File:Natalie Nasatka, -herstory (25499621341).jpg

English: Name: Natalie Nasatka

Title: Forestry Tech (Wildland Firefighter)

Duty station: The Great Dismal Swamp

Amount of time worked in public service: 14 years

How much of this at USFWS? 1 month

Female Conservation Hero or Mentor? Why?
My friends in conservation are my heroes. Christi Sorrell and I are the same age, and we met in 2005 on the Desert Restoration Corps for The Student Conservation Association. We progressed into conservation jobs that are masculine driven. I became a wildland firefighter, and she did fuels thinning in the Grand Canyon National Park with chainsaws. She now is the Director of Horticulture for the Arboretum in Flagstaff, AZ. She and I talk on the phone once a year for hours. We build each other up, and we remind ourselves that the adversity we face in our positions is not to be taken personally. It is a culture that has dominated the establishment for generations. We talk about various coping skills we can employ to make it easy for us to work together with our male coworkers.

Christi and I share a passion for the environment that few understand. We need to stick together and be there for each other when times are difficult. This planet is our home. We do not want it trashed any more than people want trash in their living rooms.

Our friendship was founded on that shared passion, and I know Christi has been working hard to spread that passion to others through conservation work, being a crew leader for conservation interns (AmeriCorps or The SCA), and now passing that love of nature on to her brand new daughter.

When you began your career, did you ever see yourself working for the USFWS?

I began my career in habitat restoration with the Student Conservation Association and Bureau of Land Management in the Mojave Desert. Then I pursued a degree in Wildlife Conservation from the University of Delaware. I took an internship with the BLM in fire ecology, and from there I started fighting wildfires. The Fire Management Officer with the Great Dismal Swamp asked me to join his crew to help with prescribed burning for habitat management for threatened and endangered species.

The mission of the USFWS is “Working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people” How do you contribute to this mission?

I contribute to this mission by suppressing wildfires and participating in prescribed burns. The prescribed burns are used for managing the habitat that threatened and endangered species thrive in. In this area, we are using fire to maintain a habitat for the Red-cockaded Woodpecker. Fire kills over-grown species. Pine cones need the heat of the fire to open the cones to allow the seeds to drop to the ground and start growing new pine trees.

Using prescribe fires reduces the severity of a wildfire in that area. Managing a healthy ecosystem allows for the American people to enjoy the environment by hiking, bird watching, or hunting.

It takes a special person to dedicate their lives to public service. Why did you choose this path?

I wanted a life that had meaning. I also wanted excitement. It is exciting to live in the desert and interact with nature. I taught day care students about wildlife, and the look in their eyes when they see a snake for the first time is priceless.

I fought a wildfire north of an the Navajo reservation in New Mexico. The locals treated us to Indian Tacos and hugs. They were grateful, and I was happy to help save their community. Public service is a win-win. I help those in need (people or wildlife), and they are able to thrive.

What is a special memory you have of working at the USFWS?

I have only worked for the USFWS for a few weeks beginning February 8, 2016. So far, I have worked together with The Nature Conservancy, VA Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, and VA Department of Natural Heritage. The experience was overwhelmingly positive.

We burned on Monday, February 29, and at the end of the day we were discussing how the burn went. Someone heard something and asked us to be quiet for a moment. We heard a woodpecker off in the distance. I like to think he was thanking us for helping to protect his home.