As I continue working with External Affairs in the Southwest Region, I’m impressed by the amount of collaboration between teams and programs.  Of course, everyone in FWS is working towards the same collective goals of conserving, protecting, and enhancing wildlife, fish, plants, and habitats. For some efforts, this requires extraordinary levels of partnership not just within the service, but with state agencies, non-profits, and diverse stakeholder groups.  When it comes to managing Mexican wolves, I’ve been able to participate in meetings with multiple FWS programs and other federal and state agencies to prep for the revised rule release, manage communication strategies, learn about on-the-ground wolf management, and more. 

Among my varied tasks, which include research, writing, editing, photo editing, and preparing web content and presentations, is creating graphic products to support the rule release and stakeholder engagement.  One of these is a timeline of how Mexican wolf recovery efforts and recovery in the wild have progressed since their listing as an endangered subspecies in 1976, and another is an infographic about the Mexican wolf lifecycle. There is a misconception that wild wolves live as long as our beloved pet dogs (over 10 years of age), when in reality, their lifespan averages about 5-6 years.  Understanding this will help the public contextualize management actions that the Service takes to recover wolves in the wild and respond to wolf/human conflicts. 

I’m continuing to hone my skills in communication, teamwork, and understanding of the Endangered Species Act and high-profile species management as we move into the last month of my DFP! 

Agency: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Program: Directorate Fellows Program

Location: Southwest Regional Office