Blogging is something I have never done before and never thought I would be doing today.  I always saw “bloggers” as the people who sit in their houses all day and write about things that are of no importance to me or anyone else.  My views have changed as the years have gone on, but I still thought I would never be writing one.  Boy, life is strange.  I am currently working for the Chicago Botanic Garden as a Conservation and Land Management Intern through the Bureau of Land Management in Lander, Wyoming.  Never been there?  You’re missing out.  Of all the places I have lived, it is my absolute favorite.  There is never a shortage of fun activities to do.  In the winter you can cross country ski, skate ski, snowshoe, downhill ski, backcountry ski, snowmobile, hike, ice fish, etc., etc., etc.  The list for summer is even longer.  The trailhead for the tallest peak in Wyoming is not very far away and the fishing in the Wind River Mountains is absolutely incredible.  The people are nice and always willing to help you even if they have no idea who you are.  But, to get back to my internship…  I have never worked for the BLM before and wasn’t sure how it would go.  So far I absolutely love it.  I get to be outside all day every day in  remote country where the chances of running into other people are low.  There are elk, deer, antelope, moose, coyotes, birds of all kinds, and a whole host of different bugs to be seen.  The flora is even more impressive than the fauna.  I will be monitoring several riparian areas to determine use by grazers and overall health of the area.

Being my first blog, I really don’t know what to tell you other than what is written above.  I’m not a long winded person.  Straight, to the point, short and sweet, blah, blah, blah.  I hope everyone is having a great start to their summer and I look forward to meeting some of you at the upcoming CLM training workshop in Chicago.  Till then, see ya!

Amanda

BLM – Lander, Wyoming