Ah, to be a native seed collector.  Might sound like a soothing, peaceful and valuable job, one that allows you to wander beautiful landscapes, gaze at incredible flowers, ponder ecological/historical questions about the land… and sometimes it is all that!  Then there are the times when it is the diametric opposite, a frustrating exercise in patience and perseverance.   Patience is what I always find in short supply.  The Worland field office primarily covers the Big Horn Basin of north central Wyoming where precipitation ranges from 5-14 inches/year.  Wyoming big sage, greasewood and rabbitbrush dominate a sandy, saline and dynamic topography.  It is a harsh place to make a living, many of our forbs and more desirable reclamation species are simply hard to find in any great density but are scattered about in a dispersed continuum.   As Forest mentioned, these types of populations don’t fit easily into the SOS protocols, nor do I feel that I can justifiably spend 2-3 days crawling around for a couple thousand seeds (alas these aren’t T& E’s).   I have those moments at the end of the day, filling up my truck with gas- are these handful of seeds worth the $50 dollars in gas, my days wages and the price to ship and clean them?   I tell myself yes (I might be out doing it again tomorrow and need the motivation) and remind myself of the larger cause, that those Plant Materials Centers will cherish these gems and within their confines they’ll flourish.  Obviously, yes I have doubts sometimes.  In general I’ve found it hard to break out beyond the grasses, I may not enjoy keying them but they’re a boon to collect- typically more abundant, not too low to the ground and not as readily tasty for the native fauna.  Thus far I’ve made about 20 collections about 60% which are grasses.

There are other interesting things out there- one can't always look at plants!

Ah, what I am looking at?

Aside from seed collecting which comprises about 65% of my time, I help various folks out with their monitoring projects, PFC’s, weed and fire treatments.  This has been a great opportunity for me to observe the interface between management and science- a contentious exchange, but a necessary one.  The utility of either one depends on the other.  And yes like everyone I drive, drive, drive.  This seems to be the way of life out here, both for work and pleasure.   My highlights are always days when I get to work with others or a group—ha ha!  I live by myself in small town in Wyoming and many days I drive around and collect seeds alone, so company is always more than welcome!  I’m starting to realize how much I appreciate time to myself and have begun to savor the slow life, yet I’ve also learned I definitely am a social creature.

A specific highlight was collecting limber pine cones for a USFS genetic study on white pine blister rust.  Reading Elizabeth’s comments made me recall our ordeal.  I just gave up on the tree pruner- found the limber pines too limber and my arm strength waning as I tried to maneuver this thing above my head for more than 10 minutes.  So I just started to climb the trees and had a sticky blast chucking cones down to my mentor while she scurried to get them.  Then I pretty much took a bath in rubbing alcohol to dissolve all the pitch.  Fun, beautiful and productive- what I wish every day could be.