In my previous blog post, I mentioned how I thought my role here as a Resource Assistant was going to be mostly doing maintenance and Rech Tech work but things completely changed a few days after. I spoke to my supervisor about my goals and as a result we found more projects that I could be involved with. I am now managing our nursery here at our office, as during COVID it unfortunately was left to the squirrels. I love plants and have a lot of plants at home so this was the perfect project for me. Being in charge of the trees and plants that will be planted and seeing my direct impact on sustaining our forest’s biodiversity is humbling. I have started by creating an inventory of the plants we currently have, and creating a guide with all the necessary information on basic care and information on the species. I am also working on planting some vegetables and fruits to create a small employee garden where everyone can participate. I am very excited for this project and all that I will add to it.

Furthermore, I was also tasked with creating our department’s "safety gram" this month, which is sent to everyone in our district. I was a bit nervous at first but slowly as my document came together I was very proud of the end result. My safety gram was on the algae bloom that is currently plaguing our lake and the adverse health effects it has on those who come in contact with it. My supervisor gave me a lot of creative freedom to get the message across in whatever form I felt was the most appropriate. As a result, I created a one-page safety bulletin with a lot of graphics and creative elements. All in all, I feel like I am learning a lot as well as aiding in making sure our department's goals are being met which is very important to me.

Agency: U.S Forest Service

Program: Resource Assistant Program (RAP)

Location: Sequoia National Forest