My second CLM internship is coming to an end. The internship started with a hiring freeze and uncertainty as to if I was to be hired. It ended with a furlough. During my internship I mostly learned about the timber industry and weed management. I was disappointed with the lack of botany surveys. The office I worked in has contractors complete the botany surveys. I did my best to teach myself the native flora, but most of my work was writing reports, creating a weed management plan for a habitat reserve, and managing weeds throughout the district. It was an awesome experience and I learned a ton. Another highlight was taking a class on Rare and Sensitive Lichens and Bryophytes at the Siskiyou Field Institute. It would not have been possible without help from CLM.

Last weekend I went to the Mushroom Festival at Mt. Pisgah near Eugene, OR. I volunteered at the lichen booth with some other botanists in the area. It was really exciting to see hundreds of specimens, the leading experts in mycology and hundreds of fungi enthusiasts.

I’m not sure what is coming next for me in the botany field. I hope to stick around the area of Eugene/Cottage Grove, OR. I think I’ll spend the winter volunteering and studying lichens, bryophytes and fungi. I’ll leave the vascular plants until next spring. I wonder if CLM has a limit on the number of internships I can do 🙂

Thank you CLM for all the work and education opportunities. Thanks to Krissa and Wes for always being available when I had questions. CLM is truly wonderful!

Best,

Caroline