US Fish and Wildlife Lodi

Placement Site Address: 850 S. Guild Avenue, #105, Lodi CA 95240

Site Supervisor: Lori Smith, Mentors: Carissa Long, Fish Biologist; Jordan Besson, Supervisory Fish Biologist, and Bryan Matthias, Supervisory Fish Biologist.

Number of Corpsmembers at Site: 3

Number of Years Site has Hosted WSP Corpsmembers: 6

Service Hours:

8-hour days: 70%

10-hour days: 20%

>10-hour days: 10%

Housing Offered: No

Work Vehicle Provided: Yes

Time Spent in Field/Office:

In the field: 90%

In the office: 10%

Corpsmember Activities:

Placement Site Objectives & Organizational Needs:

The Delta is home to the federally endangered Sacramento River winter-run Chinook Salmon and Delta Smelt. Central Valley spring-run Chinook Salmon, Central Valley Steelhead, and North American Green Sturgeon are also on the federal endangered species list and deemed threatened. In addition, Longfin Smelt are present and protected under the California Endangered Species Act. The Lodi U.S. Fish and Wildlife Office (LFWO) is the largest field office in the nation with the responsibility of documenting the long-term changes in abundance as well as the biology and ecology of juvenile fishes of the aquatic ecosystem in the Central Valley. There are more than 75 biological technicians and associated administrative and managerial staff charged to complete this work. The LFWO recognizes the need to invest in the future of the natural resources field and thus participates in outreach and educational events to further share our work.

Mentorship Style:

Mentors at the LFWO strive for a philosophy emphasizing collaboration, trust, and growth. Our philosophy prioritizes active listening and open communication, fostering a safe environment for exploration and learning. Mentors guide by sharing experiences, encouraging independence and self-advocacy, and challenging mentees to reach their potential while mentees take initiative and responsibility for their development. Our Mentors want to give the people they mentor the opportunity to gain experiences that will further their career goals. Each Corpsmember will report to one of the Mentors but will also have access to all named Mentors. The LFWO gives the mentees opportunities to shadow other divisions within the office, such as the Anadromous Fish Restoration Program, the Juvenile Salmonid Survival Studies, and Delta Smelt supplementation. Each Corpsmember will be able to work in the field with various sampling methodologies, including trawling, beach seine, boat electrofishing, acoustic telemetry methodology, and visible implant elastomer (VIE) tagging. The LFWO surveys the Delta year-round with real-time or close to real-time data sharing.

Unique Characteristics of Placement Site:

The variety of experience gained from the fisheries sampling programs of the Lodi U.S. Fish and Wildlife Office is unique. From trawling, seining, and cutting-edge scientific studies as part of the Interagency Ecological Program, to working on salmon recovery in one of the nations most ambitious restoration programs on the San Joaquin River. The LFWO gives much of the basic building blocks of a fisheries biologist career. Because of the field responsibilities of the LFWO, there are many opportunities for junior biologists to enter the career field. Coaching and mentoring are a huge emphasis of the LFWO with frequent resume writing and job application workshops to invest in the fisheries career.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Desired in CORPSMEMBERS:

Willingness to learn

Ability to take direction

The ability to follow protocols

Good teamwork abilities

Enthusiasm