As short as it was awesome, my time in Lander with the BLM has come to a close.  I will always remember Lander fondly and hope to visit again this great little town with a wonderfully welcoming and helpful BLM staff.

My final week here I finally packed away the seed collections with my mentor and entered the remaining data.  Not the most glamorous part of being an intern but at least they are on their way to Bend and the feeling of knowing the seeds are bagged is very satisfying.

As I leave, there is a now somewhat familiar bite in the air at night I only felt my first week in Lander when the final waves of winter rolled through Wyoming.  The heat of summer is becoming less pronounced as the seasons change.  I feel a sense of unfinished business as winter has not yet pushed me from my home away from home. But as i went out for one last evening drive through sinks canyon state park a beautiful storm held ominously over the mountaintops.  A sight I had grown to appreciate regularly in Wyoming.

The experiences I had in my time here from the incredible weather to wildlife encounters I will cherish always and I hope that all the other interns in this program have the same level of experiences I have.

Memories of Wyoming’s remarkable landscapes will stay with me forever as I am sure they have with many before me.

Farewell Wyoming, and thank you to all the wonderful people at the Lander Field Office for the opportunity and making Lander feel like home.  Thank you to Krissa and the staff at the Chicago Botanical Garden for the opportunity and for making it all possible.  And thanks to my fellow interns who I have come to consider good friends for the companionship.  I hope you all enjoy the remainder of the season and find the next step just as enjoyable as I did this one.