Seasonal employment is a fact of life for young people pursuing outdoor careers. I am no exception. I spent the summers of 2023 and 2025 living and working in Laramie and Lander, Wyoming, respectively. Those 9 months or so allowed me to learn a great deal about Wyoming’s many ecosystems, travel to its high mountains and low valleys, and explore the many states that border it. Seasonal environmental work is emotionally and physically exhausting. Building community from scratch in a new town, learning to love a new environment, and working immensely hard to better that ecosystem, only to start over in a completely new place after a few months, is incredibly difficult. Despite this, I wouldn’t trade my experiences as a seasonal employee for anything. I only hope to help you better understand my mindset while taking these photos. Photos created while not entirely a tourist or a resident, but a summer seasonal.

Kelby Anderson