Since my first post, Cara (intern), Joe (mentor), and I have done a total of 11 SOS collections and somewhere around 50 habitat assessment transects. Many of our transects have been done at locations that have been assessed in the past, specifically at allotments that have been burned in the last year or so. Hearing our mentor, Joe, talk about how allotments used to look even within the last year, gives me a good idea of how superficially destructive fire can be. It’s always a welcome site to see the return of good forb diversity as well as little sagebrush recruits. On our travels we’ve come across some “friends in the foothills.” I’ve attached a few pictures below.

In addition to transects and SOS collections, we’ve also started to help with riparian assessments of “PFC” (proper functioning condition). This has been a nice change of pace as we get to work with more employees within our field office and gain more perspective into the other types of work that go on.

I’m looking forward to continuing to be involved in other projects as the collection season comes to a close and we finish up our habitat assessments. We’ve heard rumor of working with butterflies, raptors, some fish-shocking, and maybe even a river-ranger trip to monitor cow/grazing presence along the Payette River. Fingers crossed for all of those things!!

Hope everyone is learning a lot and still finding time to get goofy!

Best,

Zander

Intern at Four Rivers Field Office, Boise, ID.

Mourning dove eggs under an Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata).