Almost the End

In the blink of an eye, my summer has disappeared. Iowa will remain my home for the next 10 days before I fill up my little Toyota with all of my belongings and journey back to Wisconsin. The experience that I have gained has been truly unforgettable, but I will be glad to be home with my family for a short time before my junior year of college is underway.

Here is what I have been up to recently:

Momma and me ~ PC: Jim Horne

Family selfie ~ PC: Nikki Horne

Papa Bear~ PC: Katie Horne

The last weekend in July I was blessed with a visit from my parents. Two and a half days was not nearly enough time! The three of us stayed in a nice hotel in West Des Moines (which is undoubtedly nicer than most of East Des Moines). My mom’s only request was that the hotel has a comfy bed and she was not disappointed!

Cozy momma~ PC: Nikki Horne

Both the king size bed and the pullout couch where I slept were quite cozy. We spent the first evening eating Chinese food in the comfort of our air conditioned room. On Sunday morning we started out our day

REI ~ PC: Jim Horne

exploring the REI store. My mom was in search of a backpack to take out west for a second year of elk hunting in the fall. Our mission was successful! Along with the backpack, we found many other important items that we needed to buy…   Following our adventures in REI, mom and dad got the grand tour of the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge.

 

Unfortunately, the bison and elk were not cooperative during their visit to my work. We had trouble finding the herd of bison but eventually managed to find them before we left the refuge! Sadly though, they weren’t as close as I am used to seeing them. After a few hours exploring the roads, trails, and visitor center, we decided to call it a day at the refuge.

Family Selfie

Visitor Center Fun ~ PC: Nikki Horne

Root Systems ~ PC: Nikki Horne

Bison ~ PC: Nikki Horne

PLC ~ PC: Nikki Horne

When we returned back to the hotel, we walked across the parking lot and had a nice dinner at the Applebee’s restaurant to end the first full day in Iowa with all three of us together. On Monday, our adventure took us to the Blank Park Zoo. Every time I go to the zoo, I feel like I am 5 years old again… and I even got to ride a camel! My favorite animal to watch was the red panda.

Lion Family ~ PC: Nikki Horn

Red Panda ~ PC: Nikki Horne

 

Riding Camel ~ PC: Nikki Horne

Penguin ~ PC: Nikki Horne

Mom and me ~ PC: Jim Horne

After the zoo, we ventured to a handful of local and state parks and walked the trails, followed by a visit to one of our favorite places: Bass Pro Shops. I think we spent a few hours there… what fun! Attached to the store, is a restaurant. We settled down in the

Famous snacks ~ PC: Nikki Horne

restaurant after our shopping spree, and munched on alligator, onion rings, and soft pretzels. They even had a bar and bowling alley located right there! Our time together came to a close, too quickly that is. We spent one last night in the hotel and I woke up a little earlier than normal on Tuesday morning to commute to work a little farther than my apartment.

On that particular Tuesday, I spent my morning in the office and my afternoon with the biology crew. My parents stopped by the refuge to meet my supervisor, Nancy, before they left for home. I have my real family, and then I have my work family. I am blessed that both families are supportive and encouraging while I advance in my career and personal life. After we parted ways, the afternoon arrived and the biology crew was trying something new with vegetation surveys. I didn’t feel like too much help, only because I didn’t know a lot of the plants that they were identifying on this particular prairie. I am pretty good with the flowering plants, but the grasses not so much. However, I was helpful carrying equipment out to the field and attracting small bees. Other than the bees, the mild summer day and breeze made for a wonderful afternoon.

On Thursday, July 27^th I started off my day a little tired and gloomy, but I quickly perked up! I walked into one of the rooms and all I hear from Holly is, “OH MY GOSH. IT’S EMERGING!” What she was talking about was one of the monarch chrysalises we had been watching. The biology crew collected monarch

Emerging ~ PC: Nikki Horne

eggs and were raising them to release as adults. It’s not easy to be there at the exact time they emerge because the whole process of emerging only takes about a minute or two. How lucky was I!? It was an amazing experience to watch such a beautiful creature come into the world for the first time as a butterfly. And by the end of the day, it was set free on the prairie!

 

I spent all of Friday getting ready for an archery program that I was assisting with on Saturday, waxing bow strings, gathering quivers and arrows, hauling targets, stringing recurve bows, and examining equipment… not to mention searching the closet for all of this! The Saturday program went well when it finally came. It was a free archery program open to the public. Although we had a small group, I was happy to see a variety of ages and help each person grow more confident in their ability. I could see how much the students were learning and I was so happy to be a part of their experience.

Archery ~ PC: Nikki Horne

Range ~ PC: Nikki Horne

On Saturday after the archery program I left work a bit early and drove 4 hours to my family’s cabin in Crawford County, where I met my other

Crawford Cty ~ PC: Nikki Horne

half for a weekend getaway. Tom and I spent the evening at a cookout with the neighbors, eating shrimp and exchanging fishing stories. The next day and half we walked around the property, found a few goodies at Cabela’s, shared ice cream at Culver’s, checked out the Mississippi River, and explored the little town of Lansing, Iowa. Our

Cabela’s ~ PC: Nikki Horne

lazy weekend was much needed after 3 weeks of being apart.

Both Halves ~ PC: Nikki Horne

 

Lansing ~ PC: Nikki Horne

Bridge ~ PC: Nikki Horne

After a wonderful weekend in Wisconsin, I returned back to work to attend a field trip. We left right away in the morning on Tuesday, August 1^st and drove two hours to the Macbride Nature Recreation Area located in Solon, Iowa. Our entire day was spent hiking and learning about restoration! This particular nature area has a waterfall running into the Iowa River, a raptor education program, hiking trails, camping and educational day camps. So basically, I got paid to hike and learn cool new things.

Macbride ~ PC: Nikki Horne

Falls ~ PC: Nikki Horne

Saturday, August 5^th was the refuges busiest day of the year. It was our annual Bison Day! I had the honor of being the coordinator the day of the event, instead of simply being a volunteer or a vendor. This was my first time having

Tongue-tied ~ PC: Nikki Horne

a position like this for an event with over a thousand people. All of the staff had been preparing for this event for months!  After a busy Friday setting up and making final changes, our annual Saturday event was a success. I ran around all day troubleshooting problems, supervising volunteers, giving instructions, and answering questions. The day went fast and the refuge was busy with a steady stream of families. I am thankful for this opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and try something new. I loved it!

In addition, I also had the honor of finally seeing Neal Smith, the former congressman who acquired the land for the refuge and got the

Neal Smith PC: Nikki Horne

whole refuge started. I didn’t have time to introduce myself, but the smile on his face seeing so much of the community attending this event was enough for me.

Last but not least, yesterday morning was spent on a little road trip with the refuges private lands biologist, Doug. The visitor services crew got to tag along with him when he checked up on a prairie that had been planted two years prior. I enjoy seeing the changes in the prairie and comparing how each prairie grows differently.

Other than that, I spend time exploring the trails, organizing supplies, helping volunteers, and preparing for upcoming programs. I am most looking forward to assisting with mist netting bats coming up in a few days at the refuge. I will be giving a brief introduction to the visitors about bats and then helping the biologist. I am also working on a presentation for the Botanical Gardens in Des Moines for a day camp where I will present on prairie habitat.

Every day is different at the refuge. For that, I am thankful. It is bittersweet as my summer comes to an end. I couldn’t imagine my summer being any different. Thank you for reading my blog and keeping updated on my summer adventures. I am blessed in many ways!

Too-duh-loo! PC: Nikki Horne

Over and out

– Nikki

 

Time Flies… and it’s still HOT

Whew! I can’t tell you how many times I have sat down to write this. I feel like I blinked and the weeks have disappeared. Needless to say, time flies when you’re having fun.

Mid – JUNE

I cannot believe that we are nearing the end of July already. I still learn new things every single day at the refuge. Way back in mid-June I was fortunate to attend a Prairie Walk with two experienced volunteers. A handful of people from

Light Purple Cone Flower/ N. Horne

the community showed up to attend the scheduled event and learn about the current blooming flowers and growing plants. Each week, entirely new flowers make their appearances and once a month the volunteers

By Nikki Horne

set aside time to teach the public. Some of the volunteers have been here longer than the employees and I have learned that they are a great resource!

 

My boyfriend, Tom, came to visit me a couple weeks before the fourth of July. It was a quick visit, but we had a lot of fun. We explored and hiked around Ledges State Park, a prime example that not ALL of Iowa is flat. In our down time it was nice to catch up and just be present. It is hard to be away from family and loved ones. I have struggled more this summer than I thought I would, which is why I enjoy being at work and keeping busy. But looking on the bright side, “how lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” This summer has given me a chance to grow through my own challenges.

Once a month the refuge has a table at the Farmer’s Market in downtown Des Moines, specifically focusing on outreach for the refuge and education of pollinators. I helped out at the one in June! I can now say that I have been to the famous Des Moines farmers market. They have the market every Saturday from 8-11 am, but we make an appearance once a month.  It was nonstop action all morning long and it turned into a constant flow of people. Giving away pollinator plants is a big hit, whether its common mountain mint or one of the many types of milkweeds! People really want to do their part for pollinators and get excited to take home their own plants. Whether it’s simply working with volunteers and co-workers, people watching in down town, or talking to the community members, there is never a dull moment at the busy market!

Following a full week of work, I packed my bags and was back at the refuge the next morning! I and two of my co-workers, Patrick and Holly, jumped into a government vehicle and traveled to Fergus Falls, Minnesota for a workshop focused on Teaching in the Outdoor Classroom, the last week in June. The week was filled with new opportunities and chances to learn. We spent the first day, Monday, going over different approaches to teaching children outside of the classroom and encouraging them to be curious. The second day the kids arrived! I was blessed with a group of five 10 year old girls to mentor during the biology day camp. Something unique about the Prairie Wetland Learning Center, located on a wetland management district, is that is serves as a classroom for local students… literally.

Aquatic Invertebrates session/ Nikki Horne

There is built in classrooms on the visitor center that fourth grade students attend for half the day, every single day of the year when they aren’t at their school. These children have hundreds of acres to explore and learn outside of the classroom. I was surprised that my girls knew many things that I did not, simply

By N. Horne

from their daily classes that are located outside. I am proud to say that we learned from each other. It was fun-filled week where I was able to attend a workshop and learn while working directly with my own students.

 

As a Visitor Services intern I have been given so many opportunities in different fields, whether that be biology or education. I feel lucky to be able to travel to other locations and compare the differences between refuges and wetland management districts in the federal government… and the weather in different locations. When we returned home from the Minnesota workshop, my eyes were opened to the quickly changing weather that Iowa has. At one point about 60 miles from Des Moines I had to pull over the car and wait for 15 minutes before I could see the road again because out of nowhere thunder, lightning, strong winds and pouring rain blinded every driver on the road.

We arrived back at the refuge after 10pm. One of the most magnificent things I have ever seen was that night. The fireflies lit up the prairie like sparklers in the night. I couldn’t help but pull over my car, turn off all lights, and just watch. Listening to the sounds of nature and watching the fireflies dance across the prairie was both relaxing and inspiring. I felt like I could have sat their all night long. It was one of those moments that I didn’t want to ever end.

JULY

On the Lake/ Judi Boisvert

The following morning, I hit the road to Wisconsin to spend the Fourth of July with loved ones. Spending time back in Wisconsin just re-enforced my love of 70 degree weather. I spent time kayaking the Tomahawk and Manitowish rivers,

Kayaking/ T. Boisvert

watching fireworks from Lake Minocqua, and catching up with the special people in my life. Iowa temperatures have been sitting in the mid to upper 90’s, so a change of temperature and scenery was appreciated!

 

When I returned back to Iowa, the heat of my first day back was brutal. I worked at the Valley Junction Farmer’s market in the afternoon and darn near got heat exhaustion in the upper 90’s with the humidity, despite constantly drinking water and staying in the shade. I do my best to stay positive and chipper, but I will honestly say that the heat put a damper on my mood that day. Good ol’ Iowa!

PC Wesley Gant

 

That Saturday (July 8^th), I helped Holly with a stewardship

Plant Harvest/ N. Horne

program. A volunteer group with an environmental science class from a local community college helped us with the volunteer project. We supervised them on the prairie collecting seeds to be dried, harvested, and later planted. We focused on the plant purple spiderwort. After they flowered and before the seeds fell we collected the clumps of seed heads from the top of each plant,

Prep for drying/ N. Horne

filling many buckets. Holly and I later took them into the seed lab and put them in the drying rack. I look forward to learning the rest of the process.

 

I helped the biology technicians cut Queen Anne’s lace from a plot of the prairie one afternoon. This plot will later be harvested for seeds to maintain and restore other prairie, but they don’t want to harvest the seeds from this plant so we cut the ones that were flowering before they were able to go to seed. It was only in the mid 80’s this day and partly sunny, so the afternoon in the field wasn’t too dreadful.

In my office time, I have been busy opening, closing, and maintaining the visitor center. I have to walk the trails on a weekly basis to ensure that they are up to expectations for the public. One project I am currently working on is finding a local sign

Signs/ N. Horne

company to replace some of our old wooden trail signs with new metal ones that are more durable! There certainly is a lot of paperwork and rules to follow, more than I would expect. So it has taken me a lot of steps to accomplish tasks with so many people and regulations to go through.

 

I gave a program on July 14^th to a class of middle-schoolers

City Hall/ N. Horne

at the Prairie City Police Academy. They spend two weekends learning about law enforcement jobs. I was able to kick off their first weekend with a presentation on the Wildlife of Iowa. The kids really enjoy the hands on stuff, like touching the pelts, skulls, and bones.

 

I spent most of that Saturday (July 15^th) working the front desk of the visitor center. I have never been so entertained by children! There must have been something in the air, but it gave me a good laugh. At the refuge we also sell senior passes, which is a lifetime pass for ages 62 and up that allows free entry into national parks and waives fees for them at a variety of locations throughout America. At the end of August, the lifetime passes will be raised from $10 to $80, so we have been selling approximately 40-50 passes each day now that the word has gotten out.

This past week has been one of my favorites. I was in Bloomington, Minnesota for a mid-summer intern workshop. I gave a presentation on my internship and got to hear about other interns experiences in the Midwest region. In addition, we toured both locations of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, had a federal resume workshop, and heard from current U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service employees. I want to do everything with the Fish & Wildlife Service, including participate in fire management, maintenance, visitor services, biology, reality, threatened and endangered species, contaminants, fisheries, law enforcement, geographic information systems (GIS), and private lands. The list goes on and on! I have truly found my niche and I cannot wait to someday become a permanent employee. I won’t stop until I make this dream a reality. And with all of different interests and my drive for a variety of different experiences, perhaps I am on the road to a career in management?

Sorry for the lengthy post! Stay cool out their folks.

A Sense of Wonder

Work just doesn’t feel like work. It’s funny, I look forward to the beginning of the work week more than the weekends. How could I ask for anything better? I have already been at Neal Smith for 3 weeks and am still in awe of the beauty that the refuge holds. I wasn’t so sure about going to “corn country”, but it is not at all what I expected. This is a good example that you cannot judge something until you have experienced it for yourself.

Each morning I drive through the bison range on the way in

Welcome to the Refuge by Nicole Horne

to work. Sometimes I see the herds of bison and sometimes they are hiding over the hillsides out of sight. However, there hasn’t been a day that I have not seen an abundance of other wildlife. Pheasants welcome me to the refuge every morning, the males are still trying to stand their ground along the gravel road before they retreat into the tallgrass prairie. Their colors are magnificent! On other parts of the road I usually see two or three pheasant hens with babies. I am lucky that no one is with me in the car because I stop every short distance and get overly excited about the cuteness of nature’s new baby animals. Baby bunnies jump and run all over the road, too.

Misty morning by Nicole Horne

If I am lucky, I will see white-tailed deer and elk grazing in the grass. I could go on forever about all of the different song birds and wildlife that live in the prairie!

 

Last weekend I explored Raccoon River park and beach during a very humid day, so that I was able to cool off in the water when the sun got too hot. People tease me about the lack of water bodies here in Iowa, but if you search hard enough you will realize that they are around! The beach was very nice to relax on and I enjoyed watching kids play in the water and bikers speed by on the trails.

The past week has been busy at work as we were preparing for a teacher workshop that was held on the refuge. I spent lots of time setting up the room and preparing the needed materials for the two busy days of the workshop. I am so fortunate to be able to sit in on and participate in the workshops and educational opportunities that we

Teacher Workshop by Nicole Horne

have here. Environmental educators came from all different places to learn new ways to educate their students by getting them out of the classroom and into nature. It was such a good reminder

Environmental educators by Nicole Horne

that we are truly role models for the kids and they pick up on more than we realize. I took away a lot from this workshop that will definitely help me inspire kids to be creative and notice things in nature that they might not otherwise take the time to.

 

I took a break from the teacher workshop at one point and helped set out mineral blocks for the bison. In the wild, bison have more space to roam and find their food sources but on the refuge they only have about 800 acres to support their needs.

Up close and personal by Nicole Horne

Therefore, occasionally we set out mineral blocks to help meet some of their needs, as they are not able to get certain minerals because the refuge does not offer rock outcroppings and other natural sources for them within their enclosure. We definitely got up close and person with these big beasts! The refuge makes an effort to treat the bison as wild as possible, but sometimes they need human intervention.

 

No day is the same for me, which I love. I never know what to expect! I love how the mission of the Fish & Wildlife Service is focused so much on the plants, wildlife, habitat, and land, in opposition to recreation. It is important to offer opportunities for the public to take advantage of, but it is even more important to open their eyes to what is happening with the environment and why preserving it is so important.

Being away from home is hard. I can’t deny that. My family is THE most important thing in my life and it is difficult to miss out on events in their lives. Sometimes I get lonely, but then I remind myself that it is temporary. I am doing this to better my education, career, and future. Sacrifices are hard, but it will all be worth it in the end! Plus, I have the best job ever. I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to gain hands on skills, work with amazing people, and be in a new place.

Settling in Nicely

I am not going to lie to you, Iowa is growing on me each and every day. At first, I wasn’t so sure about all this open space and the lack of trees. However, as I become more familiar with the roads and where things are located, I begin to feel more

Bison on the Prairie by Nicole Horne

comfortable and find new places. Not only are most people very friendly, but there are many recreational and entertainment opportunities to keep my busy on my time off!I spent my first weekend riding my bike 20 miles on a chain of trails through the outskirts of Des Moines, traveling along creeks and through beautiful parks. I now know what people are talking about when they mention how amazing and

Bike Trails  by Nicole Horne

accessible the bike trails are! After my bike trail adventure, I spent the afternoon relaxing at the Clive Aquatic Center where I could swim and enjoy the sunshine. My favorite part was watching the kids jump off the diving board! Boy, how I miss being that little and care-free…

 

At work, I continuously help with school groups that come to Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge (NSNWR). I finally have the routine down for opening and closing the Prairie Learning Center and I am starting to figure out when and where things are located. In addition to my regular work tasks, I am taking an online class called Foundations of Interpretation which allows me to attend online lectures two times per week. I am enjoying this wonderful learning experience and I think that it will definitely help me as I progress in my career.

Coming up soon at the refuge is a teacher workshop. My co-worker, Holly, and I have been busy preparing binders with all the needed information for the attendees! I never realized how timely printing and copying papers is… but I am looking forward to the workshop, as it specifically focuses on environmental education.

I hardly feel like I am working! It seems that everything I

Farmers Market by Wesley Gant 

take part in is enjoyable or challenging in a positive way. Yesterday, I felt extremely lucky to go to work later than usual and practice my outreach at the Valley Junction farmers market. Not only was there live music, beautiful weather, and good food, but there was families and shops all around. I enjoyed the family-friendly environment. I never thought that giving away pollinator plants (plants that attract pollinators) could be so enjoyable, while interacting with people who really care about what we are doing.

 

My week has flown by! This morning I tagged along with the People for Pollinators coordinator, Patrick, and Holly as we helped plant a

Using a dibble tool for planting courtesy of Nicole Horne

pollinator garden for a local homeowners association. I am so happy to be a part of these positive changes in the community, while helping the locals understand why we are doing what we are doing.

 

I couldn’t ask for a better job. My supervisor is absolutely amazing! I feel right at home here. I am blown away by how welcoming and willing to help all the employees are. I feel so blessed to work in such a beautiful area, close to so many other opportunities. I have no doubt that this summer is going to fly by. Time flies when you are having fun, right??

 

 

 

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Why is Iowa so humid? Oh look, a bison!

As of today, I have officially lived in Iowa for five whole days… little did I know that the weather is quite different than it is in good ol’ Wisconsin. Goodbye sunny and 75, hello 90 and humid! My apartment in Des Moines is very nice, and I am fortunate to share it with three other interns who work in the Des Moines area. Today, I have completed four days as a Visitor Services intern at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge (NSNWR), located in Prairie City, Iowa. My second summer with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is going to be a good one! Here is an update of my first week:

Day 1: On my morning commute through the refuge to the Prairie Learning Center, I was welcomed by some large brown beasts. My new

Bison photo by Nikki Horne

friends enjoyed standing in the middle of the road for an extended period of time before deciding to meander back into the prairie. My first day at the refuge consisted of familiarizing myself with the visitor center, completing the defensive driving course, touring the refuge by vehicle, learning the common wildflowers, and reading up on the history of Neal Smith NWR. The staff and volunteers have all been very welcoming, but now I face the challenge of remembering everyone’s name!

Oak Savanna Trail views by Nikki Horne

Day 2: I was able to start the day with FISSA training, which is required to be completed before I am able to use the computers. After a few hours of technology fun, I was able to help prepare for future programs and workshops around the visitor center.

Prairie views by Nikki Horne

My afternoon was spent hiking the four trails on the refuge, my favorite being the Oak Savanna trail.

Day 3: I did not have to report to the Prairie Learning center

Erosion model by Nikki Horne

on this day, but rather to Des Moines. I first stopped in downtown to pick up my DOI access card and proceeded to the Living History Farms for a day of education and

USFWS staff helping kids plant the pollinator garden by Nikki Horne

outreach. My day was spent with my co-workers, Holly and Patrick, as we promoted Neal Smith NWR and educated the public on the importance of prairie strips to stop erosion. I love my job because I learn so much every single day! Plus, I got to help kids plant the pollinator garden and handed out free prairie plants, such as common mountain mint.

Day 4: On this beautiful Saturday, I assisted with my first “Nature Tots” program. Families brought their young children and grandchildren to the refuge for a presentation by a children’s book author. There is never a dull moment when kids are involved! We made paper frogs, jumped like frogs, listened to a wonderful book, and learned about the lifecycle of the frog. I am looking forward to many more entertaining Saturday programs!

As of right now, I am still settling in and trying to figure out my routine for the next three months. So far, Iowa is treating me well. But let me tell you about this dang humidity…