Enchanted Green Chile Sunrise

The beauty of the desert only shows itself when you open your eyes. Over a month ago, I left my home in rural New Jersey to embark on an adventure in a “new” place: Santa Fe, NM. While one might think that time moves slowly in the heat of the desert, this past month has flown by. Completely awe struck by the beauty of open skies with clouds seemingly frozen in place, mountains tinged purple by the setting sun, and the overwhelming diversity of plants and critters, the reality of living in such a beautiful place has finally set in.

Angel Peak, NM

I am incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to work with the BLM State Office in Santa Fe designing and establishing monitoring plots for rare plants across the state. Our first week involved revisiting and setting up plots for Townsendia gypsophila, an adorable aster that grows on gypsum deposits and may be threatened by recreation, development, and other disturbance. Brainstorming monitoring protocols and performing sample statistics proves to be rather difficult in the harsh, and particularly hot, landscape of northern-central New Mexico.

Gypsum-loving Townsend’s Daisy (Townsendia gypsophila)

The following weekend I traveled to the CLM Workshop and experienced the busy city of Chicago. Meeting so many fellow passionate nature nerds was really enlightening and made the workshop very enjoyable! On the flip side, being in the lush deciduous forest and (un)bearable humidity of Illinois made me slightly homesick for the northeast. Flying back to Santa Fe over the Rocky Mountains and Great Sand Dunes brightened these thoughts and solidified my excitement to be back to work.

View from Lake Peak, Sangre de Cristo Mountains, NM

The past few weeks were spent in Carlsbad, NM; a place that isn’t that bad. It was incredibly rewarding to work with the Carlsbad Field Office in setting up monitoring plots for the endangered G1 species Eriogonum gypsophilum. It was rather remarkable to reflect on the fact that these gypsum drainages are the only place where this plant is known to occur in the entire world. Despite the 110 degree days, dangerous hydrogen sulfide, and thorny mesquite and creosote, the experience made me greatly appreciate the importance of multi-use public land and the ability to integrate plants and wildlife into the mix.

Gypsum Buckwheat (Eriogonum gypsophilum)

Aside from work, I’ve spent most of my time eating red and green chile-smothered food (always order christmas), bagging peaks, cliff jumping, dancing to groovy music, and enjoying the magical atmosphere of New Mexico. This coming week I’m looking forward to working with the miniature Sclerocactus cloverae ssp. brackii and experiencing the intense monsoon season!