Springtime in the SnBr

Spring has finally reached us up here in the San Bernardino mountains. Everything has flowers and leaves and it is beautiful.

I have been surveying a couple of limestone mining claims for several endemic plant species, some photos of which I have included below. I also have been continuing to survey along unauthorized off road vehicle routes that will either be completely shut down or turned into legitimate routes depending on what I find during surveys.

I am doing some research on possibly putting together an air quality study of the San Bernardinos using lichens. This is really exciting for me because lichens are my passion. There are programs in the Pacific Northwest that do these kinds of analyses every year, so it would be really cool to put together a baseline study that could someday lead to consistent monitoring.

I have almost finished the first month of my internship extension, so I have been living and working in Big Bear for almost six full months now!

The majority of the below photos are Forest Service sensitive plant species, two federally listed plant species, and just some pretty flowers. Enjoy!