This entry marks the 3 month of being in Lander as a rangeland intern. It is amazing how time is flying by. The upcoming weeks are filled with excitement and a plethora of events. One of which is the Solar Eclipse! I am stoked that I can witness this rare occurrence.
Much has transpired since the last time I posted. I got to experience the wonders of Yellowstone with old and new friends. I was quite surprised at the number of buffalo we saw while leaving the park and just at the diversity of organisms. Sadly, I did not get to see a bear but, there is always next time! I think my favorite part was at the end when we hiked up to the painted pots. They are quite interesting and I have enjoyed learning more about how they were formed.
Enjoying some ice cream during a hot afternoon in Yellowstone
The painted pots and their wonderful “plooping” noise.
As for work, my work partner and I were able to help recreate some monitoring that hasn’t been conducted since the 90s and early 2000s, which will be used for a NEPA document. This allowed us to learn some new plants within riparian areas, visit a new and exciting area, and to experience trying to find areas whose marking posts have been removed or knocked down. We still have to do some greenline monitoring that we were unable to complete due to high and fast running waters. Plus, we get to look forward to spending a day or two hiking an entire canyon for data collection in mid to late August.
Orchid found near a riparian area we are monitoring.
Beautiful group of butterflies an a thistle.
Besides work, I have taken the opportunity to explore Lander a bit more. The amount of events held is a bit overwhelming at times, but all of the events are fun to attend. The hiking in the area is top-notch. I was finally able to hike up Sinks Canyon and the views were spectacular. My partner had been in town and was quite impressed with the views we say. Plus, the flowers were beautiful in the area!
Popo Agie River flowing up at Sinks Canyon
Until next time,
– James Noyama
Bureau of Land Management – Lander Field Office Lander, Wyoming