A Fairwell to Lakeview

This post is unfortunately my last, as our internship has come to an end. Much has transpired in the weeks since my last post and I promise to catch you up before I depart. One major detail of our ending was the exit of our mentor, Ian Grinter. After three short (yet inspiring and informational) months with Ian, he left for Alaska to embark on a new chapter of his career. We are all very excited for his new opportunity. As for Kayla and myself, we carried on as usual.

We were able to make a few more collections as our season came to a close. In total, we made 32 collections. One fun collection made at the end of our season was Spiraea douglasii. The location (Silver Creek) of the collection was surprisingly beautiful and we made out with an ample amount of seed.

Silver Creek in Silver Lake, Oregon

Silver Creek in Silver Lake, Oregon

Silver Creek in Silver Lake, Oregon

At the end of our last full week, Kayla and I were given the opportunity to visit the Bend Seed Extractory. We pulled up with a truckload of seeds and anticipatory excitement. I was shown how hard everyone at the extractory worked in comparison to how much seed they processed, and to the size of the establishment. Everyone who worked there was extremely knowledgeable and kind.

The equipment used to clean the seeds we all send to the extractory.

Screens for seed and excess material separation.

Another excitement came before our takeoff, the arrival of Flora of Oregon. We were all very excited to read through this new volume, not to mention admire the beautiful cover art.

Outside of work, the festivities in the town carried on as usual. The next festival in town was the Lake County Fair. The fair came around with a bang and was a joy to everyone. One main attraction, that I personally loved, was the Lake County Round-up. This was my first rodeo, and it left me very impressed. Although shocking at first, I learned the horses were trained for years to put on such a show and saw how skilled the riders were as the competition continued.

The rodeo with a beautiful backdrop.

On my last day at the Lakeview BLM, I was sent to the Rockbottom Nursery outside of Bonanza, Oregon. My mission was to pick up an assortment of plants and take them to their new homes at the Union Elementary School greenhouse. The nursery, which specializes in growing native species, had an accompanying koi pond and horse stable. In addition to the beauty of the farm, its owners made a lasting impression and my final day one to remember.