I cannot believe that I have finished up my third month here in Casper, Wyoming. So far it has been an incredible experience and I am so happy to be getting this opportunity.

I started off the month with once a week monitoring of Ute Ladies-tresses (Spiranthes diluvialis) an orchid flowing plant that is officially listed as a threatened plant species in the U.S. I would go out with other biologists and interns to known populations and record the number of plants I saw in those locations.

I also got to help place fence markers along existing fences bordering BLM land. Fence markers are used primarily to deter wildlife, including the Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), from colliding with fences. Evidence has been found that Sage-grouse collide with anthropogenic structures, including fences. Therefore, I worked to help prevent this by placing fence markers along fences close to leks on fences with t-posts or areas of shorter vegetation.

Monitoring Coal Mountain for wildlife with the Casper Field Office Forester

This past week I have gotten to go out on multiple wildlife surveys for proposed projects. I worked with the Casper Field Office’s forester, Cindy Allen, where I got to go out to Coal Mountain and walk throughout an area that is going to be thinned out from Juniper (Juniperus spp.) to promote understory growth and Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) regrowth. I was also able to go out and walk an area that is proposed for a fence installation project. For these wildlife surveys I walked with a wildlife biologist, Elizabeth Thyfault, and surveyed the area from any BLM sensitive wildlife species and possible active raptor nest sites.

Monitoring for Raptor nests at a proposed fence installation site

Coming up I will be helping the lead wildlife biologist, James Wright, with a project called “Natural Bridge – True Mountain Mahogany Regeneration and Restoration.” This project is designed to mimic prescribed burning through a chemical treatment of Plateau® to kill the above-ground true Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus) and to eradicate Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) from the area.  For this project I will be helping to set up vegetation monitoring permanent transects in the project area. This is to monitor the chemical treatments and record how the plants are responding to the treatment.

My time here is incredible and I’m sad to say I only have two months left!