Collette Johnson: Diving in to new experiences
“Most of my stories start out with someone saying, ‘Hey, do you want to try this?’”
Collette Johnson is the kind of person who jumps at the chance to try something new. As an administrative officer at Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge in West Virginia, she has plenty of opportunities to get her feet wet in all kinds of activities.
In 2014, on her first day of the job, she was promptly approached by the refuge biologist.
“She asked me if I’d be interested in becoming a diver,” said Johnson. “I instantly said sure, and I think she was kind of surprised by that.”
With no diving experience, Johnson jumped right into the diver training program. She feels the most memorable moment of her career was that first official dive when she worked with staff to place more than 300 mussels along the river bed near Buckley Island.
“Our refuge staff, along with Fisheries and State partners, were instrumental in the re-introduction of the Catspaw freshwater mussel.” she said. “The mussel had been removed from the river for over a hundred years and was thought to be extinct.”
To this day, Johnson’s favorite spot on the refuge is still deep below the surface of the Ohio River. She is now the field dive officer for the refuge and is responsible for the safety of diving staff. For Johnson, the 12 dives she completes each year are easily one of the best perks of the job.
Always ready for fearless firsts, Johnson’s jump-in attitude shapes both her professional and personal life.
“I am constantly learning” she said. “I find strength by seizing any opportunities that come along,”
When a neighbor approached Johnson’s husband at the local gas station looking for volunteer firefighters, the couple immediately took the opportunity to go all in for their community. Both had experience in wildland fire management and were up to the commitment and challenge of protecting their neighborhood.
Much of their free time is spent at the local fire station. As both treasurer and safety officer, Johnson keeps very busy. She has organized and participated in events like the Firefighter Challenge 5K walk, where volunteers walk the distance in structural-fire personal protective equipment. Luckily for both her husband and their 11 –year-old daughter, volunteering at the station is a family affair. The majority of the volunteers are couples, who integrate their children into the firefighter community.
The expertise she gains in her job helps inform her volunteer work and vice versa. Johnson’s administrative skills keep the fire station up and running, and her experience with fire improves the refuge. She hopes to one day help the refuge use fire management to combat the spread of invasive plant species.
As for her conservation legacy, Johnson said, “I would love to inspire someone to take a deeper look at the natural wonders all around us — that a lot of the time get taken for granted — and want to preserve them.”
Johnson is no doubt up to the task. Her love for the Ohio River fuels her fire, and her dive-in attitude inspires everyone around her to come together for conservation.
