Over the past few weeks we have completed a wide array of tasks including fire monitoring, learning how to use pesticide pumps, scouting and collecting seeds for the Seeds of Success program, monitoring sensitive plants, and mapping the intensity of the 7,500 acre topaz ranch estates fire right near the border of California and Nevada. The field season has started picking up and it is exciting to have more opportunities to explore the different facets of work at BLM. I’m also proud that my knowledge of Nevada’s flora is really starting to improve. I’m learning more and more about policies surrounding listed species. This has helped me to explore and learn more about the politics surrounding these listings. I’m looking forward to more field work and more camping, more animal sightings, listing to coyotes howl from my tent, perfecting my knowledge of the great basin plants, and more scenic views from sandy mountaintops.