Good Afternoon Folks,

My name is Joel and I will be taking up the CLM internship through the BLM in Alaska this season. I just started a week and a half ago and man has it been a whirlwind of training and driving. As you may or may not know, Alaska (oh so vast) has only about 4 roads. Technically more, but only 4 highways. This means much of my project work will be in remote locations all over, including some Heli drops out by a town called Unalakleet on the Western coast of Alaska, a 12 day river trip on the Beaver Creek north of Fairbanks, and some forestry work out of Glenallen. Here’s a map link http://binged.it/1d0mAmy. My range is big and I’ve got lots of cool plant surveys and tree stand assessments to do this summer. Pretty excited to get back into some botanical studies.

Anyway, Our first week involved bear awareness training (shooting off bear spray and learning how not to anger bears of all kinds), followed by some shotgun training (shooting off some guns in the woods), followed by some Helicopter and fixed wing training in a hanger down in Glenallen. This one was not so exciting, but crucial for the success of our missions. We also got to go down to the gravel pit to drive some ATVs and to learn about safety. The highlight of this last week however, was the 3 day swiftwater rescue course I took on the Matanuska river. This involved a lot of rope tying and swimming in the river. Pretty Awesome. I even learned how to set up a 16:1 pulley system. Never have to call a tow truck again. Even though I am experienced in a lot of these activities already, the training gave me some good certifications and will probably be good for the resume for future endeavors. Thank you BLM and CLM for the opportunities.

In the next couple of weeks we will be driving up to Fairbanks to prepare our plant ID skills for the Beaver Creek trip (tributary of the Yukon) and then off to Chicago for the workshops. I guess I’ll see some of you there. Can’t wait. Be safe, learn more, have fun and you will be able to CLM right to the top.

Langloesia setosissima (Lilac sunbonnets)

We spent our last week in the field collecting data for the juvenile desert tortoise forage characterization project. So sad to leave the desert for a bit but also a bit thankful as it is now getting into the 100’s! Even the Eriogonum inflatum, which has been going strong all season even in the burned site (maybe better to say especially in the burned site!), is starting to fade. Not everything though, Mammillaria tetrancistra is still blooming! Named after its spines, the Fish Hook Cactus always makes me smile when I pass by!

Beautiful blooming Mammilaria tetrancistra  – Fish Hook Cactus

We have spent this week weighing biomass, entering data, and cleaning and organizing our field gear and vehicle so it is ready for our next project. We finished weighing our last biomass sample a couple days ago, which now allows us to enter the species frequency, phenology, and other field data. It is amazing to see all our hard work of the past few months coming together!

I am excited to begin the data analysis to see at each site how the climate may be influencing the species composition and phenology, to answer questions about the species richness, and in the end of course how the biomass and plant species might be influencing juvenile tortoise mortality. Luckily, since USGS released the juveniles last fall, there have only been a few mortalities. I have used R in the past, but one can always use more practice with R!  I cannot wait for those awesome R graphs.

Another addition to the scat project – we’re going to try and grow out the seeds that may be stored in the scat samples we collected! That way we will begin to understand which plants are dispersed by tortoises! Do tortoises modify the plant community surrounding their burrows or in their territories via dispersal???

And time for this month’s Mojave Mystery: What type of grasshopper mates in Scutellaria mexicana (Mexican Bladdersage)?? This shrub was hopping with them! Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Can you spot them?

Mojave Mysteries to be explored and answered next time,

Amanda Cooke

USGS Henderson, NV

Here in the Mojave Desert, our annual vegetation collection has come to a close. Although some juvenile Desert Tortoises are still foraging out of their burrows, most of the useful annual plant material has dried up and blown away. This means we are on to the next task of entering our mountains of data sheets into a digital format! This component is actually quite rewarding because it allows one to look back on the entire field campaign, from the beginning when methods were still being developed, to the end, when our methods were refined. It’s a great feeling knowing you’ve learned a lot since you started! The Mojave never ceases to amaze me, with new plants emerging just when you thought nothing could possibly bear the heat, now rising into the 108-110 range. Although the annuals have (with the exception of a few Eriogonum species) senesced, some Cacti and a few other perennials are in full flower.

Now begins the task of using the loads of data we collected to answer the questions we asked at the beginning of the study. Some examples include: 1) Which annual plant species do juvenile Desert Tortoise target and why? 2) Is there a significant difference in species composition and biomass between our three distinct sites? 3) Is juvenile Desert Tortoise health correlated with species diversity, higher biomass, or any other parameters measured at our sites?

To answer these questions, we need to organize our data such that we can use statistical programs to detect differences in species richness, biomass, etc. We also need to determine the nutritional value of a few key species. Finally, we need to use foraging observations, collected by another researcher, to determine species targeted by juveniles.

I find this part of the project really fun, because it involves investigating trends, being creative in analysis techniques, and finally (hopefully) being able to tell a small story about juvenile Desert Tortoise behavior and/or nutritional needs as well as describing the habitats they prefer.

So begins the long, sometimes tedious, but always rewarding, data analysis phase!

‘Til next time,
Daniel

Eucnide urens

I’ve been quite busy since the last time I wrote! Of course, the day after I submitted my first entry I had quite an adventure. Aside from learning a lot of fieldwork and survey techniques, I’m gaining quite a bit of experience in practical skills, such as driving a truck on dirt roads after it has rained. To many people (especially out here in Cedar), that’s no big feat, but I come from a city where there are no dirt roads, let alone mountains! I followed my mentor out to one of our field sites, so that he could show us where we would be working and get a feel for the area. It was a bit nerve-wracking at first, but by the end I was pretty confident in my newfound off-roading skills. The region he showed us that day was one of our main areas for wildlife monitoring and while we were out there, I saw my first glimpse of a wild horse. It was a pretty exciting day! Since then, I’ve seen the horses several more times. It’s both thrilling and unnerving to see them when I’m out in the sagebrush surveying for wildlife and they come closer to investigate, then stamp their feet and make irritated noises.

Wild horses are awesome, sassy, and sometimes intimidating!

I’ve only been working out here for a month, but I’ve learned and hiked so much it feels like much longer (in a good way). So far, we’ve been mostly focusing on general wildlife monitoring in areas where land management practices have taken place or will in the future. We’ve also completed several raptor surveys and I must say, it’s quite exhilarating when you find a nest! Whether it’s currently occupied or not, it’s awesome to see how different species will engineer their nests. It is quite impressive how large some of the sticks can be!

A Ferruginous hawk. I took this picture during one of our raptor surveys. This was a new species for me. It is so exciting seeing a new bird for the first time!

Studying all of my bird calls really paid off during our point count surveys. Coming from the Midwest, it was a bit daunting coming to an entirely different ecosystem. I’ve had to work really hard to get to know all the new plants and animals, but it is incredibly rewarding and fun to go out and monitor all these new-to-me species. Plus, you never know what you will find when you’re out there!

I found a matching set of Mule Deer antlers while conducting a point count. Needless to say, that made my day!

Most of our work so far has been in the mountains surrounding Cedar City or in a remote Sagebrush Steppe. Aside from all the wonderful birds, mammals, and reptiles I’ve had the pleasure to see and experience, I’m also getting to enjoy a completely different vegetative community than I am used to. I really didn’t expect to see so many wildflowers, but amongst the vast expanse of sagebrush and pinyon-juniper habitats are countless wildflowers! One of my favorites is the matted buckwheat (Eriogonum caespitosum). I’m also quite taken with the cacti out here. Some of them are just starting to bloom and they are absolutely stunning.

Matted buckwheat. It starts off yellow and then changes to orange and red as it matures.

The wonderful beehive cactus (Escobaria vivipara).

Next week, is the workshop in Chicago. I’m really looking forward to the lectures and meeting some of my fellow interns. It will be awesome getting to know some of the other bloggers and share our experiences face-to-face. After that, I’ll be back in Cedar City training for the seeds of success program and then assisting in some capture and relocation of prairie dogs. So much to look forward to!

I’ll leave you with this gem of a photo, because who doesn’t love owls? A Great Horned Owl watching Zach as he passed through the trees taking stock of the vegetation and inhabitants.

My coworker Zach was being watched while conducting one of our surveys. My jaw about hit the ground when he showed me this.

As I put field books back on their shelves, make neat piles of vouchers in the lab, clean out my filthy backpack, and get rid of useless papers that have accumulated on my desk, I think back to all the amazing places I have seen, wonderful people I have worked with, and all of the botanical knowledge I have gained over the past 15 months.  This internship really helped me shape where I want to go in the future.  It has helped me focus on what I want to pursue in the form of a career and has inspired me to go to back to school and earn my master’s in biology.  I will be attending Humboldt State University this fall to pursue a degree focusing on insect community ecology with an emphasis on plant relationships.  I have always had a strong interest in insects, but it wasn’t until this internship, where I obtained so much information about botany, that I realized that the greater ecological role they play in plant cycles is something I wanted to study further.

Good luck to all of you with whatever you choose to pursue next.

-Mason London

I’m still fairly new here but I’m starting to feel very comfortable with my new position. Over the past 6 weeks working for the West Eugene Wetlands BLM office I’ve gained a lot of botanical survey experience and have learned to identify many new species!

Lupinus oreganus

Although nearly all of the areas we perform rare plant surveys are within Eugene’s urban industrial complex, it’s amazing how many native plants still exist despite daunting anthropogenic pressures. In the past weeks I have spent many hours talking a census of Lomatium bradshawii, Lupinus oreganus, and Erigeron decumbens at all of our project sites.

Some of these populations are natural and others have been planted for restoration purposes. Most recently I have been working on monitoring and weeding a particularly successful installation of Erigeron decumbens  [pictured below].

Erigeron decumbens installation

Despite the monumental task of keeping this site weeded and counting each flower (yes you read that right) it was still exciting to see these plants thriving. Unfortunately, there are few examples of rare plant installations in the Willamette Valley that are this successful.

In order to track changes in species composition at many of our project sites, I assisted with low intensity monitoring. At each site we estimated percent cover at many randomly placed 1-meter square plots. In many cases each one-meter-square plot contained on average 10-15 different species. In some of the most diverse plots we found more than 25 different species!

Species composition monitoring plot

By monitoring species diversity and abundance in this way, it is possible to identify potentially problematic weed infestations and also allows the BLM to quantify the effects of management practices like prescribed burning and mowing on their sites. Doing these surveys introduced me to more than a dozen non-native prairie species and refreshed my knowledge of an equal number of native species. I’m excited to continue to hone my skills as a botanist in the upcoming months of this internship!

Here I am, wrapping up my first week of training as a CLM intern for the North Carolina Botanical Garden.  My college training and first botany jobs were all on the west coast, mainly in Washington state, so I’m so happy to have this opportunity to get to know more of the Southeastern flora.  My crew will be working primarily on the coastal plain of North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland, collecting seeds to be used for conservation projects as a part of the BLM Seeds of Success Program.

The boardwalk through the Coastal Plain Habitat Garden at NCBG

Although I have been living in the mountains near Asheville, North Carolina, for the past several months, this week brought me to Chapel Hill (and the Piedmont) for the first time, and I’ve been getting acquainted with the beautiful NC Botanical Garden and all the plants (and dedicated staff) showcased there.  I’ve been paying special attention to the Coastal Plain Habitat Garden, as it holds many species that I’ll likely become very familiar with over the next few months.  Luckily, my mentor Amanda is finishing up her master’s thesis on the coastal plain flora, so she will certainly be a great teacher and resource in that area.

This week was dedicated to Seeds of Success (SOS) training, and we got together with the other eastern crews working on the project, from New York and New England.  Together we’ve all been going over the SOS protocol and learning a bit of introductory plant I.D. and genetics to guide us in our work.  The past two days, we had the privilege to get out into the field and make our first two seed collections of Glyceria striata (fowl mannagrass) and Zephyranthes atamasca (Atamasco lily).  It was satisfying to actually get some seeds in our hands and going through the process has me looking forward to more field work.

seeds of Atamasco lily (Zephyranthes atamasca) being spread out to dry

It was a great experience to meet a group of like-minded interns right off the bat this week, and now I am anticipating getting to know my own NCBG crew a little better.  Of course, as a certifiable plant nerd, I am also pretty excited to learn about new species, visit some of the area herbaria, and start collecting seeds.  This is really a fantastic opportunity to do important and fulfilling work and I don’t plan to waste a minute of it.  Until next time, peace outside.

Emily Driskill

CLM Intern, North Carolina Botanical Garden

Rain pounds against the windows of my new home – a double-wide trailer on a farm in Burns, Oregon. I’ve just returned from a long day of fishing, mushroom hunting, and gun shooting (some of our coworkers were kind enough to immerse us interns in the Burns way of life). The rain is much needed, as the area is in the midst of a four-year drought. Burns is located in sagebrush country, an ecosystem typical of the high, intermountain deserts of the West, and a far cry from the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” that I’m accustomed to. In a region already ravaged by wildfires, the drought has only intensified the issue. Therefore, the BLM began the Emergency Stabilization & Rehabilitation (ESR) program to combat the damage done by the fires. One of my primary duties as an intern this summer will be to perform vegetation surveys to monitor the progress of the rehab program.

Fire damage in Malheur National Forest.

All of the morels we found!

I have officially completed my first week as an intern for the Burns BLM, my very first post-college job – yay! The three other interns and I spent the week doing various training activities. On Tuesday we completed defensive driving and four wheel drive training (necessary for the rough roads out here). On Wednesday and Thursday we got to go out in the field and practice the point intercept and Pace 180° methods for vegetation sampling. Our coworkers gave us a run down on the ecosystem, the wildfires, and the local flora. So far, it seems as though there isn’t all that much plant diversity, with sagebrush (three subspecies of A. tridentata), several bunch grasses (e.g. F. idahoensis, P. secunda, A. thurberianum), and the occasional juniper tree (J. occidentalis) accounting for the majority of species.

One of the 20 density plots we do at each site.

On Friday we did a self-guided tour through Harney County to familiarize ourselves with the immense area managed by the Burns BLM. The district covers 3.36 million acres of public land in addition to large areas of private, Federal, and State lands – a daunting task for a new intern! As we drove, the landscape alternated between farmland, rangeland, and endless sagebrush, all framed by the Steens Mountains. The vastness of land out here is truly awe-inspiring; I have never seen so much open space. A highlight of the day was seeing a mama Great Horned Owl and her three babies, and listening to them hoot back and forth to each other.

Mother owl staring me down.

Wetlands here are few and far between.

Overall, I’m very excited for the five months I have in Burns. Everyone I’ve met has been extremely nice, the district is beautiful, and there are lots of animals on the farm to play with (including two adorable, friendly cats). Here’s to the adventures that lay ahead!

Enjoying a sunset on the farm after work.

Austin Yantes

Burns District BLM

Welcome to Sulfur Canyon! An area carved out by time and grazed by cattle in various areas… So majestic!!! ^_^

Welcome to Central Washington! A land carved out by the mighty Missoula floods 13,000-15,000 years ago. The landscape of sagebrush and basalt may look a little hostile, but with a closer look you can see this area is rich in life and diversity! Our journey takes us to an area called Sulfur Canyon. This land was named after some of the hot springs located in the region. Small ravines are found all over the landscape. These areas provide shelter and ideal growing conditions for a variety of small trees, shrubs, and many forbs. Some of the sagebrush found in the ravine have access to deep soils. This allows the sagebrush to reach heights of over six feet tall! Many deer, small mammals, birds, and rattlesnakes love to live in these small linear oases. Just be careful where you step, there is always something that might surprise you in this area…

Point and case. When you are traveling through the talus slopes or rocky areas along the streams, you may see a lot of rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis). I will name this one Big Hungry Joe.

Let us move to the top of the Sulfur Canyon area. You probably expected a vast canyon with shear drop offs, fortunately for us we only have small ravines to cross. No large canyon to pass through this time! Most of the land that covers Sulfur Canyon is called Biscuit and Swale grassland steppe. Ha, I saw that look you gave me. Yes, biscuit and swale grassland steppe. This is an unusual type of habitat. Notice how there are islands of sagebrush surrounded by lithosol soils? The “vegetative islands” contain deeper soils that allow forbs, grasses, and shrubs to easily grow in. The surrounding lithosols have very shallow, rocky soil. These areas make suitable habitat for the Washington Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus washingtoni…Genus recently changed to Urocitellus) and Pygmy Rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis). These creatures can easily make homes in the deeper soils and form colonies that are protected by the brush vegetation above!

Some biscuit and swale range in this area. You can’t really see it, but there are lithosols and isolated pockets of tall sagebrush.

Lithosol soil with a variety of forbs and grasses! A biscuit can be seen 75 feet away.

We have been getting a large amount of rain lately, so the forbs are absolutely thriving! Let us look closely at the forbs growing in the lithosols. These types of soils are very hostile for many types of large plants to grow in, but many other plants adapted to dry, hot, rocky soils can thrive for a few weeks. As you can see, the common plants that are flowering now are Eriogonum thymoides, Lomatium macropcarpum, Lewisia rediviva, and Talinum spinescens.

Lewisia rediviva: Bitterroot!

This is amazing!!! I never seen that much bitterroot in my life! You are very lucky to see all of these plants blooming. This would make a fantastic SOS collection when they go to seed!! Extra bonus, you get to see a biscuit mound in the background!

Let us head northwards to the Grimes and Jameson Lake area. The sagebrush steppe in this area appears to be very healthy. There are some thick patches of Bromus tectorum, but overall this area contains good sage grouse territ….. (rattling intensifies)

WATCH OUT!!!! Wow! That was a close one! Another rattlesnake. O_O We will just watch our step as we make our way to the lakes…We should also call this rattlesnake, Jörmungandr.

Hey! We are next to a Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) nest!! Let’s check it out! Recently, there has been a lot of golden eagle activity in the area. Both of the adult golden eagles are soaring around the area looking for food. The little white fuzzball you see is named Boo. This eaglet is about four to five weeks old and loves to walk around the nest like Godzilla. In the afternoon, one of the parents come by and shelters Boo from the harsh sun. Hopefully, this little one would grow into an adult and become successful at life.

The little fuzzball in the middle, Boo, is exploring the vast world of its nest.

By Grimes and Jameson Lake, you can see a variety of wetland wildlife. Mainly, waterfowl and yellow headed black birds (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) are the most common birds to see. You may hear a Sora (Porzana carolina) or a Snipe (Gallinago delicata) if you are lucky!! One problem this wetland is facing is the amount of weeds that are found in the area. Dalmatian toadflax (Linaria dalmatica), knapweed (Centaurea spp.), and various bromes are the pesky ones to control. This is a very beautiful area to look for forbs and to go fishing, but you might want to check your shoes for Bromus seeds. They love to travel! >_>;;

Yellow Headed Blackbirds found near a rural farm in the area.

Dalmatian toadflax all over the freakin’ place!! D:

One moment! Let me get the JUNO GPS system out. One of my jobs is to record locations of weeds throughout the Wenatchee Resource Area. This data collection is for the NISIMS (National Invasive Species Information Management System) project and will help with future restoration efforts. Dalmatian toadflax is not a really good plant to have around in abundance…..(rattling intensifies)

Another close call! That rattlesnake did not want us approaching its home! O_O…okay seriously let us head away from the talus slopes…

Sulfur Canyon and the surrounding region has many diverse plants and animals as you could see. The BLM in Wenatchee are making efforts to promote sage grouse restoration  and to reduce long term grazing. The area that we are in is going through a few range land health evaluations to help with the assessment of the overall area. In the future, we are hoping that rare animals like the pygmy rabbit, greater sage grouse and the Washington ground squirrel will thrive here and spread to parallel allotments to increase their populations.

BLM Legends reviewing range land health guidelines in order to help write various future reports.

I hope you enjoyed this short tour of Sulfur Canyon! See you next time!

And now….. Your Moment of Zen….