Since September 2023, the Great Basin Institute has been working in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide biological technician support to the Southeast Idaho National Wildlife Refuge Complex. This includes a variety of work done in the Minidoka, Bear Lake, and Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuges. And our focus here is on Camas NWR, where AmeriCorps members, Hailey McNeely and Jaden Inda have been working alongside the USFWS to conduct extensive pollinator surveys, implement habitat restoration projects, and support various water-related research studies.
Their recent work has focused on invasive plant monitoring, water bird and pollinator surveys, and the collection of native plant cuttings. The primary invasive plant targets were Hoary Cress (Lepidium draba), White Bryony (Bryonia alba), and Russian Knapweed (Leuzea repens), though a number of others were identified in their process of surveying more than 188 50×50 meter grids. Weekly water bird surveys were conducted to monitor populations across the 11,000 acres of the refuge. Assessments of pollinators, particularly the Pacific North West bumblebee, involved the team surveying a total of sixty 50×50 meter plots. Cuttings, taken from Black Cottonwoods (Populus trichocarpa), Golden currant (Ribes aureum), Woods Rose (Rosa woodsii), Box Elder (Acer negundo), and Elderberry (Sambucus cerulea), will be used to help propagate the species. Over 300 such cuttings were taken, and the refuge staff also planted a wide variety of other native plants, including Sandberg’s Bluegrass (Poa secunda), Alkali Sacaton (Sporobolus airoides), Choke Cherry (Prunus virginiana), Silver Buffaloberry (Shepherdia argentea), and Antelope Bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata).
As an additional bonus, Hailey and Jaden got a chance to participate in valuable training, learning not only about the species and ecosystems in which they worked, but also about off-road vehicle operation and wilderness first aid and CPR. They describe their time in Camas as “a unique experience that allows the development of required skills in many natural resource field work careers. We are able to participate in many activities which gives us the chance to refine what we are looking for in future career paths.”
Jaden and Hailey also kindly credit the Institute for contributing to the positive experience: “GBI is full of staff that is supportive. They often provide an unbiased source to reach out to when you are needing guidance. They genuinely care about the seasonals in their programs and want what is best for them. This program offers more flexibility than what would commonly be found in other careers. You are able to spend the summer learning so much about yourself and your passions. GBI and other similar AmeriCorps programs make a great first stepping stone in the natural resource field. This is the first summer Jaden has participated in an AmeriCorps program. She has learned so much from being in the field. This is my second summer working with an AmeriCorps program. Personally, I have grown to be a better critical thinker and more self-driven individual because of the work I have done with my AmeriCorps programs and partner federal organizations. Being hands-on and out in the field is the best way to test if this is a career that you wish to pursue.”
