A few things about deserts I did not realize:
look, mountains!
1: The Mojave has MOUNTAINS. Beautiful ranges with their sun baked rocks and volcanic origins. Between the vast stretches of desert flats they look relatively close, but oh my are they far! A lot of different plant communities are found at different altitudes among them (the desert is not a desolate place).
you don't want to fall down this shaft.
2: The amount of abandon mines here- and the hazards they pose. Hundreds to thousands left behind, please do not go spelunking in abandon mines. Though it does sound fun, they are quite dangerous from the unstable ceilings to the toxic fumes. Although they pose a lot of danger for humans, abandon mines are good habitat for bats, which I will be doing out-flight surveys of bats living in abandon mines as part of my internship.
I have been out here for over a month now, and I have to say it still feels a bit surreal being here. I do occasionally think to myself, what am I doing here? But once I get working out amongst the rocky outcrops or the washlets that stripe the desert landscape I realize that this place is special.
I am stationed in the Needles Field Office, and been having a bit of guidance from the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden (thanks guys!). Though I have to say, even though Needles is a small town with small town folk and no traffic lights I am fine being here. Perhaps it is my inclination toward being independent, or my enjoyment of solitude, or this is what I need right now to sort out my thoughts.
I have my inspirations: Desert Solitaire by Edward Abby. I will probably quote this fantastic piece of literature a ton. I can relate to this book in so many ways. His discontent with society’s antics, living in a government issued trailer for a summer, going out and doing work alone in the middle of nowhere far from anybody USA, and a fascination and respect for this wild area. Most people go to national parks to look for wilderness and escape from civilization, yet I feel like if you want to see wide open spaces without another soul in sight- go to the desert, you will find exactly that in out here.
As for Seeds of Success intern, I love it. Being an aspiring botanist this is exactly what I do for fun on free time- ID plants I see, read about them and their ecological significance, and be OUTSIDE all the time! Working as an intern has rekindled my enthusiasm for plant ecology and conservation. I am also fortunate to have such an inspiring mentor, I could not have asked for a better one. She has so much experience and I have much to learn from her, and that is one of the reasons why I am here in the desert.