Today will forever be remembered as a great day in the world of seed collecting!  I have finished picking, sacking, packing and sending all of my late bloomers and am happy to add 13 new collections to my list and reach a grand total of 32 seed collections!!!!

The days are getting shorter and I am no longer a pirate sailing the open range pillaging seeds from unsuspecting plants.  Most of my time has been spent uploading and cleaning up all of the data I’ve collected over the season.  There is something about a clean and organized attribute table that puts a huge smile on my face.  I have also been updating and organizing the herbarium.  Here are two of my favorite pressed specimen from our herbarium.

Lewisia rediviva                                               Calochortus nuttallii

I will be done with my CLM internship next week and have had some time to reflect on my time in Lander.  Over all this has been an incredibly enriching experience that has benefited me in a multitude of ways.  When I drove across the I-90 in May I was able to see my surrounding change from the familiar lush hills of Appalachia to the plains and prairies of the mid-west and finally settling into the less familiar high deserts and mountains of Wyoming.  The trees were gone and there was a strange aroma in the air (I soon identified that smell as artemisia tridentata).   Due to the nature of my SOS position I was able to dive right into a botanical smorgasbord of 2.5 million acres!  I had the unique opportunity to connect the biological dots and get a better understanding of how plants are related, how different plants adapt to radically different ecosystems, and gain a greater appreciation of the diversity of life.  I was also able to experience the life of a BLMer.  I was able to go out with different people and get valuable experience in range-land monitoring, wildlife monitoring, a ton of GIS experience, and even some weed and pest work.  It was helpful for me to talk with them about their career choices and listen to their candid advice about working for the government and working in the sciences.  There is absolutely no question in my mind that my experience here has given me the tools to advance myself in the elusive world of gainful employment.

Believe it or not, I did not just collect seeds for the entire time I have been out here.  Living in Wyoming has been an interesting experience that I never thought I would have and will never forget.  If biology has taught me anything about survival, it has taught me to adapt or die, so adapt I did!  Some serious highlights include the 4th of July celebrations in Lander.  A parade, a rodeo, more fireworks than my little heart could imagine, and a hike with fellow CLMers that culminated in a jaw-dropping mountain stream rockslide…I can honestly say I have never felt so patriotic.  I also had a great time getting to know the town and its people by being a die hard garage sale picker.  Let me tell you, there are some good deals in these garages.  The garage sales were so bountiful that it got me out of my house at 8am every Saturday morning and all of my Christmas shopping is done!  I was also able to take advantage of Lander’s convenient location just a few hours away from Grand Teton and  Yellowstone National Park, minutes from the Wind River Range and immersed  in natural wonders.

All in all, my experience working with the BLM and the Chicago Botanic Garden has given me great experience and incite.  I have recommended this program to many peers and appreciate all of the people that work to make it happen.

Thanks again.

Usher clear.

Emily Usher – Bureau of Land Management – Lander, Wyoming