Volunteer Tiffany St. John-Wood feeds lake trout. - FWS photo

Volunteer Tiffany St. John-Wood. - FWS photo

I decided to interview our most recent volunteer in order to get some feedback on how we are treating her and how she feels about volunteering here for the Pendills Creek/Sullivan Creek National Fish Hatchery's.  The questions/answers follow:

1.  What is your full name?  Tiffany St. John-Wood

2.  How did you develop an interest in Fish & Wildlife?  When I was 19 years old, I decided to work in fisheries.  My interest started from taking care of fish in a small tank.

3.  Are you required to do an internship to complete your degree requirements?  Yes, internship is required to graduate from Hocking College.

4.  Are you going to continue on with your education?  Yes, I will be attending West Virginia University this fall.

5.  At this point in time what are your career goals?  First, get my degree and then do an internship in a wildlife field to see exactly where I want to work.  Then I would like to get a job with the State of Ohio, possibly at a metro park.

6.  What do you think of hatchery work?  Hatchery work is hard work but necessary.

7.  Do you enjoy working with a live entity?  I like it, watching it grow and seeing how your work makes a difference to them.

8.  What would you tell people about working at a fish hatchery?  I would tell them hatchery work makes for long days and that it's hard work, physical and enjoyable.

9.  How do you like living in a rural area?  Rural areas are nice they are quiet.  The only thing is that you are not close to much and it can be expensive, when it comes to gas.

10.  What's the worst hatchery job you have had so far?  The worst job is opening and closing the the tent flaps over the raceways, not fun and time consuming.

11.  What's the best hatchery job you have had so far?  Doing sample counts because it allows you to see how the fish have grown and how well they look, it lets you know that all the work is worth it.

12.  What do you think most people do not know about hatchery work?  I don't think people know how much work actually goes into running a hatchery.  Not just the physical labor but also the paper work and required skills.

13.  What do you miss most from your home?  I miss family, friends and dogs.

14.  How is the volunteer apartment to live in?  Nice, big and comfortable.

15.  Is the $17.00 daily subsistence adequate?  No, not enough when you add gas to go in and purchase food etc.  $20.00 daily would make a big difference.

16.  What could we do to make your time here more enjoyable?  Maybe a new chair for the apartment. 

Additional comments:  Tiffany says we need more help to get all the work done.

It's nice to find out from a younger person just getting involved with natural resource work what their perspectives are and what we can do better to make the volunteering experience better.