By Emily Hamilton, 2026 Early Career Award Winner
When I learned I had been selected as the recipient of the Women of Fisheries Early Career Award, I felt incredibly honored. As someone just beginning my career in fisheries and aquatic science, it means so much to be recognized by an organization dedicated to supporting women in this field. This summer has reinforced exactly why communities like Women of Fisheries matter.
I currently work as a Stream Technician—and was promoted to Crew Lead—for the PACFISH/INFISH Biological Opinion (PIBO) Monitoring Program through the U.S. Forest Service and American Conservation Experience. Based out of St. Regis, Montana, I’ve spent the season traveling throughout the Columbia and Missouri River basins, sampling streams across central and eastern Washington, northern Idaho, and Montana.
PIBO has been monitoring aquatic and riparian ecosystems for more than 20 years. Although we aren’t working directly with fish, the data we collect tells an important story about stream health. By measuring habitat characteristics, water chemistry, stream morphology, and riparian conditions, we’re helping ensure that species like bull trout have healthy places to spawn and thrive.
Fieldwork has taken us just about everywhere. We’ve hiked miles into remote stream sites carrying everything we need on our backs, often with little or no cell service. We’ve camped on river beaches, cliff edges, and deep in dense forests. We’ve camped beneath incredible night skies—and even “cowboy-camped” through a severe thunderstorm. Every hitch has brought new challenges, unexpected wildlife encounters, beautiful landscapes, and plenty of stories to tell.
One of the highlights of this season so far has been working alongside an all-women crew for a majority of our hitches. My coworkers, Alexandra “Allie” Eggert and Carolina “Lina” Potas, have become so much more than teammates. Together we’ve built an efficient, supportive crew that tackles long days and difficult terrain with determination, humor, and trust.
Our schedule is demanding—eight consecutive days in the field, averaging ten-hour workdays, followed by six days off. Living and working together around the clock teaches you a lot about the people you’re with. Between sampling streams, we’ve listened to audiobooks during long drives, taken cold plunges in rivers and alpine lakes after work, laughed through endless stories and inside jokes around camp, and even chosen to spend time together on our days off.
I think there’s something especially empowering about watching a team of women excel in an environment that’s physically demanding, remote, and often unpredictable. Every day, we prove to ourselves—and hopefully to others—that we belong here. We solve problems together, support one another through challenging days, and celebrate the small victories, whether it’s finishing a difficult hike, finding the perfect campsite, or simply making it through another unforgettable hitch.
This season has reminded me that the fisheries world is not just about science. It’s about the people who dedicate themselves to conserving these ecosystems and the relationships that make this work meaningful. I’m incredibly grateful to have learned from such capable, hardworking women and proud of everything we’ve accomplished together.
To Allie and Lina: thank you for making this one of the most memorable seasons of my career so far. Your work ethic, resilience, and friendship have made every mile, every campsite, and every stream worth it.
And to Women of Fisheries, thank you for recognizing early-career professionals and creating a community where women can celebrate one another’s successes. I look forward to continuing this journey and, hopefully, encouraging more women to find their own place in fisheries science.
