[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.26.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”40px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve<\/span> got degrees in fisheries and aquatic sciences now, but that <\/span>wasn\u2019t<\/span> always what I thought <\/span>I\u2019d<\/span> be doing. When I first started my <\/span>undergrad<\/span> at UGA in 2016, I thought I was going to be an environmental engineer; <\/span>4 classes of <\/span>calculus<\/span> later and I decided <\/span>maybe <\/span>I\u2019d<\/span> rather do something a bit more hands-on. I changed my major to Fish and Wildlife Managment with <\/span>an <\/span>Aquatic Sciences focus<\/span> <\/span>and an Environmental Education certificate<\/span> from the<\/span> Warnell School of Forestry (give \u2018<\/span>em<\/span> hell Warnell). <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n While there I worked on my thesis which looked at how we age Atlantic sturgeon, and started work at the marine teaching lab where I took care of their <\/span>animals and helped set up their labs. In my junior year there I signed up for the Georgia Fisheries Field Course for the <\/span>Maymester<\/span>, a three week<\/span>–<\/span>long intensive field course where we camped and sampled o<\/span>ur way from the Blue Ridge Mountains down to the blackwater swamps and <\/span>the B<\/span>arrier <\/span>I<\/span>slands on the coast<\/span>. This completely changed my <\/span>view<\/span> of what I wanted to do again<\/span>;<\/span> showing me <\/span>first-hand<\/span> the incredible diversity of <\/span>native freshwater fish we have in the Southeas<\/span>t<\/span>,<\/span> from the bright orange <\/span>t<\/span>angerine <\/span>d<\/span>arter to<\/span> the massive redhorse suckers<\/span>. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n After graduating from UGA in 2020, I continued work at the marine lab as their full-time lab manager before accepting an offer from Carol Jo<\/span>hnston\u2019s Fish Biodiversity lab here in Auburn for a master\u2019s student position. <\/span>I graduated with my master\u2019s degree this past July, with my thesis studying the effects of Roundup on the reproductive pheromones of native fish.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n During one of my classes Dr Eve Brantley was a guest lecturer who showed us the Parkerson Mill Greenway and the restoration work that had been done there. When I graduated, I knew I wanted to go into a position where I could<\/span> take practical action to help protect the rivers and streams, <\/span>I\u2019ve<\/span> studied, and the work WRC does to restore and pr<\/span>otect these streams particularly interested me. <\/span>I\u2019m<\/span> excited to begin putting what <\/span>I\u2019ve<\/span> learned into action!\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/aaes.auburn.edu\/wrc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/10\/PXL_20240713_180039838.MP_-scaled.jpeg” alt=”Mona looking at ag bmps installed as part of Rock Creek WMP.” title_text=”PXL_20240713_180039838.MP” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Daniel on a fishing trip. Photo credit: Daniel Gragson.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”40px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n I will be helping on a number of projects, primarily my focus will be on the Parkerson Mill Greenway: maintaining the work that\u2019s been done and coordinating future work to remove invasive plants and litter from around the site. On top of that, I will be helping to write some articles for the WRC website outlining some of the incredible aquatic life around the area and what can be done to protect them. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/aaes.auburn.edu\/wrc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/10\/Daniel_Gragson_PMC_2024-10-15_15-41-04-scaled.jpg” alt=”Mona looking at ag bmps installed as part of Rock Creek WMP.” title_text=”Daniel_Gragson_PMC_2024-10-15_15-41-04″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Daniel removes an electronic scooter from Parkerson Mill Creek. \u00a0Photo credit: Adam Newby<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Did you know Alabama has the second most native freshwater fish species of any other state? First place is Tennessee and third place is Georgia. This little chunk of the Southeast has more fish species in it than all the other states added together. Pretty much the only place on Earth where you find more biodiversity than this is the Amazon Basin. Not only that but, and this might be slightly less scientific, it also has the most beautiful rivers of any other state.<\/span><\/p>\n There is no greater feeling, to me, than wading up a creek and quickly feeling like you\u2019re miles away from civilization, walking the same bedrock and gravel shoals that the Muscogee people walked. During the springtime you can find the rock pile nests of fish where hundreds of minnows will gather to breed, with colors more often seen in reefs. The banks are flush with plants growing over one another, and in their roots are sunfish and bass; the only thing that ruins the experience is the beer cans and garbage floating along.<\/span><\/p>\n I can think of no better calling for myself than protecting and restoring these most magnificent of rivers, so that one day my children might be able to see them in their full glory.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/aaes.auburn.edu\/wrc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/10\/Overview_of_trees_and_river.jpg” title_text=”Aerial view of river” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Aerial view of an Alabama river. Photo credit: Philip Darden.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n I have two <\/span>pieces<\/span> of advice, and to a certain extent they inform one another. The first is this: <\/span>ev<\/span>ery action you take matters, and every choice has consequences. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Too often it is easy to think what you do <\/span>doesn\u2019t<\/span> really matter or will not be noticed<\/span>, but I cannot stress enough that everything you do has an effect, it may <\/span>not matter <\/span>until later<\/span> or be smaller than you expect<\/span>, but trust me, it all matters. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The <\/span>second <\/span>piece<\/span> is <\/span>from the principal of my high school<\/span>: be where you are supposed to be, doing what you are supposed to be doing, on time. <\/span>I cannot express<\/span> that despite how simple and obvious <\/span>this <\/span>sounds, how <\/span>much the people you work for and with will notice it.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span> <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||-75px|||” custom_padding=”1px||4px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”32px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_social_media_follow _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” text_orientation=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”facebook” url=”https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/auwrc” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#3b5998″ global_colors_info=”{}” follow_button=”off” url_new_window=”on”]facebook[\/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”twitter” url=”https:\/\/twitter.com\/AuburnWater” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#000000″ global_colors_info=”{}” follow_button=”off” url_new_window=”on”]twitter[\/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=”instagram” url=”https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/auburnwater\/” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#ea2c59″ global_colors_info=”{}” follow_button=”off” url_new_window=”on”]instagram[\/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][\/et_pb_social_media_follow][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Tell us about your background and what brought you to work with the AUWRC? I\u2019ve got degrees in fisheries and aquatic sciences now, but that wasn\u2019t always what I thought […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":64795,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[155,118],"tags":[24,26,59],"class_list":["post-64787","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wrc-blog","category-wrc-staff-highlights","tag-fish-water","tag-water-resources","tag-watershed-education"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aaes.auburn.edu\/wrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64787","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aaes.auburn.edu\/wrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aaes.auburn.edu\/wrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aaes.auburn.edu\/wrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aaes.auburn.edu\/wrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64787"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/aaes.auburn.edu\/wrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64787\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64861,"href":"https:\/\/aaes.auburn.edu\/wrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64787\/revisions\/64861"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aaes.auburn.edu\/wrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64795"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aaes.auburn.edu\/wrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64787"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aaes.auburn.edu\/wrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64787"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aaes.auburn.edu\/wrc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64787"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What projects are you working on over the next year?<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
What are you most passionate about relating to water resources?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n
Do you have any career or life advice for other people pursuing a career in natural resources?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n