08 May Winter snows bring spring flows

I can’t believe it’s already May and I am three months into the RAP term! The past few weeks have been full of exciting activities both in my job and outside of work. At the Forest Service, I’m continuing to develop infographics, maps, and other visual tools to help communicate stories from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding. Recently I’ve been honing my design skills with an online infographics course through RISD, where I’ve made products like the paddling map of the Gunnison, below. Eventually I hope to design a web version of this with live embedded flow diagrams.

Speaking of floating, I was recently able to spend two nights on the Ruby Horse Thief section of the Colorado, just downstream from what this map shows. Paddling is one of my favorite outdoor activities, and I had a blast taking my boat out for its first overnight trip. I’ll be taking advantage of working remotely this summer and am looking forward to many more adventures both on and off the water.

Cover photo: Paddling on the Colorado (that’s me in the back!). Photo credit George Valentine.