Meet Jared Horvath: Aquatics & Fisheries Field Fellow
For Jared Horvath, the humble stream he grew up next to in Brookville, Ohio would be the catalyst for a lifelong love for aquatic ecology. Jared humorously refers to himself as a “fish squeezer” due to his deep fascination with the species and the joy he receives from holding a prized catch. This passion brought Jared to the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, graduating with a B.S. in Fisheries and Water Resources alongside Biology and Social Science minors.
Aquatics & Fisheries Fellow, Jared Horvath, with a muskie
Jared is spending the summer season as a Field Fellow with the Voyageurs Conservancy. The Voyageurs Field Fellow program offers paid internships for students and recent graduates to gain hands-on professional experience in Minnesota’s national park. Jared is completing his fellowship as a Fisheries & Aquatic Ecology Fellow with Voyageurs National Park’s aquatics team.
The fellowship excited Jared because of its focus on water quality monitoring, something he wasn’t as experienced with and would broaden his scope of expertise. During his term, Jared has majorly contributed to ongoing research that better understands and protects the park’s outstanding resource waters. These projects range from water quality monitoring to harmful algal bloom surveys to deep water gill netting for fish. Working hands-on with the park’s Aquatic Ecology team, Jared has been able to combine his love for angling with pertinent research:
“I think my favorite project so far has been the Little Shoepack Muskie Project. Last year and this year the MN DNR and Voyageurs National Park have been studying the muskies in Little Shoepack Lake. In the second year of the study, my crew members and I are hook and line sampling (fishing) for muskies in Little Shoepack that were tagged last year. As an avid fisherman, it's hard to not like a job where I get to go fishing,” says Jared.
Once a muskie is caught, Jared records height and weight measurements, marks the capture, and takes a few fish scales to analyze the DNA record of the individual fish. These samples give the Aquatics team crucial insight on the potentially genetically distinct muskies and their population size.
Jared taking measurements of a muskie
Jared taking a muskie fin clip
However, Jared’s summer isn’t all technical research. When asked about a favorite memory on the water, Jared laughs and recounts a time when the team’s sample bag flew overboard into the water. Without hesitation, his coworker stood up and swiftly dived into the water to rescue the sample bag. “It was a great bonding experience,” Jared chuckles.
Jared’s experience as a Voyageurs Field Fellow has opened up enriching fieldwork opportunities and exciting possibilities for his future. With a paid internship experience at a national park and a strong reference letter from a leading park biologist, Jared feels confident he’ll stand out in future career and graduate school opportunities. The career exploration and direct mentorship of the fellowship program have been a large asset to Jared, who hopes to continue studying fisheries in some of the most remote areas of the country.
Jared and Alec filtering a phosphorous sample
This summer was Jared’s first-ever experience in Voyageurs National Park. In that time, he’s explored the vastness of the park’s waters and worked in the depths of the backcountry lakes. His time living and working in Minnesota’s national park is one that will stick with him for a lifetime:
“I think living in the park speaks for itself. I live 200 feet from the lake, access to the lakefront, canoes and kayaks that we can take out any time. I love the interconnectedness of all the large lakes. Boating from Kabetogama Lake to Crane Lake… there are endless opportunities to see.”
Support Field Fellows:
The Conservancy’s Voyageurs Field Fellows program seeks to increase accessibility and professional development opportunities at Voyageurs National Park. The fellowship offers students and recent graduates a stipend-paid internship to engage in real world, hands-on work in areas such as preservation, natural resource management, environmental education and more. If you’d like to support future Field Fellows and their important work, please consider becoming a member with a gift today.
Funding for this project was provided in part by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).
The Trust Fund is a permanent fund constitutionally established by the citizens of Minnesota to assist in the protection, conservation, preservation, and enhancement of the state’s air, water, land, fish, wildlife, and other natural resources.