Well, I have just finished my last month with the Bureau of Land Management in Bakersfield, CA.  I feel like it went by both very slow and very fast.  I learned so much, met amazing people and did things I had never experienced before.  I got to study an ecosystem I had never before witnessed – the desert.  I saw what it was like to be in a region with very little water, and how the plants have come to survive and even thrive here.  I’ve learned amazing things about the native serpentine soils and how they support endemic plants, such an awesome relationship in my opinion and I recommend you read more about it here.  I saw breath-taking stretches of the wild upper Kern River and lower sections where it sadly has been captured and turned into a lazy lake or a or a docile creek or.. nothing – just a dry bed where water used to flow in plenty.
I learned so much about genera and species of California, and how to identify so many plant families based on their characteristics. I fell in love with flowers I never even knew existed, like Salvia carduacea and Cirsium occidentale.  I managed to successfully utilize the mother of all keys, The Jepson Manual, for which I am very proud.  🙂
Through this whole summer though, I am most happy about my contribution to the Seeds of Success Program.  Before I started this job, I had no idea what it even was.  It was in the job description though, and when Krissa described it I was all for it.  Upon arriving to Bakersfield, there had been no accessions collected from CA160 (our collection team number).  It was an exceptionally dry year, and my mentor said I shouldn’t expect much.  A mere three months later though, my co-intern and I had collected 20 different accessions of seed for the Program!!  I am so proud to have made such a great contribution to such a meaningful endeavor, and I plan to utilize my training in the future.
I am beyond grateful to the Chicago Botanic Garden for providing the Conservation and Land Management Program as a great learning tool and stepping stone for myself and others.  Krissa and Marian have been of the upmost help, and I am thankful for the passion, vigor and patience that they bring to this program.  I am beyond grateful to have been selected to participate in such a prestigious program.  I hope you all continue to have wonderful experiences throughout your journey, within this internship and beyond.