It’s officially my last day here in Wyoming and it feels somewhat surreal. I didn’t realize how quickly the summer was passing until the warm weather had already come and gone. I’m sad to go, but I am leaving just in time to avoid the first snowfall of the year that is expected on Monday. While leaving is very bittersweet, I attribute the fast pace of time to the amazing experiences I had and the beautiful people that I shared these experiences with.

Worthen Meadow Reservoir

During my time at the Lander Field Office, I have grown in many ways. I have had the opportunities to work with people from many different sectors of conservation and learned from each and every one of them. Everyone has a rich amount of knowledge and a unique viewpoint to go along with it.

Personally, I have become a more independent person while being out here. I lived alone for the first time in my life and have had so much time to reflect on my own wants and needs in life. I’ve become more bold when it comes to speaking up for myself and asking questions.

I have also conquered many personal fears that I had about working outdoors in secluded areas. Growing up in the city, the most “extreme” wildlife I could encounter was the occasional coyote in the backyard. I was definitely worried about threats such as bears and rattlesnakes before coming out here because this was all new territory for me. But with encouragement and support, I was able to adapt to my new surroundings and feel extremely comfortable towards the end.

Professionally, I’ve acquired numerous new skills and improved existing ones. I’ve become proficient in ArcMap/GIS and the use of a Trimble GPS in the field. I’ve learned how to maneuver treacherous two-track roads in a large truck and how to properly mount herbarium specimens. And I’ve also improved my knowledge of plant terminology and gotten better and using a dichotomous key for identification.

The most rewarding experience I had out here was getting to see the rare and endangered species, Yermo xanthocephalus, because this species only exists in two small populations in Fremont County, WY. It was very special getting to see a site that 99% of people will never see in their lifetime.

We also had several “AHA” moments throughout the season. Most of them involved trying to locate plant populations or determine when seeds were fully mature. It was frustrating having to return to locations several different times to check up on the plants, but it paid off in the end.

I am so proud of all that I’ve achieved this summer.  My partner and I surpassed our goal of 20 collections and ended the season with 27.  All of these collections contained a surplus of seeds so that some will go to long term storage and others will be used in restoration projects.  It’s so rewarding knowing that all of our work is going to such a great cause.

I am extremely grateful to have been chosen for this experience.  As I turn the page into the next chapter of my life, I don’t quite know what’s in store for me.  But I do know that I am better prepared to take on the next set of challenges with all of the skills I’ve acquired and the friendships I’ve made.

Best wishes to the next set of interns.  You are in good hands!

Maggie

Blue Ridge Fire Lookout, Shoshone National Forest

Something about nature, specifically wildlife, has always captivated me. Even as a child, I would rather play with plastic animals than trucks, or action figures. At the age of 29, playing with toys has lost it’s appeal, but over the years I have learned to express my affinity for the natural world in other ways. Just being out in nature isn’t enough. I feel the desire to capture my findings through photography, drawing, and occasionally painting. I’m unsure why I find the urge to express myself in this way. Maybe it’s just how I most readily connect with the world around me, and share feelings with people that I am unable to articulate. But sometimes, I don’t feel the explicit desire to share with other people. I’m content with enjoying the solo process of discovering interesting subject matter, capturing it, and possibly manipulating it or combining certain elements to create something new, or visually surreal. On the other hand, I do enjoy sharing the finished product with other people. Making other people feel something positive and tangible through my art makes me feel connected to them. Sometimes I wonder if I would have any drive to create art if I could not share it with others. After all, what is the point of life besides connecting with others. Creating and maintaining meaningful relationships is a hallmark of humanity.

Anyway, I’d like to share a piece of Wyoming inspired art and the process of creation. When I draw, it is very time consuming. Because of that, I have only completed one drawing in the almost four months that I’ve been in Lander, Wyoming. Getting the form down is definitely the most difficult part for me. There’s plenty of erasing involved. Sometimes I will realize that something is out of proportion when I’m too far along to fix it. Oh well…maybe that makes it more interesting. Over the past few years I’ve started by drawing the outlines in pencil. Once I’m satisfied with the form, I will trace it with ink, erase the pencil, then use primarily ink to fill everything in. Even though using ink can be painstakingly slow, I enjoy the challenge of it. I like how the darkness of ink makes it easy to develop contrast in a drawing, and something about the permanence of ink is inherently satisfying. Once I’m at the point that I can start shading, I’m able to relax. The process becomes meditative and my mind becomes free to listen to music, learn something from a podcast, or just wander.

When possible, I enjoy using photos that I have taken myself as references when drawing (I really struggle at creating something from nothing, or drawing with no reference). In my latest drawing, I was able to merge a few photos I’ve taken to create something slightly abstract. I usually don’t find any deep meaning, or strong symbolism in my work, and I feel the same about this piece. I just took one charismatic animal that I’ve encountered in Wyoming and combined it with an equally attention garnering plant. My inspiration started with the only decent photo of an elk that I’ve taken so far. I knew I wanted that elk to form the foundation of the drawing. Next, I looked through photos I had taken of Castilleja (one species of this genus is the Wyoming state flower) and found growth forms that I liked. I drew the Castilleja to look as if they are growing out of the elk’s antlers…and one on the back just to kind of balance things out. After drawing the plant on the back, I got the idea to display the root structure of the plant. I liked what the strong, yet crooked, imperfect lines of the roots brought to the drawing. When I was done with all of the shading I still felt like something was missing. Several elements of the drawing had an ethereal feel to me; obviously, the plants growing out of the animal and the abstract root structure. But in addition to that, it looked almost as if the elk was smiling and there was a slight shimmer in it’s eye. I had the urge to make it more vibrant, but not in a totally rationale way. I added a lot of patterned, vibrant color to give it kind of a psychedelic feel. Maybe I implicitly created something that demonstrates the ecological connections present in nature, since elk do eat Castilleja…not sure what the colors mean though. I just wanted to make something that is visually loud and interesting.