Hello everyone.  I want to share a little bit of my research in the Provo Shrub Lab. Since the last post I continue with our experiments using the electronic nose to identify smell patterns of sagebrush subspecies. We obtained our first smell patterns of sagebrush. However I am still analyzing, receiving samples, and discussing our results. The results discussions with my mentor and collaborators are very interesting and I am learning many things about sagebrush ecosystems.  Considering that the summer is coming I am looking forward to the field application of the electronic nose. The experimenting in the field at the common gardens is the next step of our research.

I feel pleased to work in the Provo Shrub Lab and with my mentor. Provo Shrub Lab is a good and very interesting place to work. I am learning many things from my work companions. Thank you CLM for this opportunity.

Hector

Provo, UT

Forest Service, RMRS, Provo Shrub Science Lab

It is exciting to see all of the Great Basin plants coming to life and sharing their beauty with the world. As the world wakes up around me, my work here has begun to increase at an alarming rate. The increase of work is fantastic! If I am not in the field doing a drought assessment, grazing utilization, rare plant survey or an outreach event; I am in the office keying out plants, working on GIS projects or keeping up with all the data entry. Soon the workload will increase as the blooming plants begin to produce seeds, as SOS collections begins so will fire rehab monitoring. Intermixed with all of this work we have had many unique training opportunities. We are have had pesticide applications training, GIS training, CPR training and MIMS training. It is hard to believe that I have only been here for three months and have learned so much. I am excited to see what new learning opportunities will present themselves in the months to come.

I’m not writing this entry from my usual spot in the intern cubicle, surrounded by herbarium specimens, dichotomous keys, and my 5 team-members. Instead, this entry comes to you from the Reno International Airport, my portal to Memorial Day adventures.

We just finished up another unusual and wonderful week in Carson. The entire Carson City botany team took a week-long training in Multiple Indicator Monitoring (MIM) of stream banks and streamside vegetation. MIM is a procedure for monitoring riparian systems specially designed for small streams impacted by grazing. We had classes at the University of Reno Nevada and practiced monitoring at three different streams around the area. I had a great time learning a brand new monitoring technique and getting my feet wet (literally). We also had the chance to meet professionals and students from all over the west hoping to use this technique in the future. If the diversity of the students in our class is any indicator, MIM is a widely usefully technique.

On our last day of field training we set up a designated monitoring area and took measurements from a stream in Balls Canyon. In the shade of Gayer’s and Lemmon’s willows we measured everything from stream bank stability to bank vegetation to pool depth. I was the only member of my group with non-leaky rubber boots so I volunteered to take the pool depth measurements. However, pretty quickly the boots were discarded and I was waist deep in silt and chilly stream water. By the end of the day I was soaked, grinning, and we had a very detailed description of a hundred meters of mountain stream. This morning our instructor told us that you can’t monitor streams affectively without wearing out some waders. Well I think I found a (admittedly chilly) way. A perfect conclusion to a fun and educational week.

Rebecca

Carson City, NV