Just getting to Rawlins was its own adventure. A spring storm closed all roads in the area during the weekend I began my move. I just finished an internship with the Student Conservation Association in Eastern California and only had the weekend to make the drive to Wyoming.

Stuck an extra day and a half outside of Salt Lake City, at least I can say I got to explore some beautiful mountains while I waited for the roads to open (Midland-Heber City area).  It was also nice to have a chance to see my mom. She very kindly drove from Oregon to meet me for a quick visit.

Rawlins isn’t quite what I remember from a road-trip that took me along I-80 last fall, but despite the oil and gas industry in our district, we’ve already been out to some beautiful areas beyond the oil fields in this part of South-Central Wyoming. In just over a week and a half, the other CLM Intern and I have identified numerous plant populations to watch in the coming weeks for collection, collected a few voucher specimens, assisted on raptor surveys, and (most importantly for my sanity as a true lover of trees and riparian systems) found some lovely, high alpine forests and followed the course of the Platt River to some potential collection sites.

BLM Field Office

Rawlins, WY