Howdy from the Rawlins BLM Field Office,
It has been another busy week here in Wyoming. After rain last week we had a lot to catch up on! As it is still early in the season, my SOS partner in crime and I are busy scouting for populations to make collections. Luckily for us that means seeing amazing parts of Wyoming, from The Ferris Mountains to Hay Reservoir to the Seminoe Mountains… we are getting to see it all. This state is truly gorgeous.
As varied as the scenery has been, the flora has been equally varied. Coming from the midwest, the plants we are looking to collect are totally new. Everyday is a learning opportunity. I’m surrounded by people whose skill level far exceeds my own and most days I come home with my brain swimming with new names, terms, and images to sort through.
Working with the BLM, we get the opportunity to work with people outside of the SOS program. In the four short weeks that we have been here we’ve met with people from all different departments in an effort to really learn the facets of the BLM. We’ve helped monitor oil rig sites, Sage Grouse Leks, reclamation sites, youth outreach programs, and we visited the future home of the world’s largest wind farm.
Like I said, busy.
So far everyone has been really supportive and helpful, which has made the transition of moving from the midwest to the west relatively easy. The most challenging part of our job so far has been navigating to the middle of nowhere. We are afforded maps and a GPS, but sometimes well roads pop up out of no where and you take a wrong turn. A lot of our time out scouting has been trial and error. Our supervisors are supportive of our learning and are very patient with us as we learn to navigate steep, muddy, sandy, or rocky roads.
As the summer draws on, in addition to my SOS duties, I am really looking forward to exploring our field office. Several of our coworkers have offered to take us to the best spots this place has to offer. This includes: rocking hunting, fossil hunting, petrified forests, fishing, camping, and of course hiking! I can’t wait!