It feels like I have done a million things since I last posted a blog and it’s only been a month. There’s far too much to say so I will keep it short and share a bit about the latest project I have been working on.

A few months ago one of the reservoirs on our resource area was dredged in order to make it habitable for fish.  Some areas had to be removed of vegetation to complete the project. I have been in charge of revegetation, which includes planting a native wildflower garden on an archaeological site. The goal is to make it a pleasant place for fisherman, hunters or campers to enjoy. Last week I planted 20 aspen trees. I am excited to see how they will do because quaking aspen is a really hard tree to grow and most wildland plantings are unsuccessful. This week I harvested hundreds of willow and cottonwood cuttings, which I will plant next week. I put together a seed order for planting on some of the more disturbed areas and I am still designing the native wildflower garden. It has been a really fun project to work on. I have learned a lot along the way and am eager to see how it turns out.

Lesson: Use your resources! There are so many knowledgeable people out there and once you get them started, they love to talk about what they know! If you read a paper online by someone working for the forest service or NRCS or wherever, look them up and give them a call. I received great information from a number of people I contacted for advice on this project.