January 22, 2019
Tate Langel, a junior majoring in Environmental Science, was the Travel Montana Intern during the summer of 2018. The grant funded internship through Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP) is offered as an extension of the Montana Wild Learning Center.
Langel spent his summer traveling around to Montana’s seven FWP regions conducting fish identification presentations and fishing workshops to people of all ages. At one particular workshop, he taught nearly 800 youth over the course of three days in Billings, Mont., which Langel described as a unique experience.
“I built a lot of responsibility and patience this summer,” stated Langel while reflecting on his internship.
Another aspect of the internship was spending time at the Spring Creek Trout Hatchery in Lewistown, Mont. Langel worked with a team to clip the adipose fin, a small fin found between the dorsal and caudal fin, on nearly 100,000 trout. This fin is removed as a way to identify stocked fish from native fish in mountain lakes.
Langel had the opportunity to enhance his public speaking skills this past summer as well. He expressed that this part of the Travel Montana Internship felt natural to him because the instructors at Montana Western often require students to give verbal presentations in class.
Originally from Helena, Mont., Langel aspires to be a Game Warden once he graduates. It was Montana Western’s block scheduling system, which allows students to take one course at a time for 18 days, that initially drew him to Dillon. This scheduling system, known as Experience One, has allowed Langel to gain valuable hands on field experience while learning from acclaimed educators.
“The professors here at Montana Western are vested in the student’s success,” Langel stated.
Langel credits the faculty in the Environmental Science department at Montana Western as the core inspirations that helped him find success in the Travel Montana Internship.
To find out more about the Montana Wild and Travel Montana programs, please visit the Fish, Wildlife and Parks website.
To learn more about Montana Western’s block scheduling system, please visit the Experience One website.
