So I have completed part 1 of my internship and can't wait to begin once more next quarter. I really have enjoyed working at the NRCS and am amazed at what I have learned. I have done 2 internships before this and while both were fun experiences, I left each of them learning more about how frustrating working on environmental projects can be instead of seeing the success. At NRCS, I see mostly success. I know a lot of that has to do with Rich. He goes above and beyond to try to help as many people as he can, even going to people's land that is far below the acreage we should be seeing. He understands that this can help in ways we would not be able to measure, depending on their land use and where they are in the watershed.
I have also learned so much. Not only am I learning how to apply the techniques I learned in my restoration ecology class, I am seeing the type of problems you face in the resource management field and learning how to solve them. I have been able to improve my GIS skills which I look forward to improving more next quarter. I also have learned to perform erodible land determinations, how to create conservation reports, and the people skills necessary when coming onto someones land as a guest and giving them advice againsts what they normally do. Most importantly, I've learned to have hope for my field once more. A lot of what you hear in environmental studies is the difficulty of never being able to do enough, or facing a lot of conflict when trying to create environmental projects. At NRCS, I see federal money being used on valuable projects and people interested in being better stewards of the land. I would love to be the person helping facilitate this growth and change in the future and I can't wait to start work next quarter.
Monday, March 14, 2011
3-9-11
I have never felt so frustrated by something only to feel complete and utter pride at the end than I did today. So each EQIP application not only needed the map I made yesterday under the tutelage of Angie showing the endangered species, they also need one showing the conservation practices that will be included in their plan. Rich gave me a folder with some general instructions and wished me the best of luck. I having really had to do my own GIS project, by myself, in over a year. I was fearful and doubtful in my abilities to make something correctly. The problem was that under normal circumstances, you make the GIS map first and it generates the conservation plan for you. Due to time constraints, Rich had already made the conservation plan and now needed the map. Which is where I came in.
So I had to work backwards in attempting to create this map. The pressure was on as I checked it out of the NATIONAL database, where if I screwed up, someone else could check it out and see the damage I had wreaked. I began comfortably enough, adding layers that needed to be included. Finding the property I was focusing on wasn't difficult after my refresher yesterday. However, once it was time for me to make layers, then it got interesting. I had to create lines, points and polygons for the various practices. Unfortunately, if you miss one step, you can do a lot of damage. I accidentally edited a layer rather than make a new one, which then meant I spent the next hour trying to undo what I had done. Once I finally got it back to normal (which led to a loud YES! and my fists being shot into the air) I started the real work. Once I got the hang of it, it wasn't too difficult to keep repeating. Once I finished, I looked doubtfully at the attribute table, found it didn't look too shady and told Rich I had finished. I had no doubt that if someone looked carefully at the data behind what I created it would not be correct, but the map looked pretty! Then I looked at the clock and realized I had taken the entire day working on one map. Rich was amazed I had figured it out and then tried to figure out if he could get me to come in extra so he wouldn't have to do the next five applications. At the rate I took, I didn't have 25 hours during finals week to make maps. It may have taken me forever and frustrated me to the point of tears, but I successfully made a GIS map! I was very proud of my creation and left for the day smiling.
So I had to work backwards in attempting to create this map. The pressure was on as I checked it out of the NATIONAL database, where if I screwed up, someone else could check it out and see the damage I had wreaked. I began comfortably enough, adding layers that needed to be included. Finding the property I was focusing on wasn't difficult after my refresher yesterday. However, once it was time for me to make layers, then it got interesting. I had to create lines, points and polygons for the various practices. Unfortunately, if you miss one step, you can do a lot of damage. I accidentally edited a layer rather than make a new one, which then meant I spent the next hour trying to undo what I had done. Once I finally got it back to normal (which led to a loud YES! and my fists being shot into the air) I started the real work. Once I got the hang of it, it wasn't too difficult to keep repeating. Once I finished, I looked doubtfully at the attribute table, found it didn't look too shady and told Rich I had finished. I had no doubt that if someone looked carefully at the data behind what I created it would not be correct, but the map looked pretty! Then I looked at the clock and realized I had taken the entire day working on one map. Rich was amazed I had figured it out and then tried to figure out if he could get me to come in extra so he wouldn't have to do the next five applications. At the rate I took, I didn't have 25 hours during finals week to make maps. It may have taken me forever and frustrated me to the point of tears, but I successfully made a GIS map! I was very proud of my creation and left for the day smiling.
Monday, March 7, 2011
3-7-11
I finally got to have some experience working with GIS today! I had originally planned to do a GIS intermediate seminar as my graduation requirement. I really liked seeing what the program was capable of doing and wanted to have a better understanding of GIS. Unfortunately, I needed something between intro and intermediate first. So the goal was to find an internship that had some GIS in it so that I could learn how to apply it. And today was finally the day!
We have to make GIS maps for all the accepted EQIP applicants showing their location in relevance to endangered or threatened species. This included finding the property through a query then creating a one mile buffer of the location. Then you clip the buffer with the list of threatened species and voila! you have your map. The fun/difficult part turned out to be trying to find different colors and patterns to assign to various species. We seem to have a lot of species with the same habitat meaning there would be 3 species all overlapped according to the map. It was fun to play with the program again and I hope to continue improving my skills.
We have to make GIS maps for all the accepted EQIP applicants showing their location in relevance to endangered or threatened species. This included finding the property through a query then creating a one mile buffer of the location. Then you clip the buffer with the list of threatened species and voila! you have your map. The fun/difficult part turned out to be trying to find different colors and patterns to assign to various species. We seem to have a lot of species with the same habitat meaning there would be 3 species all overlapped according to the map. It was fun to play with the program again and I hope to continue improving my skills.
3-3-11
Today was a great adventure...literally. I came to the office and we left to head into the Santa Cruz mountains. I thought it would be a 30 minute drive, but instead it was an hour long drive through the beautiful forests and then onto a ridge road filled with potholes, cliff edges, and mud that flew up higher than the car when we drove through. The truck was bouncing like crazy but the view was amazing. The property was on the edge of a hill looking out to the boardwalk, the lighthouse, all of west cliff, then east cliff, and all the way around from Watsonville to Monterey. I guess if you are going to face treachorous roads, it better be worth it. The client was super nice and was great to chat through as we trekked her long driveway.
The client was asking us to do a road walk. Her "driveway" was off the ridge road and led to a couple of different properties. The problem was that the road was unpaved and it had been raining so it was basically mud. The problem was "cut throughs" making ruts in the road because the side of the road were higher so the road was the lowest point. There was also runoff from the driveways onto the main driveway. They had been putting gravel down, but it wasn't really working. There was a good thing already in place; there was a culvert at the low point, but not exactly where the lowest part is. The danger of a culvert at the lowest point is that the water will weaken the pipes and the driving over it will eventually crush it.
Rich recommended that they pave the portions where the road is the lowest point, but the best recommendation was to try to reduce the way water traveled on the road through grading the road better. The other thing we looked at was the effect of the 2008 fire that was in the Santa Cruz mountains. You could see how much had grown back and what was taking slower to repopulate. Also, there was a lot of the same type of plant, mostly a pine that needed fire for the seed bank to fertilize.
We then drove a different way out and I got to see another part of Santa Cruz I had never seen before. It was very tropical looking and secluded. There were some beautiful properties that these people had owned for generations. We also got to drive past a few of the properties I had been working on for the EQIP applications. Overall, an incredible day spent in the field.
The client was asking us to do a road walk. Her "driveway" was off the ridge road and led to a couple of different properties. The problem was that the road was unpaved and it had been raining so it was basically mud. The problem was "cut throughs" making ruts in the road because the side of the road were higher so the road was the lowest point. There was also runoff from the driveways onto the main driveway. They had been putting gravel down, but it wasn't really working. There was a good thing already in place; there was a culvert at the low point, but not exactly where the lowest part is. The danger of a culvert at the lowest point is that the water will weaken the pipes and the driving over it will eventually crush it.
Rich recommended that they pave the portions where the road is the lowest point, but the best recommendation was to try to reduce the way water traveled on the road through grading the road better. The other thing we looked at was the effect of the 2008 fire that was in the Santa Cruz mountains. You could see how much had grown back and what was taking slower to repopulate. Also, there was a lot of the same type of plant, mostly a pine that needed fire for the seed bank to fertilize.
We then drove a different way out and I got to see another part of Santa Cruz I had never seen before. It was very tropical looking and secluded. There were some beautiful properties that these people had owned for generations. We also got to drive past a few of the properties I had been working on for the EQIP applications. Overall, an incredible day spent in the field.
3-1-11
Today I continued working on creating new applications for the people who didn't get funding. We switched everyone from EQIP to AWEP and sent out all of the paperwork. I spent a good portion of my time working on HEL determinations. These are High Erosion land determinations and I had attempted to work on them before and was defeated. This time, I had to do 3 fields for each application which there were 5 of them, and mail them out to the FSH and the clients and also make various copies for the office. I felt so proud that I actually figured out something I struggled with originally and this time I did it easily. Its great to know that I am learning things and able to apply them again!
2-28-11
Today was one of those busy days where when I look at what I accomplished, it doesn't really look like that much. Basically I completed the checklist for the Farm Bill folders. But what this entailed was printing out cultural descriptions, filling out missing parts of their application, and mailing out information that needs signatures. I also edited a recommendation for the property where there was the blowout of the sediment pond. While this may sound boring, it's a lot to get done in the short 3 hours I am at the office on Mondays. I think I can thrive in both locations, in the field and in the office. I know these people are relying on this grant money to make a change for the best on their land. It's so incredible that we are able to provide them with this money.
The other thing I did was help transfer the 7 people who didn't get funding to a different program that may have money available to fund some smaller projects. This isn't something you should normally do, and the deadline was one day past but Rich did it anyway. I think it was really great that he really just wants to help the people. He always says that its hard to measure how much good the NRCS has caused because he can only report the projects that go through a planning program. Rich has gone many times to help advise people and they didn't go through the planning process. Also, its hard to measure the effects down the watershed from anyone we help at the top of a watershed. Either way, I think the work the NRCS does is extremely valuable, no matter whether its reported to the head in DC or not.
The other thing I did was help transfer the 7 people who didn't get funding to a different program that may have money available to fund some smaller projects. This isn't something you should normally do, and the deadline was one day past but Rich did it anyway. I think it was really great that he really just wants to help the people. He always says that its hard to measure how much good the NRCS has caused because he can only report the projects that go through a planning program. Rich has gone many times to help advise people and they didn't go through the planning process. Also, its hard to measure the effects down the watershed from anyone we help at the top of a watershed. Either way, I think the work the NRCS does is extremely valuable, no matter whether its reported to the head in DC or not.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
2-23-11
Two field days in a row! I couldn't ask for more. Today we met up with someone from Fish and Wildlife, 2 people from the Salinas NRCS, and 2 people from the RCD. We drove out to Watsonville to see a farm area I remember making the soil map for. There is a program for funding to turn your field into a wetland and put it into an easement. The property we went to see was already mostly inundated, as it is for 9 months out of the year. The reason we were all out to look at the field was to find the best way to create the wetland. Did we want islands and ponds or a series of streams to create riparian zones? The most benefitial design would be to create the most habitat for the most amount of species. It was really interesting to apply what I had learned from my restoration ecology class. I have always enjoyed learning about wetlands because they are such a complicated feature and always in danger of being destroyed, so it was great to see someone deciding to turn farmland to a wetland again.
The next property we looked at was a series of multiple farms and property owners with a flooded field. The difference between this one and the previous land we looked at was that this was much larger and deeper. It appeared much more as a lake than a flooded field and it was also a lot deeper than the other field. There was also a stream running through it when it isn't flooded that had steelhead salmon, making it a possible habitat for salmon. Its also drained every year with pumps so it is possible to remove all the water. This is most likely not a property that can be in the wetlands program because it is too deep to create uplands habitat.
The next property we looked at was a series of multiple farms and property owners with a flooded field. The difference between this one and the previous land we looked at was that this was much larger and deeper. It appeared much more as a lake than a flooded field and it was also a lot deeper than the other field. There was also a stream running through it when it isn't flooded that had steelhead salmon, making it a possible habitat for salmon. Its also drained every year with pumps so it is possible to remove all the water. This is most likely not a property that can be in the wetlands program because it is too deep to create uplands habitat.
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