I am stationed at the BLM office in Palm Springs, California where 3 deserts intersect, the Colorado, Sonoran and Mojave. I came here at the end of May from California’s north Coast in Humboldt County, where the temperature stays a near constant 60 degrees F and redwoods tower over head. When I accepted this position in Palm Springs I had no idea what I was in for. I feared a stark landscape resembling images I have seen on TV or the Sarah desert in Africa. Endless sand dunes, toxic snakes and an unforgiving sun overhead that can make you lose your mind and maybe even your way. “Will I get lost out in the desert and die” I wondered.

After moving here and settling in to work I have begun to learn of all the riches that the desert has. Wildlife far beyond what I had ever thought

Coyote

Bobcat that we cought with one of our trail cams

Young buck

The desert is a very harsh environment

Unknown tracks

Lizard on the side of the shop

A desert iguana

Plants of all sorts that are adapted to this harsh environment (making this place far from what I had initially pictured)

and I am surrounded by beautiful mountains. I don’t think I could ever lose my way in this desert, there are land marks in all directions. My studio that I rented even sits at the base of a 10,000 foot mountain. It’s really neat because at my house the sun will set behind this mountain at 6:30 pm and its great shadow will creep across the valley floor starting with my place and the temperatures will begin to drop.

Sunset in Palm Springs. California

Yesterday I got to start my first SOS (Seeds of Success) collection. I learned that collecting native seed is quite an art in its self. One must know where to find the target population, when it will be going into seed, collect proper voucher specimens, and visit many individual plants to make an acquitted collection (a minimum of 50 individual plants is required). As you visit these plants and collect a few seeds from each one, you notice things that you would not other wise stop to take the time and notice. Such as what animals stop to visit these plants, what the animals ate, and a little about their personal habits. You begin to know the plants themselves better too, what constitutes as a healthy (in this case) tree, and who may be struggling.

This is my mentor, Joel. We are making a SOS collection of Screw bean Misquote (Prosopis pubescens)

Eustoma

This work is so fascinating and I am learning so much. I am being pushed beyond my comfort zone (in coming to a harsh environment that I would not have imagined myself in this time last year). I am growing and learning in so many ways and I love it so much. I love the desert and I love the CLM internship.