While road tripping out to New Mexico from Michigan, I realized there would be a lot of changes in my life. Going from The Great Lakes State filled with forests, agriculture, and well, lots of water, to the Land of Enchantment filled with mesas, canyons, ranges, and not so much water. The landscapes, the plant species, the people, all would be different. Moving from my Forestry background into the realm of Botany through the Seeds of Success Program was also a major change. I was used to looking up and taking notice of the different trees around me, but I now had to be trained to look down and observe the vegetation growing at my feet.

In spite of all the differences, however, there are an astonishing amount of similarities. Learning a new species, whether it is a tree, shrub, forb, or flower, requires the same skills. First you have to be able to identify all of the different features of the target species and then be able to classify what you are seeing. Botany has its own set of terminology just like any other specialty, you just have to be patient and take the time to learn the language. At first the new vocabulary was daunting, but I soon started to grasp an understanding of the field, which has grown into an appreciation for these smaller plants.

The Four Corners Region is a beautiful area full of history and adventure. I am very excited to be working for my mentor in the Bureau of Land Management and cannot wait to see where these next 5 months of my CLM Internship take me

Largo Canyon in New Mexico