When most people think of Nevada they think of Las Vegas. Coming from the Midwest I had a similar impression. However over the last six months my thoughts on Nevada have certainly changed. Throughout the course of my internship I have seen a diverse amount of plants and ecosystems. From the ancient Bristlecone pines of the White Mountains to the surreal colonies of Joshua Trees scattered throughout the desert to the south. I’ve been places where the earth is blackened by seasonal fires and hot springs lush with wild sunflowers. In addition to working in such unique environments, I have received a decent amount of training and gained valuable work experience. I was fortunate to attend the annual Rare Plant conference in Las Vegas and learned a great deal about how plants become listed as threatened or endangered. My taxonomic skills as well as mastery of GIS have also greatly increased. I am extremely thankful to have been a part of the CLM program. While I will soon be returning to farm fields of the heartland, I know what I have seen and learned here will stay with me as a botanist for the rest of my days.