When I was given the opportunity of this CLM internship and told that I would be stationed in Phoenix, AZ, I was overjoyed. I desperately wanted and needed to see and experience something other than the overly familiar northeast (as much as I do love and miss it). The visions I had of AZ before I arrived here were similar to those of “An American Tail: Fievel Goes West” that I adored as a kid; hot and dry deserts, where the extreme temperatures make you hallucinate. But what I didn’t expect was for the desert to actually grow on me, especially as quickly as it has.

As I drive out into the field each day, I actually have to remind myself that I am getting paid to drive this big, burly, intimidating 4WD truck over some gnarly territory, all the while soaking in the views of the oh-so-beautiful Bradshaw mountains. Not to mention the awesome wildlife, such as pronghorn antelope, desert mule deer, hawks, jack rabbits, and my newest favorite – the western diamondback rattlesnake!

I am stationed on the Agua Fria National Monument performing vegetation monitoring, to ensure that livestock are not overgrazing and devastating native vegetation. But for now I have mapped and logged range improvements (i.e. corrals, wells, holding tanks etc.) and performed wet/dry mapping of AZ washes (another landform that I was not so familiar with until recently).

To say that my perspectives of AZ have changed, would be the understatement of the year. I never would have expected to see precipitation in this arid region, let alone be concerned about monsoon season, when dry washes become full out flash flood zones. Being new to this area is thrilling and exciting, but the fact that I still have to much to see and experience is just as exciting!