In the first couple weeks of my CLM internship at the Colorado State Office in Lakewood, CO, the weather has been good and the field work has been fun. The first couple days were training, but once that was out of the way I had the opportunity to go into the field to do some preliminary scouting of possible seed collection sites at some of the local open space parks. The opportunity to find and key out new species in a new environment is very exciting. While in the field I have noticed similarities of western species with the species I learned in Missouri allowing me to key out species quickly at times. In other instances, the species I encountered were totally new to me and that was just as exciting as it presented an opportunity to challenge myself to determine the species name and hone my keying out skills.
Additionally as a native Missourian, and having only been to Colorado once when I was younger, the opportunity to see the Rocky Mountains every day is truly an awesome experience. I am looking forward to utilizing all of the recreational opportunities that this wonderful area has to offer. I am also looking forward to working with the professionals of BLM and learning as much as possible to reach my career goals.