Winter has really flown by, and it finally feels like spring again! I’m definitely enjoying the warm weather and the flowering plants and trees. And I’m sure I’ll be loving it right up until it becomes 100 F degrees every day until October and seasonal allergies start kick my butt. Then I’ll regret not moving to the Arctic Circle ha-ha!

It feels like the whole town is waking up as spring ramps up. The local Farmer’s Market has started up again and I enjoy getting fresh local produce and food and exploring the goods of local artisans. It’s nice to be able to easily support local businesses. I’m also looking forward to walking along the Rio Grande River and expanding my birdwatching skills. I spotted a Lesser Goldfinch on my previous walk and I’m hoping to spot even more spring arrivals soon.

In term of work, my coworkers and I got to visit a local high school’s career fair in Albuquerque and represent the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It’s been so long since I stepped into a high school, and I have never presented any of my work to kids before, but it was a really interesting experience! I really enjoyed talking to the students about the career opportunities in the USFWS and my college and early career journey. I know that I didn’t really get the chance to learn about the minutia of different programs and jobs within the USFWS and other federal land management agencies until college and getting this fellowship. And at their age, I know that the concept of job-hunting, figuring out if you want to go to college and what to major in feels very confusing and an insurmountable task, especially if you don’t often see yourself represented in these fields. So, I’m glad I got the chance to talk about my work as Civilian Climate Fellows and the different methods of conservation the agency performs and hopefully spark someone’s interest in working towards a career in conservation.