September was a busy month for me! My supervisor was gone on fire the whole month, but I was able to stay occupied with the projects we have going on. I finished creating our Region 9 Volunteer and Services SharePoint Site that will be used...
After spending most of my summer living on the middle fork of the Salmon, I learned just how much time and effort it takes to keep this pristine and beloved functioning for commercial use. When the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 was first...
This month, I went to some very cool places. One of these that I'd like to tell you all about today is in the Nantahala National Forest. This place is home to rare species of all sorts, including rare plants and moths. The serpentine barrens...
My first time out in the field with our botanists. The great thing about having an office job is that I can hide from the summer heat by staying cool inside. However, as someone who also loves being outside any chance I can get, I tend...
The summers in the Sawtooth NRA are always buzzing with campers, and this year was no exception. From June to August the visitor center saw about 3,400 visitors and so many more recreating in the forest. Working at the front desk, I got to meet...
A few months ago, I had the privilege of visiting one of my office’s partners in region 8 for a week. The partners were putting together an annual wilderness training that they put on with the Forest Service and a few other partners. The training...
The hillsides in the Sawtooth National Forest are bursting with wildflowers mid-summer. Everything from silvery lupines to scarlet paintbrushes take advantage of the bright, summer sun to bloom. Having grown on the landscape for centuries, the wildflowers of Idaho have adapted to withstand harsh conditions...
One of my favorite perks of working from home is the ability to travel and work from different places. Labor Day weekend I flew back to my home state of Illinois and visited Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. Midewin is located on what used to be...
A few weeks ago, I traveled to Reno, Nevada for an office retreat. It was the first time I've ever been out west, before this trip the furthest out west was Tennessee. I was fortunate that through this internship I've been able to travel further...
Since joining the New Employee Experience Team as a Resource Assistant in February 2023, I’ve assisted with six National and Regional New Employee Orientations and I’m currently preparing for an additional three in the next few weeks. Each orientation has been an informative experience that...