Joshua Tree National Park

From April 7th to April 15th I was away on a paleoecological field study. Me and a group of lucky students were given this wonderful opportunity. I was working side by side with the top dog within the USGS, United States Geological Survey. We were digging and collecting packrat middens that date back to about 40,000 years. Within these middens lie perfectly preserved vegetation, insect parts and bones. These natural time capsules help us reconstruct past vegetation and with that...climate! It was an absolutely fascinating and rewarding experience that I not only learned from, but was paid to do! Eight days without a shower never hurt anyone...;)
Whenever I got a chance I'd break out my camera but... not many photos for how much time I spent out there. It was the first time photography came secondary for me.