As we close out another year, stepping back to reflect on the accomplishments of 2023 gives us a well-needed perspective and provides inspiration for a new year of supporting women in the fisheries field. We are so glad you are part of our Women of Fisheries community working to move our collective mission forward.
As we move forward through this post-pandemic world, we are reflecting on what initiatives have been most meaningful to our membership over the past five years and discussing how we can continue to evolve to meet our members’ needs. We are focusing on efforts that support our mission to connect, support, and amplify the experiences of women in fisheries science. We are developing a strategic plan that will inform the development of a work plan, and we welcome your feedback. We would love to hear if you have a favorite initiative or how you enjoy interacting with Women of Fisheries.
It takes a lot of time and effort behind the scenes to keep this organization running. So many volunteers work together to maintain the Facebook page and private groups, write blog posts, raise funds, and organize meetups. We are so grateful for each of you for all that you do. We also appreciate each of you who has followed and contributed to our online discussions, donated money, and shared your wonderful ideas and work with our community. YOU all are what make this organization what it is.
To our allies, thank you for your commitment to listening, engaging, and supporting our mission which ultimately leads to a stronger, more inclusive fisheries profession.
Our organization has much to toast to this year! With your help, we were able to accomplish great things in 2023!
Highlights
Changing faces of Women of Fisheries in 2023: Laura Slater officially joined our Board, and Rachel Liebman and Kaylyn Zipp joined the Social Media Committee. Long-time co-chair of the Social Media Committee and new PhD graduate, Dr. Alex Norelli moved on – a heartfelt thanks for her years of service!
We awarded two Women of Fisheries Gives Back! Awards thanks to funds raised during the fisHER Adventure Classic and generous recurring donations from Dr. Robert Campbell.
In September, we held a virtual LGBTQIA2S+ Safe Spaces workshop for those wanting to learn more about how to be an ally to our LGBTQIA2S+ women of fisheries. The workshop was led by Dr. Emily Dean.
We held multiple in-person meetups, including at the Women’s Affinity Social and through informal Fish Sister meetups at the Grand Rapids American Fisheries Society (AFS) meeting and at the joint Southern New England Chapter and Northeast Division of AFS meeting.
The Fish Sister Matchup was held just before the Grand Rapids AFS meeting, to pair participants to expand their network and meet with their matches during the meeting. Seven matches were made, with students and early and mid-career professionals participating from 13 US states and a Canadian province.
Kim Bonvechio presented at a special session of the Georgia AFS meeting in St. Simons Island, GA in February, and Lynn Mattes was the invited speaker at a virtual monthly meeting of fisheries students at Clemson University.
Two virtual book club meetings were held to discuss “Why Fish Don’t Exist” and “Lessons in Chemistry”
Women of Fisheries blog posts have been shared in Fisheries magazine under the title “Amplified Voices: A Collection of Discussions from Women of Fisheries.” The most recent was published in August 2023.
We published a total of 21 blog posts including 3 profiles and 5 research highlights, and moderated numerous online discussions.
Our private Facebook discussion group now has nearly 1,900 members from over 60 countries, predominantly from North America (~92%).
With donations, Women of Fisheries gear sales, and the 2023 fisHER Adventure Classic, we brought in a total of $1,473.00. Total expenses for the year came to $1,216.13.