Hello readers, my name is Tony and I am a Hmong American from a small town in Northern California called Hamilton City. As of spring 2022, I will finish my academic career at California State University, Chico pursuing a degree in Recreation, Hospitality, and Park Management option in Parks & Natural resources with minors in Biological Sciences and Diversity Studies. 

I was fortunate enough to be selected for the Conservation Banking fellowship with U.S Fish and Wildlife Services at the Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office located in Sacramento, California which is approximately 100 miles away from my home. The excitement and euphoria of being selected for this position was astronomical because being a part of USFWS has always been a long time goal of mine since I was a young child as well as the opportunity to direct and indirectly help impact wildlife. 

Despite that, many of us never expected that a global pandemic would cause such a dramatic change to our everyday lives. From wearing masks when necessary to going virtual for work or school, a change that the majority of us had to adapt to. Telework, which is defined as “the practice of working from home, making use of the internet, email, and the telephone”, has become the new norm of our everyday lives whether we were ready for it or not. 

With this position being a hybrid of in-person and telework, majority of the time telework, I have the comfort of working from home and not having to commute to Sacramento which is one of the benefits that telework provides us. The unfortunate side of this is that we lose the interpersonal connection with colleagues and are stuck discussing amongst ourselves through a screen. As a part of the Conservation Banking Division, a few of my tasks involve reviewing long-term management plans, monitoring reports, and species surveys to ensure compliance with agreements and requirements. Other responsibilities include navigating the multi-agency Regulatory In-Lieu Fee and Bank Information Tracking System (RIBITS) database and file organization within the SFWO. In addition to that, we have multiple opportunities to visit the sites that we manage which provides us a more in depth understanding of what we are working towards. However, when I’m not in the office or looking through a screen on my work laptop, I often find myself doing the leisure activities that I enjoy which includes spending time with my significant other, fishing, walks in the park with our dog, or opening trading cards. As I continue with this fellowship, I am ecstatic with the opportunities and challenges that will come along the way.

* The perks of having your office located near the Sacramento River. 

Agency: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Program: US Fish & Wildlife Service

Location: Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office