It was full of new experiences, new skills, and new memories that continue to shape my appreciation for this opportunity. One of the most exhilarating experiences was learning to drive the bobcat, an equipment essential for an ongoing project to form piles of dead twigs and logs to burn, which will restore grass in the area. Learning to drive the bobcat not only expanded my skill set but also gave me a deeper appreciation for the hands-on work that goes into maintaining and preserving the land. It was a truly unique experience that I could never imagine doing, and yet here I am, doing better than my mentor at operating this powerful machine!
In addition to hands-on machinery experience, I took a significant step in my professional development by preparing for the applicator pesticide exam. This certification is crucial for safe and effective pest management in forests, and I was lucky enough to get a chance to apply for the certification, along with the range management team in my office. I gained a lot of forest ecology and pest control understandings through my studies for this certification and this certification will be highly invaluable in my future, enabling me to contribute to sustainable and healthy practices for the forest ecosystem. Fingers crossed I passed!
Working on the burn plan project maps using ArcGIS Pro was another highlight of my RAship. After months of taking online GIS training, it was my time to shine. This project involved creating detailed shape files of each burn plan area for the next three years. It was a project of trial and error, learning new features I hadn't known before and utilizing what I had already learned. The opportunity to use GIS for a project and present it to my mentor to show how much I learned in a short period, was highly memorable. Additionally, I found myself producing a project of my own. As fuel technicians, my coworker and I collect fuel samples from the forest which includes the leaves of live Juniper, Manzanita, and Oak trees. These samples are then cooked in an oven to determine their fuel moisture content, and this data is uploaded monthly to determine any changes in moisture that could impact the fire behavior. As my coworker was presenting the data to the fire team, I realized it was not as easy for them to understand what all these numbers meant since they were not the ones collecting and calculating the data. I brought it upon myself to make multiple line graphs, presenting all the data we've collected because it would be easier to understand with a visual representation. When I showed my mentor my graphs, he was incredibly impressed and confident that this would be very helpful and should be done moving forward with future data. I never felt prouder of myself and felt grateful for this position to allow me such flexibility to use my strengths and apply them to the work we do to protect and maintain the forest ecosystem. These past three months have not only honed my technical skills but also solidified my commitment to a career in the U.S. Forest Service and conserving the environment.