Ivan Bakin, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences and a member of the Honors Program, volunteered at the Carpenter’s Brook Fish Hatchery located in Elbridge, NY. Only twenty minutes off campus, the Hatchery has been operating since 1938 when it was created by the joint efforts of Onondaga County and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Carpenter’s Brook is one of four county run hatcheries in New York and boasts over 100 miles of streams and 10,000 acres of impoundments. On their website, it is noted that this hatchery is one of the state’s most prosperous and utilized sources for fish license sales.
During his time at Carpenter’s Brook, Ivan assisted in the maintenance and upkeep of the facility, such as cleaning out empty pools and transporting different fish from pond to pond. He states that this volunteer work was both “engaging in a truly physical way” and also “helped me to understand the management and stewardship of natural resources.” His time there was beneficial to both the hatchery and the surrounding community; the fish need to be taken care of constantly so that they repopulate the streams for fishing, recreation, and environmental stability. Overall, Ivan states that his work with Carpenter’s Brook Fish Hatchery was a highly rewarding experience.
Written By Samantha DeTore ’15