BLM Sage Grouse Habitat Restoration

I just got back from my first 8-day tour out in the field and it was awesome! Our project partner was the Bureau of Land Management and we were stationed in Pony Springs, NV which is about 80 miles south of Ely, NV. We were camping out in the middle of the desert and our task was to eliminate any Pinon Pine and Juniper trees that had spread through this sagebrush field.

I know that cutting down tree's isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you think 'conservation' and at first it was hard for me to grasp but when you look at it in relation to our project it makes sense. The Sage Grouse is a bird that is declining in population because of loss and/or disruption of their habitat. They cannot survive without sagebrush and when different species of trees move in and consume the resources needed for the sagebrush to survive, it puts the grouse at risk. The trees also give predators, like hawks, extra places to hide and prey on the grouse. So BLM placed us in an area where the Sage Grouse migrate and had us take down several acres of Pinon Pine and Juniper trees. We worked from about 8am to 5pm every day cutting down trees. It was hard and exhausting work but definitely fulfilling.

There has been a lot of work throughout Nevada to help protect this bird and their habitat; and it's pretty awesome and rewarding to know that I am helping. It's an incredible feeling to wake up, crawl out of your tent and know that this is your job - I am outside everyday, helping the environment. It still blows my mind that I am doing this and I hope that feeling never goes away.

So, now I have 7-days off (usually 6 but because of the holiday I get an extra day). What to do, what to do. :) Travel - duh.

A few snapshots

The previously mentioned sunflowers.

The clouds out here are amazing!

Sweet lil' town

The Bonneville Salt Flats

The Biggest Little City in the World
My new home.

Made It! (wrote August 14th)

I made it to Reno safe and sound! Total miles: ~2880 – time for an oil change. The drive was awesome and I had a great time. I loved seeing the country from East to West. It’s really incredible how different it is in certain parts and how much it changes.

My last stretch was the rest of WY, UT and then finally NV. I’d say my favorite part of the last leg was the Salt Flats in UT. I drove past the Great Salt Lake and hit the Great Salt Lake Desert, which ended with the Bonneville Salt Flats. It was really cool to see. I stopped for lunch in this town called Wendover, UT, which was literally on the border of NV. It was such a bizarre town. After staring at miles and miles of salt, all of the sudden there is this “city” with two huge casinos and resorts. I guess it makes sense and they can survive because of the racing that goes on in the salt flats. I just wasn’t expecting it.

While driving through the rest of Nevada, I got to see so many little sand tornados! They would just pop up all around me and sometimes even cross the road in front of me. I tried to snap a picture of one (which I’ll post later) but they would disappear just as fast as they’d show up.

So I’m driving, you know, getting pretty excited because I have about 100 miles left before I get to Reno and all the sudden the car in front of me swerves and leaves me to hit this huge truck tire that was in the middle of the road. Awesome. So I pull over and check under my car and the big plastic thing (technical name) is cracked and the metal bolt that used to keep it in place is now hitting my wheel when I drive. I have nothing in my car to cut it off, so I take a small piece of duct tape from one of my boxes and try to tape it back into place until I can reach a mechanic. The next town was Lovelock, NV and of course the ONE mechanic was closed. I just ended up going to a gas station and buying duct tape and just duct taping the sh*t out of it. J It held. Whatever. I’ll get it fixed sometime.

So I am at the El Dorado Hotel & Casino for the next two nights and Orientation starts on Monday at 7am. We’ll be camping all week so I won’t be able to update this but I move into my apartment (yes, I have one now) on Friday. Hopefully I can give ya something then.

All is well, made it safely. Time to start my west coast life!

Oh, the Mid-West

Well, I began my journey and all is going great! I am having a blast, despite what people have told me about this drive. My first stop was in Hermitage, PA, which is right on the boarder of Ohio. Driving through the Pocono's was cool besides the awful traffic on I-80. After leaving PA, my goal was to get to Davenport but was actually able to drive to Des Moines. I was getting pretty sleepy as soon as I hit Des Moines, I started hotel searching but, lucky me, all the hotels were sold out because it was the first day of the Iowa State Fair. Go Figure. I had to keep driving past Des Moines and the more west I went, the less frequent the hotels became. I ended up in this tiny town called Adair, IA. It was pretty much a Budget Inn and a gas station (Kum & Go - so awkward).

If you didn't know, there was a meteor shower last night and since I was literally in the middle of no where, I was able to watch it! It was incredible. I've never seen so many before and I could clearly see the Milky Way!

From Adair, IA, I drove straight to Rock Springs, WY. Via I-80, I passed through all of Nebraska (so flat!) and a good portion of Wyoming. I came across HUGE fields of sunflowers that just took my breath away in NE. Pictures will come later. I am staying in Rock Springs, WY tonight. I would say this last portion is my favorite so far. Wyoming is great - so many animals! :) I saw burros, horses, cows (lots of them), antelope, llamas, paraire dogs and a Jackalope! No tumble weeds yet tho - maybe tomorrow.

This is the first time I've had access to the internet on my trip so my apologies if this post isn't what you had hoped for. I don't want to bore but I don't want to leave out great things I saw. I'll try to add a bit more later on. Bed time for me. I'm going to attempt to get to Reno, NV tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Bucket List

So these past two weeks have been insane with moving, packing, sorting and cleaning. I am all moved out of my apartment and am now floating between friends, Todd & Amanda's, my parents and the lake. I have been trying to make time for family and friends when I can but since my time is so limited it's been kind of difficult - my apologies if you're feeling neglected. However, when I do get a free minute or two I am trying to make the best of it. One of my friends at L.L. Bean asked me if I had a bucket list or something..

Last week I went skydiving at Skydive Pepperell with my brother and two friends. It's my second time going but it was none the less frightening. It was incredible though and I highly recommend it to everyone!

I got to squeeze in dinner with a few of my cousin's that live in Boston one last time. It was great to see everyone! We even managed to get a classic cousin shot! :)

This weekend I am going SCUBA diving with my brother to catch some Lahbstah. Todd got a lobstering permit that lasts a year and you're allowed to catch up to 15 per day! We're going to have a lobster bake later that day (fingers crossed we catch some!).

Hopefully, early next week, I am going kayaking off Chatham, MA to try to spot some of those Great Whites that have been hanging around! It's gonna be insane and if I don't make it back to land - that's one hell of a way to go out! ;)