In Boise, Fall is officially here. It seems to have occurred overnight–the days are shorter, brilliant foliage paint the mountains and streets, dry leaves rattle in the wind, and the weather has finally dropped from 90 to a cool 65.

With the final days of this internship we have one last big collection push to gather seeds of some higher elevation and late blooming plants. These particular plants seem to be a bit more of a challenge as they drop seed quickly but also do not mature uniformly within the population. But the dynamic duo is always up for a challenge!

Speaking of which the managers and co-workers in our office have made it their challenge to expose us to a variety of natural resource tasks other than botany. This is something I appreciate greatly and have loved most about the Four Rivers Field Office: they understand how interconnected and multi-faceted natural resources is and want us to get involved in as much as possible.

This past weekend was National Public Lands Day and Zander and I helped with the group project down in Little Jack’s Creek Wilderness in the Owyhees. It takes two hours to drive down there and we both were amazed at the support for NPLD and how many volunteers showed up–particularly young people. Around 40 people attended the event all together and we helped build trail and take down fence in a recently acquired parcel that was added to the wilderness. Ages 3 1/2 to 60+ were in attendance and all had a passion for spending time on public land. So often we get caught up in the data collection, the numbers, and the land-status maps and it was so reassuring to know that what we do at the BLM really does matter and so many people really do value these lands. This up coming week we have coordinated a planting event at a popular area called Dedication point. After many days out in the field with just our crew, usually picking plants in silence, I am looking forward to working with the volunteers as a change of pace. We have 1,000 plants to work with, so we certainly will be busy!!

Here are a few photos of what we have been up to lately:

One of our collection sites is up on Bogus Basin–a popular ski resort just outside of Boise. Seeing these fall colors and ski slopes just puts a little extra pep in my step!

National Public Lands Day in Little Jack’s Creek Wilderness of the Owyhee Canyons.

We helped Bruce Haak and BLM Wildlife Biologists Jill Holderman in building a raptor trapping station for banding during the migration. Here we caught a juvenile Coopers Hawk in a bow net.

Dedication Point–a scenic canyon where we will be planting tomorrow!

We took a trip out to learn about fire effects in riparian areas. On our way we passed through the very end of Hell’s Canyon. The vertical walls told such a geologic story: the white layer here is ash from the Mount Mazama volcanic explosion–the one that created Crater Lake in OR.

While doing riparian work we have seen so much wildlife and wildlife sign. From bugling elk to aspens clad in bear claw marks to new reptile friends. Here is a Western Side-blotched Lizard.