At the end of January, I had the opportunity to start a detail as a Program Support Specialist with the Budget, Performance, and Workforce Division (BPW) at the Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia. Coming into this fellowship, I had expressed my main interests in community engagement and habitat restoration, and, naturally, I was referred to Visitor Services and programs like it that focused on community operations. However, after having many opportunities to connect with a wide variety of people and asking about their paths to working for the Service, I picked up on a common piece of advice.  Everyone emphasized that it was good to pick up a variety of skills, especially administrative skills, which you don’t normally think of when doing fieldwork. These skills are very useful in all positions, and generally make your life easier and yourself a better candidate. When this detail opportunity came up, I decided it was in my best interest to step into the world of BPW.

At the beginning of December, I had the privilege to meet with the whole of the Headquarters Infrastructure Management Division (IMD) in New Orleans, LA. It was my first time in New Orleans and being able to explore it with interesting people was fantastic. Not only did we get to see the beauty of the Big Branch Marsh and Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuges, but we got to meet the welcoming and hardworking staff who take care of them (as well as an alligator with a Santa hat).

For the first few months working as a Program Analyst Fellow in the US Fish and Wildlife Services’ Infrastructure Management Division, I primarily dealt with records management. However, I had the opportunity to go to a Senate Budget Committee Hearing regarding the fiscal consequences of climate change on our nation’s infrastructure. I was excited to go into the Dirksen Senate Office Building and see where our representatives discussed relevant issues. One amusing aspect of the experience was being led through the tunnels underneath the building that contained a barbershop, a cafeteria/coffee shop, and other services you wouldn’t expect to come across in a government building.

Victor is from East Palo Alto, CA a small city in the bay area where he grew up exploring the Don Edwards SF Bay National Wildlife Refuge. His work with an environmental justice organization/native plant nursery helped foster his passion for the conservation of local native flora and fauna and environmental justice. This led him to pursue a degree in Environmental Studies at Gonzaga University. He recently moved to Arlington, VA where he hopes to learn more about his new environment and become more involved in the conservation community.