So this is apparently a fairly long growing season for the Buffalo Field Office. We expected to be done running transects by late July. Our stack of completed allotments continues to grow, and more exciting opportunities keep showing up. Even more amazing… after all this time in the field, we keep finding species we haven’t come across before. We’ve literally been all over these plains, seen numerous ecosites, and are still keying new plants. There’s even a grass (commonly called Buffalo Grass) we’ve seen in one allotment growing abundantly that we’ve yet to see again. Pretty Awesome.
Earlier, I had the chance to camp out for about 4 days and assist in an interdisciplinary assessment of a local wildlife study area. The first part involved boring a number of trees for age, checking them for insect damage, and overlooking the canyon below (for science, of course). I learned so much about the effects of fire and insects from our fuels specialists and her counterpart from a nearby office. They are so knowledgeable professional, and instructive. Really impressive people. Next, it was quite the hike down to the bottom of the canyon where there were water assessments, invasive plant assessments, raptor nest scouting, and bat collections going on. My first time seeing a bat up close, and let me tell you, It Was Awesome! My girlfriend, who works with bats, would always tell me how cute they are. I naturally shrugged it off until I had my chance. They’ve got some amazing adaptations. From the structure of their arms to their squished noses to their incredible ears. We caught a rarity once. It’s called the Townsend Bat. Look it up, and see those ears and nose for yourself.
One of my fellow interns Kelly and I were given the task of corralling a group of children for a morning lesson on plants. We were given the freedom to create our own lesson plan, so (with the aid of the awesome booklets Kelly made) we were able to describe many uses for plants and how pollinators work in a particular ecosystem. Apparently edible plants are the best way to get a youngster’s attention, but maybe not hold it. They were so anxious to eat every berry they could find. Thankfully they ran up to us and asked if they were “eat-able” first.
Not so much job related, but I was graced with a visit from my significant other between her bat studies. I had prearranged plans during that time so I was here for about half of it. Thankfully, she had Kelly as appointed ambassador of Buffalo to show her the rodeo and other excitement. I feel fortunate to have had the time to show her around the amazing town that is Buffalo. We were able to see Devil’s Tower during Sturgis bike week. The monument is stunning. The theory on its formation is mind blowing. The statement in the visitor center on the aim towards silence while hundreds of bikes roar around was humorous.
Onward to more fun in the sun with the friends and coworkers I have here in Wyoming. Stay tuned for more action.