What an adventure this internship has been! I have worked at the BLM Field Office in Bishop for two summers now – 9 months in total, and it has been quite a journey.  I have learned so much – about driving a huge pickup truck and changing flat tires,  to how to identify what seems like a huge number of plants, to using GIS.  I have been able to work with wildlife, going on early morning sage grouse counting trips, and late night bat counting trips  – where I got to use night vision goggles!  I’ve learned a ton of different monitoring techniques and what the advantages (and disadvantages) are of each one.  From stream monitoring, to sage grouse vegetation monitoring, to burn monitoring.  I’ve collected seeds, so many seeds, despite the lack of precipitation this year.

And I have met some truly amazing people who work so hard to protect the land they love. It has been an honor and a pleasure.

– Elizabeth