at the Colorado State Office in Lakewood, CO, the weather has been good and the field work has been fun. The first couple days were training, but once that was out of the way I had the opportunity to go into the field to do some preliminary scouting of possible seed collection sites at some of the local open space parks. The opportunity to find and key out new species in a new environment is very exciting. While in the field I have noticed similarities of western species with the species I learned in Missouri allowing me to key out species quickly at times. In other instances, the species I encountered were totally new to me and that was just as exciting as it presented an opportunity to challenge myself to determine the species name and hone my keying out skills.
Additionally as a native Missourian, and having only been to Colorado once when I was younger, the opportunity to see the Rocky Mountains every day is truly an awesome experience. I am looking forward to utilizing all of the recreational opportunities that this wonderful area has to offer. I am also looking forward to working with the professionals of BLM and learning as much as possible to reach my career goals.

It has been about two and a half weeks since I started working here in Copper Center, Alaska with the National Park Service. I am really getting settled in and enjoying the company of my new roommates. By mid-summer, there will be a total of 10 seasonal/intern workers right around my age living in what we call “boxtown”: Employee housing at the Park which consists of little cabins. We have six 10 ft x 12 ft sleeping cabins, a kitchen cabin, a common area/living room cabin, and a bathroom/showering cabin.

Boxtown at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve

Everyone comes from a different region of the country: we have people represented from Wisconsin (ME! Go Packers!), Iowa, North Carolina, Virginia, Montana, Texas, and even Florida! Its been fun getting to know my roommates, hearing their stories, learning their coooking styles and good recipes and also getting advice on living the adventurous seasonal lifestyle we all currently have.This past weekend I traveled down into the Kenai Peninsula to visit a friend who works seasonally in Cooper Landing, Alaska. The drive was a little over 5 hours, but the views were stunning. The stretch of road south of Anchorage that we traveled is called the Seward highway, because it essentially ends in the city of Seward at the end of the peninsula. “Recognized for its scenic, natural, historical and recreational values, the 127-mile Seward Highway holds triple designation: USDA Forest Service Scenic Byway, Alaska Scenic Byway, and All-American Road”!

Traveling down the beautiful Seward Highway!

Cooper Landing is gorgeous!! It lies right on the river banks of the Kenai River, another famous salmon fishing spot in the State. 

View from my friends cabin in Cooper Landing, Alaska

Saturday night we were able to find some live bluegrass music in a town that lies at the end of a little dirt road, called Hope, Alaska. Hope only has about 20 year round residents and the town consisted of two buildings: a small gift shop and a cafe/bar called Seaview. People that work at the Park here, have stated that this spring is unusually late, temperatures are still reaching around 20 degrees at night and the snow has just about all melted. I am excited to experience how fast the seasons really change here and I have already started noticing longer hours of daylight as we get closer to summer! Alaska is truly a beautiful place where nature flows freely. I could not be happier to have this opportunity to spend a summer conducting research here. Next week, I travel to Anchorage for a week long training session at the NPS regional headquarters. Can’t wait to learn more about the local plants I’ll be looking for out in the field!!  

Cheers,

Morgan 

Wrangell-St. Elias NPP, Exotic Plant Management Team

What an adventure this has been.  Next week is the last week of my internship here in Galt, CA at the Cosumnes River Preserve.  It has been a great experience.  I have made a myriad of professional contacts, greatly expanded my knowledge of California plants, and gained valuable hands-on experience with California land management.

After finishing up a bachelor’s degree in 2009 from the University of Northern Iowa, I set out to find a job in the natural resources field.  As anyone who has ever tried this knows, it was tough.  Jobs were scarce and the few that did exist had so much competition it seemed impossible to get in.  I finally succeeded in securing a job with a small county conservation organization in Iowa where I worked as a natural resources technician for about 2 years.  I loved the work I was doing, but I came to the conclusion that I wanted to go back to school to pursue an advanced degree.

After finishing all of the coursework for a PSM degree by the spring of 2012, I needed to find an internship to complete the degree.  This was when I found the CLM internship program.  I applied for the program and was accepted.  After a few interviews, I was hired to intern with the Bureau of Land Management at the Cosumnes River Preserve in Galt, CA.  I have been working here since May of 2012.  My work has been extremely diverse; I have had the pleasure of doing everything from seed collection for the SOS Program to banding of endangered cranes to taking genetic samples of endangered red-legged frogs and EVERYTHING in between.  I have been allowed and encouraged to continue my education through attendance and participation in seminars, workshops, and special events.  These events have also been instrumental in networking with others in the field.

I have applied for many full time jobs over the past several months, but have been met with limited success.  Despite the frustrations, I am confident that I will find the right position with the skills and experiences I have gained through this internship.  In the meantime, I have secured a temporary position with the Nature Conservancy as a vegetation technician for this field season.

The CLM internship has been an awesome experience for me, and also one of the building blocks of my career.  Through the CLM program, I have been working my dream job for the last 12 months.  The work is physical, but rewarding.  There is nothing else I would have rather been doing.  If you are considering a CLM position, consider this an A+ recommendation.

5/23/2013

It is hard for me not to reminisce about my CLM summer last year in Lakeview, Oregon. I met so many great people and accomplished so many things that the experience almost seemed too good to be true. As I conclude my first month as a second year CLM’er in Dillon, Montana, I am constantly reminded how life is always changing. This will be my fifth summer as a seasonal employee and it is safe to say that not one summer will be comparable to the last. My first few weeks here have been different and challenging in a positive way. I am the only CLM intern this year, as opposed to the 9 interns in Lakeview, and the seasonal employees that are here are very established within the community. After having lived in Oregon for 3 years, the shift in culture is exciting and much different than expected. All of the people in the office have been really nice and helpful, and they are all encouraging me to be involved in as many projects as possible.

With the last signs of winter still lingering in the mountains, our vegetation monitoring has not yet begun, but once the plants start to grow we will be in full trend monitoring mode. I have been able to get the lay of the land and complete some spring exclosure checks: the Dillon field office manages over 900,000 acres of public land and includes some of the most major watersheds east of the continental divide. From what I understand, the majority of our monitoring will be stream related. We have also been able to assist in a district wide weed spraying day along the Madison River. That was a fun and beautiful experience. Considering my background as a two person weeds crew, it was nice to see how involved all of the district employees, and some off district employees, are with invasive plant management. The areas that we have been working in so far, are beautiful, and I understand the need to protect these open spaces. Aside from spring checks and weed spraying, we have been able to help with a fence removal project and also attend a rangeland drought workshop. A lot of jokes were made about the drought talk probably due to the amount of rain we have had lately. All jokes aside, the rain has been helpful but not enough to ease the minds of the land managers and range permitees. Not much else has happened, but I am excited for the true start of the field season! I have to mention that I saw my first moose the other day. My field partner was not impressed as I was screaming like a small child, but he still appreciated my lack of knowledge nonetheless. Until next time, here is to new adventures in beautiful places!

Grace Ray~Dillon, MT

Another great view while fixing some fence!

View of Lima Peaks while completing spring checks

Time is quickly dissolving into the past as my CLM Internship approaches the halfway point. So far I have assisted on several projects ranging from inputting archaeological data into a statewide geodatabase to measuring trees for timber harvest in overgrown Ponderosa Pine Forest.  I have also been able to do vegetation transects to break up weeks in the office. About a month ago, I was able to spend a delirious night roaming in the sage trapping sage grouse, my first experience handling birds. I am also working directly with the weeds crew to assist in transferring their survey collection protocol to the National Invasive Species Information Management System (NISIMS). The diversity of projects I work on, truly makes this internship a unique experience.

Reflecting on my experiences this far brings a pond showing brilliant displays of progression in my career, despite sometimes feeling negative towards my overall experience. From a skill set perspective I have gained very little, mostly I have applied the knowledge and skills from my previous positions and education towards new projects. At times it seems I have to stir up the dust of old projects in order to find something to keep me busy, which is perhaps the biggest disappointment of the experience so far. Every time I work with a specialist in my office or in adjacent field offices I feel I learn something new and gain a clearer picture of my intended career. As a research scientist, I have outlined my future career by enrolling into a Ph.D. program at Northern Arizona University’s School of Forestry. My intention is to begin a career in ecological research that benefits land managers. With a background in plant community ecology, my research interests are shifting to soil community ecology and ways soil organism inoculations can benefit management practices by promoting native plant survival and growth. With a strong background in science and decent work experience in land management, I am well aware of the grand chasm that often exists between land managers and scientist.

Every day I work with a wide array of land managers, whether in the field or in the office, I gain an understanding of their projects and intentions by reading their environmental impact statements and picking their brains to understand the methodology and reasoning behind their actions. With little emphasis on research and virtually all resources devoted to management action I am constantly enlightened to obstacles that inhibit management action based on science. One of these obstacles relates to tradition and simplicity. To stay up to date with recent scientific literature on the variety of tasks land managers complete is tedious and time consuming. Furthermore the audience of scientific conferences and journals are often geared towards academics, making it difficult for members of federal organizations to stay in touch with the latest literature. I know this from experience outside of this internship as I was once hired by an interagency BLM and USFS office to complete a literature review and report, related to genetic conservation.

These experiences and observations will help me gear future publications and outreach to a land manager specific audience. By doing so, I feel I will be able to conduct academic research that also has lasting impacts on how landscapes are managed and how policy is written into law. The major enlightenment I have made thus far at the BLM is that I do not want to be a land manager. Writing environmental impact statements and making decisions confined to agency and federal policy is not my passion. Asking questions about our landscapes and using science as a tool to share the answers to my questions with the greater community, however, is my passion.