As August comes to a close, it feels a little strange continuing to work when I would normally be preparing for another semester at university. With this drought in California, it has been a warm, dry, and dusty summer of field work, but enjoyable nonetheless. As fall approaches, it looks like I will be doing some more office work.

This week, I mainly entered data on previous years’ range health assessments; however, one day this week I got to go out into the field and help evaluate sites for future bitterbrush planting. I went out with my supervisor and a member of the archaeology department. Together we surveyed three potential sites. It was interesting to consider the various uses of each of these sites. In this instance, areas were important ecologically, as well as historically. In an archaeologically important site, we don’t want to disturb the remaining artifacts; however, if all the shrubs are gone due to a wildfire, it is important we re-introduce native shrubs in order to prevent soil erosion and loss. From a conservation perspective, it is always important to consider an area or resource from multiple perspectives. This interdisciplinary aspect to conservation has always been something that has interested me. I would love to continue to collaborate with people in other disciplines in order to figure out the most appropriate plan for protecting and restoring our natural areas.