An Outdoorsman's Journal

An Outdoorwoman’s Journal

Hello all,

               Selina here! This time, I’m reporting to you from Calgary, Alberta, Canada! As many of you may know, I recently moved here with the help of my dad, and in September I began my graduate studies in Ecology.

               On the move again! It seems I can’t stay in one place for too long, at least not at this point in my life. Today I’m going to update you on the past few months of my life, and how I made it north of the border!

               Following my trip to New Zealand I spent a few months working seasonally at a greenhouse in Missoula, MT from February-May. This was the first non-conservation job I’ve had in a long time, and it was fun to take a step back and try something entirely new. Additionally, having a less serious job allowed me to maximize my time with my friends in Missoula, we all knew move-out dates were quickly approaching and wanted to relish in the limited amount of time we still had together.

               In May I returned to my seasonal job with Idaho Fish and Game where I was a part of the snorkel crew out of Salmon, Idaho. You may recall I did this last summer as well and my Dad came out and volunteered alongside us. You may also recall I had some crazy health issues pop up, thankfully none of that returned to show its ugly head this summer, and I was able to complete the entire season. This was such a fun job and one I will cherish forever. I have been fortunate to have many fish monitoring jobs, but being able to snorkel alongside chinook salmon that have swam nearly a thousand miles to return home is an experience unlike anything else.

               A highlight of the season was flying into the Frank Church Wilderness, and spending 8 days backpacking and working there. Additionally, I was incredibly fortunate to have one of my good friends, Rachael Valeria, in Salmon, Idaho and it was a blessing to spend more time with her and her family before I made the big move to Canada.

Life in Alberta is treating me well! My office is full of outdoor-oriented people, and we have spent nearly every weekend on some sort of hunting or fishing trip. Funny enough, going into this fall I was bummed because I thought it may be the first fall that I am not able to hunt at all. It has been quite the opposite; I think I have got out more this year than I have in the recent past. Alberta is full of wildlife, the Canadian Rockies are gorgeous, the prairie potholes are full of ducks, and there are ample opportunities to hunt and explore.

               My day to day looks different than you may imagine when you think of a “student.” I am doing a thesis-based master’s degree where I am studying population monitoring methods of Arctic grayling. Essentially, most of my time is spent researching and working on that project, and I only have to take a few classes. When I am done in the Spring of 2028, I will defend my thesis, my work should be published, and hopefully it is incorporated into fisheries management in the province of Alberta and beyond.

               Let me give you the cliff notes on my project. Arctic grayling numbers have declined ~70% in Alberta. This is reason for concern, and conservative measures have been put in place to conserve these populations. There are various methods for capturing grayling for monitoring, but two of the most popular are backpack electrofishing (shocking) and angling. Electrofishing is an effective capture method for most fish species, however it doesn’t seem to work too well for grayling up here, so that is where angling comes in to fill the gap. I am studying the effectiveness of both of these gear types, as well as snorkeling, and hope that by the time I am done with my studies I can help provide fisheries managers with information as to what is the best way to monitor Arctic grayling.

               While I am ecstatic to be entering this new chapter of my life and progressing my career, I can’t help but recognize all of the friends that I have made along the way and how difficult it has been to move away. This move is certainly not the first one I’ve made and won’t be the last either. I miss the people, places, and things that have made me who I am and think about you all often.

               Here’s to friends new and old and the people who make places home!

               -Selina