Hello, everyone! My name is Sarah and I am one of the new CLM interns at the Bureau of Land Management in Lakeview, Oregon. I just moved here from Ohio last week, and it sure has been an adventure! Being in a completely foreign place, making new friends, and working with new people was a little daunting at first, but so far it has been great. Everyone I have met so far has been very friendly and helpful. I am really enjoying the small town atmosphere and getting to know my four housemates and the other seasonal workers.

I am working on a project that involves mapping invasive annual grasses such as Meduasahead rye (Taeniatherum canput-medusae) and North Africa grass (Ventenata dubia); as well as other noxious weeds as we find them. I have a lot of learning do; the plant species are all unfamiliar to me. We haven’t been able to locate a sample of Ventenata yet, which is a good thing, but it would be nice to see it in person so I know exactly what I’m looking for. I am still learning how to use the handheld GPS units (Trimble Juno) which are pretty amazing little devices! The maps we create will be useful in analyzing Sage Grouse habitat, as well as invasive species monitoring and control.

My first week was great. The other interns and I learned how to properly load, unload, and ride ATVs. It was a completely new experience for me, but by the end of the day it was just plain fun. I’ll probably be using ATV’s at some point during the summer so I’m glad I learned how to use them right away.

Compared to Ohio, the Oregon high desert seems really desolate, but really there is life everywhere. Besides the great variety of forbs, shrubs, and grasses, I’ve also had the opportunity to see antelope, lizards, a horny toad, quail, a bald eagle and several other birds that I don’t know the names of yet. I am really excited to be here and I’m incredibly thankful to be a part of the CLM internship program. I think that Ellie from the movie ‘Up’ sums up my feelings pretty well: “Adventure is out there!”