Hi everyone,

Since my last blog post I have had the opportunity to get involved with yet another research project here at the USGS Las Vegas Field Office. I recently assisted with nighttime prey surveys that involve driving along designated transects late at night, shining a bright light out of the car, and noting the animals that are encountered throughout this process. During these surveys we saw kit foxes, poorwills, jackrabbits, kangaroo rats, and several other small rodents. I enjoyed having the opportunity to see how the desert comes alive after the sun goes down.

In addition to the prey surveys, my fellow interns and I also recently completed our third set of vegetation surveys at Coyote Springs this field season. Temperatures in the Mojave Desert are rising as we head into the late spring and summer months so we started work early each morning to avoid the heat of the late afternoon as much as possible. While we were out in Coyote Springs this past week my fellow intern Meaghan and I spotted a Burrowing Owl. This is a bird I had been wanting to see ever since I moved to the Southwest so it was a pleasant surprise for me.

It is hard to believe I only have about a month left in my internship but, when I reflect on how much I have learned and experienced since I arrived here, it almost feels like I have been here much longer than 4 months. I am excited to see what lies ahead in these finals weeks.

-Renee