Plant, Animals, and Petroglyphs

 Hello again everyone,

When I worked with the Department of Resources, I got to leave my mark on the recreation area by giving back to the landscape. Starting the week with vegetation, I got the chance to assist over at the Song Dong Native Plant Nursery. Here they grow native plants for the National Park Service use and other agencies (BLM, USGS, NDOW, etc.), also for other restoration projects in the region. They are usually given a list of plants and seeds in the winter so they can prepare by fall. Kelly Wallace, the biologist, and manager of the plant nursery, also assist LE by assessing the damage caused by those who go off-roading. Overton and Cottonwood East being commonly affected by this issue in the winter. Still, I helped out by transplanting some plots of creosote, watering plants, and sowing a bunch of Willow Baccharis. 

The next day I rode down to Cottonwood cove to remove invasive plant species with the Exotic Plant Management Team (EPMT). This includes plants such as fountain grass, Tribulus Terrestris, palm trees, and salt cedar. The goal of weed management is not eradication but control. So, the fact that Mr. Dambrosi of the EPMT and I only found a single plant of Tribulus Terrestris meaning their weed control was going pretty smoothly. See, taking care of both natural and cultural resources is a critical function of resource management. These resources, whether they be buildings, artifacts, petroglyphs, plants, animals, or fossils help us tell stories and share meanings, creating increased opportunities for visitors to connect with their respective parks. 

A close up on the rogue Tribulus Terrestris

At first, I thought the weed was the bush, but no.

Assisting me with archeological resources was Ms. Peeples, a contractor of the Great Basin Institute, while Ranger Juliane taught me about her role studying Aquatic Invasive Species. In a way, they both try to get people to change their attitudes towards the environment since the public’s actions affect the inherent value of LAKE. Sadly, I can not really show any of the petroglyphs or other artifacts since ARPA protects the disclosures of cultural sites from those who are not qualified to handle/study the artifacts. At least I finally learned how to use a compass. In Nevada, you need at least fifteen artifacts to be considered a cultural site, when you have less it becomes a local resource. On a serious note, whenever there is damage to a cultural site LE lets resource management know of the extent of what damage is done. From there they determine the severity of the violation. After we conducted several condition assessments on petroglyphs, I ended the day by helping with the accessioning process by logging some key mineral stones into their collection. 

                   

My last day was with wildlife management. I got the opportunity to help check up on the various water feeder stations throughout the recreation area. These feeders exist so that the bighorn sheep do not interact with the public. They also do not like being in flat land since it makes them vulnerable to their predators, like mountain lions. Hunting and trapping are permitted in designated areas of LAKE and are regulated by the state game agencies. Rangers and NDOW enforce game regulations and whenever there is an animal-related crime they contact wildlife management to access the damage. Similarly, the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971 makes it a federal crime to harass or kill these "wild" animals, despite them both being invasive to LAKE. Still, it felt great to help out with resource management and give them a hand with their projects.

Endangered Relic Leopard Frog

Desert Big Horn sheep

Stay tuned for more ProRanger adventures as I talk about the program visit with the folks from out east!