I remember the very first time I came to Eastern Washington; I was only 10 en rout to a soccer camp in Moscow, ID.  I had planned on sleeping on the long 3 hour shuttle ride to the pseudo-Russian city just across the border of Washington, but after we left the city and my body was ready to relax, my eyes were widened by the site of endless rolling hills with lush emerald waves.  I was mesmerized by the continuity of the grass, growing and swaying in sync.  The consistency of the land was nothing like I had ever seen before.  Growing up in the sagebrush and short grass prairies of Wyoming made me accustomed to seeing a variety of textures and colors in the landscape.   Not until thirteen years later did I realize that this beauty that had once enthralled my tired ten-year-old eyes was wheat; rolling gold, and again my eyes where opened, but in a different way.  I learned that wheat fields make the earth “sterile”.  The land and its inhabitants become displaced and the continuous plowing, that makes those fields so beautiful and regular, dissipates the survival of even a rodent.

Works well in fragmenting habitat...

I have watched the progression of the wheat fields over their growing season traveling to and from what called the “channeled scablands”.  The names “Channeled” because of the massive Missoula flood that swept across all of eastern Washington and “scab” because of the little tufts of rock left from the raging waters that rushed through the land after a considerable ice dam broke in Montana.  (I got the story from at least five different people of different disciplines in the office).  Thanks to the interdisciplinary BLM office, I have been lucky enough to work with and hear the views of a variety of people, thus allowing me to learn, not only about the history of the land, but the different ways that it can be used, maintained, and monitored.

The majority of my time has been spent on north-facing slopes looking for likely the best camouflaged plant of all time, the infamous Silene Spaldingii.  This sticky little forb is so well hidden that even my mentor, a well seasoned “SISP” locator, may step on it in mid search from time to time.  (This makes me wonder if our monitoring causes more detriment to the plant and its surrounding veg than the grazing cows themselves—also a hot topic discussed regularly between Range and Botany) 

Massive Silene plant -- 7 stems!

I became so able to locate the Silene I was literally doing it in my sleep.  Many people I have met wonder what the significance of this “random” plant is in the whole scheme of things, my response… “everything is connected”, which often leaves them with an A-ha moment and me with great satisfaction knowing that I am making an itty bitty difference.

Checking out our National bird while putting up duck boxes

I have found that I like it best when I get to experience the serenity of the land and monitor on my own, at my own pace.  Although, being able to pair up with a few coworkers to go play in a stream, er… monitor stream health, couldn’t get much better.

100% PHAR3 "Same as above"

Also, catching bats in the middle of the night, or riding my mountain bike across the Scablands in search of Silene, flying gracefully over the bikes handlebars and face planting into the sage, discovering old mines in moss covered forests, seeing roving painted turtles, praying mantis, hummingbirds, dragonflies that too closely resemble helicopters, snakes, frogs, deer, coyotes, elk, flushing grouse, comparing enclosures with pastures that have been too heavily grazed, and observing the unexpected changes in the land.

"It's a Female!"

I think the most challenging part of this internship, besides picking cheat grass out of my boots, is life outside the office and field.  This is my first time living without a built-in community or classes with people my age who have similar interests.  This has made me realize how easily one can get lost in a big city and how important it is for me to interact.  I am lucky because there is so much to do here as far as arts, music, culture, plays, etc. but I have yet to find someone to do it with.  I have volunteered as a U-14 Boys soccer coach, a trail builder, taken dance classes, gone to bands and bars and even Portland, striving to live up the city life all by my lonesome.  I am finally feeling more at home and am beginning to spend quality time with my coworkers.  I am looking forward to a Frisbee golf t-time of 11am Monday, where the likely topic of conversation will be conservation.

Aliina Lahti, BLM Field Office, Spokane, WA