The last days of my internship are wrapping up, and I cannot believe how fast the summer has gone by. Over the past 11 weeks, I’ve traveled to three different states, learned about threatened and endangered plant species in the region, and collected over 28,000 seeds for species preservation.

This internship has required flexibility and adaptation. When I got hired on, the plan was to focus on two species, Sclerocactus mesae-verdae and Astragalus humillimus. Gratefully, allocations were made so that we could include two other species from different regions, Erigeron rhizomatus and Eriogonum gypsophilum. This required extra planning, but it meant I got to expand my knowledge and collect even more seeds.

Similarly, the time it took to clean the seeds was underestimated, and due to the time constraints of my internship, there are a few collection sites with pending data. As a result, I learned the power of asking for help, and was able to slightly expedite the process. I also found a way to meaningfully describe the data, even if it is incomplete. 

Out of all the wonderful things I got out of my time as a DFP, my favorite is the amount of people I’ve met and had the opportunity to work with, whether it was managerial support or out in the field doing collections. I’ve met people from a wide variety of backgrounds, from other DOI employees, to Americorps volunteers, to tribal species experts. Hearing their stories and learning about their work has opened my eyes to the vast opportunities I’ll have once I graduate, and I couldn’t be more thankful for this entire experience.

Agency: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Program: US Fish & Wildlife Service - DFP

Location: New Mexico Ecological Services Field Office

Another week of my internship meant another listed plant species to familiarize myself with. This time I was looking for Zuni Fleabane, a rhizomatous, wind-pollinated plant that likes steep hillsides at high elevation. The habitat requirements tend to overlap with pinyon-juniper forests, and while the terrain was a bit more rugged here than in my previous excursions, the shade provided by the trees was a welcome change of pace from the open desert landscapes I’ve become used to.

The direction and schedule of my internship is highly dictated by the timelines of the plants from which I’m collecting. For leisure, I’m reading a book about a family living solely off the food they grow for a year, and much of the story revolves around waiting on crops to be ready. I can’t help but appreciate the serendipity of connecting my personal experiences with the ones I’m reading about, as in both cases, nature refuses to be rushed by human timetables. 

Almost as a reward for patiently awaiting the readiness of Zuni Fleabane’s seeds, I got to see some plants still in their flowering stage, which is the best stage, in my opinion. The very nature of seed collection usually means observing plants as a different and ostensibly less glamorous version of the beautiful, flower-speckled photos one sees on Google Images. But this time, I was greeted by tiny, daisy-like flowers scattered throughout the population. Of course, this is not to diminish the spectacular puffs of seeds protruding from many of the plants or the importance they have on seed conservation projects such as this one.

A few bumps were hit on the way in the name of sandy roads that can swallow a truck’s tires and scattered thunderstorms, but I bought a tow strap and a poncho and hoped for the best as I continued on. Sometimes all you can do is adapt. And if these plants can adapt to a changing climate, I can certainly try to do the same.

Agency: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Program: Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Program (COR)

Location: Southwest Regional Office

I’m a few weeks into my DFP internship with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service, and I’ve already learned so much. I’ve lived in New Mexico for about three years now, and it never ceases to amaze me how much the landscape can change within a few hours of driving. Throughout my time so far, I’ve been astounded by the open beauty of desert scenery, and I’ve been even more amazed by the ability of life to persist in such seemingly barren conditions.

After a brief period of orientation, I hit the ground running and immediately headed out to the four corners region of New Mexico to check on the known populations of Mesa Verde cactus and Mancos Milkvetch, two endangered species with specific habitat requirements and that are sensitive to disturbances. It’s the time of year that these plants are producing seed, and I am working on collecting these seeds to conserve for future study and regeneration, while leaving enough so that populations can continue to expand in their natural habitats.

 I began by doing collections for the Mesa Verde, which has scattered populations in this region. Unfortunately for the cactus, the land use in this area includes cattle grazing, horseback riding, off-road vehicle use, and there are often roads to access telephone wires that run through them, all of which can damage existing plants. The cactus is tiny, only growing a couple of inches high, so locating live plants can also be a challenge. However, we were happy to find a few healthy populations with fruits full of seeds.

The Mancos Milkvetch grows in rock depressions and cracks of point lookout sandstone. I was amazed to see such a small and seemingly delicate plant growing from such a tough material, a true testament to the perseverance of nature. Similarly to the Mesa Verde, this plant can be hard to locate, but I liked to think of it like a scavenger hunt, and I was thrilled every time I found one sprouting up through the minerals. 

One prominent insight I had while doing these collections is the health of these plants that exist on tribal lands compared to those found on state lands. To me, this shows the importance of limiting disturbance activities in order for the populations to thrive. I believe that continued efforts during internships such as my own, as well as collaboration with land owners and species experts such as the people I worked with over the last few weeks, a better understanding of these species and their requirements can be achieved to slow the decline of existing plants and allow their populations to grow.

Agency: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Program: US Fish & Wildlife Service - DFP

Location: New Mexico Ecological Services Field Office

After recently earning an associate’s degree in environmental science, Allison attends Rutgers University, where she explores the facets of ecology and the fundamentals of geographic information systems. She had both a lizard and parrot as a child, which inspired her curiosity about the natural world. Allison spent two summers hiking through New Jersey’s Pine Barrens searching for northern pine snake nesting sites, which fall victim to dehabitation. Allison has worked one season under the City of Long Branch’s police department, where she assisted officers in preventing contraband from entering beaches. She has also dabbled in tardigrades, forestry classes, and marine habitat restoration. She aspires to become a conservation officer. Allison most recently worked for the seafood department at her local grocery store, where she educates customers on sustainable fishing and the occasional octopus fact.