Tag Archives: california

New Job!!

Welcome to the BLM Bakersfield!
Welcome to the BLM Bakersfield Field Office!

New city, new job:
Bakersfield Biologist
Excited to start!

I am thrilled to share the news that I have accepted a full-time, permanent position as a Wildlife Biologist for the Bureau of Land Management Bakersfield Field Office in Bakersfield, California. This is a terrific opportunity, and I am excited to begin on May 18.

If I had any doubt (and I don’t), there was a giant sign that told me I was going in the right direction: the BLM Bakersfield office is literally on the corner of Pegasus and Unicorn!!!

The BLM Bakersfield office is literally on the corner of Pegasus and Unicorn!!!
Too good to be true – but it is!

Over the weekend, I went on an apartment search with my wonderful mom who flew out to help. She also served as the “Newest Resident of Bakersfield” photographer, enjoy:

The sign on the Wikipedia page – welcome to Bakersfield!
Bakersfield Trader Joes!
Bakersfield Trader Joe’s!

I think great adventure and learning lay ahead! Thank you to everyone who has helped me to get this far. I look forward to this being only another beginning!

Fritillaria gentneri

F. recurva

Red and gold blossoms,
a curvy doppelgänger
of scarce gentneri.

How grateful I am that looking for flowers can honestly be counted as a day of “work”!

On Wednesday, April 1, my mentor and I traveled north in search of the only known population of endangered Fritillaria gentneri (Gentner’s fritillary) occurring on public lands in California. F. gentneri has a doppelgänger: F. recurva (scarlet fritillary), which is the species in the photographs with this post. F. recurva co-occurs with F. gentneri and is distinguished from the endangered species by its recurved flower petals. Both are strikingly beautiful.

Spring time in the mountains
Spring time in the mountains

Next week, the state and federal botanists will have their fun identifying the flowers that were preparing to bloom. I hope they find an abundance of F. gentneri.

We had the place to ourselves!
We had the place to ourselves!

Northern California, “Oh, it’s beautiful!”

Looking down from a ridge toward Paynes Creek.
Looking down from a ridge toward Paynes Creek. 14.11.24

Natural beauty
of Northern California –
the place I call “home.”

This post is really about the pictures. Before I moved, my east coast friends would ask me where I was going, and I would tell them Redding, California. They replied with a blank look. Then I would say “it’s in Northern California,” and the immediate response was: “Oh, it’s beautiful!” They spoke the truth.

I have included the dates because this is also a celebration of California weather.

First week on the job!
First week on the job! 14.9.11
Sunrise from my apartment
Sunrise from my apartment 14.10.24
Eucalyptus flower at the Sacramento Bend River Outstanding Natural Area (aka "the Bend") 14.11.17
Eucalyptus flower at the Sacramento Bend River Outstanding Natural Area (aka “the Bend”) 14.11.17
Mt. Shasta from Castle Crags
Mt. Shasta from Castle Crags 14.11.11
Castle Crags
Castle Crags 14.11.11
Looking west from the Chappie-Shasta OHV area toward the Trinity Alps
Looking west from the Chappie-Shasta OHV area toward the Trinity Alps
Coyote Pond in the Sacramento Bend River Outstanding Natural Area
Coyote Pond at the Bend 15.1.6
Snowy Lassen Volcanic National Park - from my first adventure snowshoeing
Snowy Lassen Volcanic National Park – from my first adventure snowshoeing 15.1.10
Oak savanna at the Bend, never gets old 14.2.10
Oak savanna at the Bend, never gets old 14.2.10
Oak 15.1.22
Oak 15.1.22
Sacramento River and Redding 15.2.11
Sacramento River and Redding 15.2.11
Valley view  15.2.19
Valley view 15.2.19
I live here! 15.2.19
I live here! (If you look closely, you can see Mt. Shasta in the upper third of the photo) 15.2.19