I’m Gabby, and I’ve spent this summer in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. I’m originally from Ludington, Michigan, which is the home of the car ferry that travels to Manitowoc throughout the summers; the sentimentality of being directly across Lake Michigan from my hometown is the cherry on top of how wonderful my experience has been so far.
I’ve been working with Dr. Titus Seilheimer, who is a fisheries specialist with the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant. Knowing that I don’t want to work directly in academia once I enter my career, it has been very useful to get a glimpse of all of the realms of research I can get into without having to be a professor. I’m thankful to my mentor for granting me the opportunity to gain all kinds of experiences and skills, and have lots of fun while doing it.
Since my arrival to Wisconsin, my activities have ranged widely from assisting with an educational event for children at a public library, helping out the DNR with an electrofishing survey, and wading through various creeks. In terms of research and science, I’ve gained and refined many skills by working on a few different projects. Our team has been doing pre-restoration habitat assessments in two creeks in Port Washington and Two Rivers, which both flow into Lake Michigan. These projects involve making observations about habitat types and water quality, which is important information for understanding the status of the creek and the suitability of the habitat for fish. This can then be used to make restoration plans that will help make improvements and ensure healthy fish populations.
We also assist with wild rice monitoring throughout various locations surrounding Green Bay. Wild rice is important ecologically and culturally, but has become increasingly threatened, which has warranted seeding and restoration efforts within the last few years. In addition to assessing attributes like rice density and water clarity, we’re also interested in seeing how the presence and quality of wild rice populations corresponds with fish communities. Certainly my favorite part of my work this summer, I was able to learn the process of net fishing to observe the species diversity of fish in different coastal wetlands of Green Bay. This project in particular has allowed me to explore my interests in community ecology and gain hands-on field skills that are bound to be useful in my future career.
About to enter my senior year at the University of Michigan, my experience this summer has allowed me to engage in self-discovery and better understand what my next steps could be once I graduate next spring. The wide range of environmental science jobs can be overwhelming, but I’ve been able to get a firsthand look at the exciting choices that await me. Being able to travel across northeastern Wisconsin and meet so many amazing scientists has been a transformative experience that has not only awarded me with applicable skills, but also shown me that my opportunities are endless.