![\"Sheila](\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/002-300x225.jpg\")
<\/a>Exploring Northern New Mexico BLM Land -Sheila directing us from beside the truck (what a surprise there isn't an oil or gas well in this photo)<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/005-300x225.jpg\")
<\/a>Opuntia polyacantha<\/p><\/div>\n
My name is Deidre Conocchioli, and I started working at the lovely BLM field office in Farmington, New Mexico this past Monday. Farmington is\u00a0about 40 miles\u00a0southeast of the Four Corners and is on the Colorado Plateau. I just graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and stopped at home in the Twin Cities, Minnesota before coming to Farmington.\u00a0 I had previously never been to New Mexico and while I was excited about the new flora, I was greatly anticipating what the landscape in Farmington would be like. \u00a0Colorado Plateau<\/em> kept giving me the \u00a0imagery of a city on a high, dry, flat top without trees to shelter from the sun\u2019s ever-watching gaze. I found myself thinking along the drive, \u201cplease don\u2019t let Farmington be as flat as the plains I am coming from.\u201d Even one mountain range within sight from the town would be a mental oasis.\u00a0 Driving past the plains, the earth erupted into majestic uprisings of forested slopes and snow- capped peaks west of Denver. Pressing through southern Colorado, the mountains held out as I looked for indication of the distinctive plateau I had in mind. There was none, the land never flattened. Even rolling in at 9 pm, we could tell that this plateau had big rolling hills around the town, as I especially discovered on my 4 mile uphill bike ride to the BLM office.<\/p>\n I will be primarily working on the Seeds of Success program with another CLM intern, Henry. Our mentor, Sheila, is a sharp botanist and she has been acquainting us with Four Corners specimen she collected for us. Or rather, A Utah Flora, Flora of Arizona, New Mexico Flora, and Colorado Flora keys have been divulging the intimate details of a plant\u2019s private areas (gynobase positioning) and more provocative features of the leaves, spines, and pubescence. It was a good change of pace when we were able to learn flora in the field. The prickly pears in bloom were absolutely gorgeous.<\/p>\n Looking forward to meeting everyone at the training in Chicago!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" My name is Deidre Conocchioli, and I started working at the lovely BLM field office in Farmington, New Mexico this past Monday. Farmington is\u00a0about 40 miles\u00a0southeast of the Four Corners and is on the Colorado Plateau. I just graduated … Continue reading