{"id":71403,"date":"2016-08-23T12:05:56","date_gmt":"2016-08-23T19:05:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/?p=71403"},"modified":"2016-08-23T12:05:56","modified_gmt":"2016-08-23T19:05:56","slug":"in-search-of-gold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/?p=71403","title":{"rendered":"In Search of Gold"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Humans are bedazzled by gold and driven to unearth this precious metal. Alaska had the well-known Klondike Gold Rush in the late 1800s, but few people realize that there are still active mining claims. The glory days may be gone, but the living heritage persists. Miners are rather industrious and their equipment powerful. These extractive processes, as one can imagine, have an effect on the hydrology, water quality, plant communities, wildlife, soils, and overall ecology. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has started to employ the Assessment Inventory Monitoring (AIM) program to better understand these impacts and quantify the reclamation progress. AIM was originally developed for BLM grazing lands throughout the western region and are now being adapted for the Alaskan landscape. We received training in Chicken, AK and then completed our first assessments up the Dalton Highway. This past week Brad Casar, Soil Scientist of Homer Soil &amp; Water Conservation District, fellow CLM Intern Sam Snodgrass, and I went into the White Mountains to examine gold mine reclamation sites in varying stages. Sam and I focused on the vegetation assessments using the point-line intercept method to determine cover and species diversity. It was a productive and full week with some of our own golden moments. We feasted on wild berries, viewed bumble bees lapping up sugar excretions from aphids, and fell asleep to the sound of a waterfall.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_71421\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-71421\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-71421 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_4536-e1470756456542-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_4536\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_4536-e1470756456542-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_4536-e1470756456542-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_4536-e1470756456542-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_4536-e1470756456542-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/IMG_4536-e1470756456542.jpg 1936w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-71421\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A water color inspired by mountain experiences.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_71404\" style=\"width: 179px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-71404\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-71404\" src=\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/RIMG6707-2-169x300.jpg\" alt=\"So many wild berries including this blueberry plump and juicy for the picking! \" width=\"169\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/RIMG6707-2-169x300.jpg 169w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/RIMG6707-2-338x600.jpg 338w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/RIMG6707-2-768x1365.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/RIMG6707-2-576x1024.jpg 576w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/RIMG6707-2.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 169px) 100vw, 169px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-71404\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">So many wild berries including this blueberry plump and juicy for the picking!<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_71405\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-71405\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-71405\" src=\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/RIMG6806-2-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Active mining area with remnant structures from older claims\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-71405\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Active mining area with remnant structures from older claims<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_71406\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-71406\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-71406\" src=\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/RIMG6853-2-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Conducting AIM across this landscape of early seral species. \" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-71406\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Conducting AIM across this landscape of early seral species.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_71410\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-71410\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-71410 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/RIMG7257-2-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"RIMG7257 (2)\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-71410\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A mosquito prepared Sam Snodgrass amidst Alaska Rhubarb, <em>Polygonum alaskanum<\/em>, going to seed.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_71409\" style=\"width: 179px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-71409\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-71409 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/RIMG7256-2-169x300.jpg\" alt=\"RIMG7256 (2)\" width=\"169\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/RIMG7256-2-169x300.jpg 169w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/RIMG7256-2-337x600.jpg 337w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/RIMG7256-2-768x1366.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/RIMG7256-2-576x1024.jpg 576w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 169px) 100vw, 169px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-71409\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A scenic outhouse on one of the mining claims.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_71408\" style=\"width: 179px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-71408\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-71408 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/RIMG6894-2-169x300.jpg\" alt=\"RIMG6894 (2)\" width=\"169\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/RIMG6894-2-169x300.jpg 169w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/RIMG6894-2-338x600.jpg 338w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/RIMG6894-2-768x1365.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/RIMG6894-2-576x1024.jpg 576w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 169px) 100vw, 169px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-71408\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fellow CLM Intern Sam Snodgrass presenting two bouquets of flower to a miner, one highlighting native forbs and one to discourage non-native invasive plants.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_71407\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-71407\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-71407 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/RIMG6883-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"RIMG6883\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-71407\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sphagnum moss with sporophytes.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_71411\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-71411\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-71411 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/RIMG7296-2-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"RIMG7296 (2)\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-71411\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A bumble bee lapping up the sugary excretions of the aphids.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Humans are bedazzled by gold and driven to unearth this precious metal. Alaska had the well-known Klondike Gold Rush in the late 1800s, but few people realize that there are still active mining claims. The glory days may be gone, &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/?p=71403\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7298,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71403"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7298"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=71403"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71403\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":72045,"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71403\/revisions\/72045"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=71403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=71403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.clminternship.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=71403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}