New to the Crew - Meet Marge!
We think it was fate that brought Marge Lingenfelter to TCWP! No joke. She stopped in town at the beginning of a road trip in March which was when Marge’s friend told her about an entomologist she knew from the local rugby team.
“My eyes lit up because that was my favorite class in college and have been looking to do work in the field since I graduated but haven’t found the right thing yet. I applied a few days later for the spraying job, also enticed by the offer of housing and a gig for the summer which would extend my running away from home.”
We’re ecstatic that Marge took a road trip that brought her to Jackson and then TCWP. There aren’t many people who love entomology and randomly stumble onto our doorstep. Want to know more about what Marge was doing before her road trip, what her day-to-day looks like, and the least favorite thing she finds in her mosquito dipper? Keep reading!
Q - What were you doing before this summer?
A - I worked at a vet in WV for about 9 months as a vet assistant. Awesome and grueling.
Q - What does your day to day look like at TCWP?
A - Lots of cows usually. Bogs. Falling down. Wet pants and sweat. Beautiful views of the mountains and peaceful areas along the water. I’m on mosquito [crew] so I’m mainly headed to ranches and BLM lands. Can’t beat a backroad drive
Q - Least favorite weed and why?
A - This is hard for me to answer because I don’t really work with the weeds much anymore. Can I list my least favorite thing to find in my dipper? It’s a rat-faced maggot. Those things are creepy.
Q - What are your hopes and dreams for the future?
A - Aw—to work outside and with bugs. To have a job that brings peace to my life and a life full of joy and art. I hope to learn more about more and more and more and more. Hope to keep doing work that teaches me about the world and what she’s growin’.
Q - Hobbies?
A - Playing guitar, painting, drawing, writing. Hiking, climbing, swimming. Love to chit chat and do the crossword. Peaceful things.
Q - What unique attributes do you bring to the TCWP team?
A - Probably my background in biology with a special interest in entomology. I think that is pretty unique—I do genuinely love insects.
Q - How were the first few weeks of the job versus now?
A - All awesome honestly. I much prefer it now that I’m a mosquito crew lead. It feels a bit better to be in charge of the day and also to just be working in one groove. I love mosquito work, it’s soothing to spend so much time near water and also cows :)
Q - How do you like living in Jackson and what have you been up to during your time off?
A - It’s awesome here! A little big for me—I’ve been really enjoying visiting the smaller towns nearby like Pinedale and Lander, but love to have access to so many stores and restaurants. It’s a bit bigger here than where I’m from so it’s nice for the summer. I mainly have just been hanging out around here, hiking, swimming, climbing, occasional travel, and occasional visits to the bars.
Q - Had any great wildlife encounters on the job?
A - Yes and no. I was in some very tall grass in the middle of a marsh and all of a sudden a skunk emerged. I was very thankful the ground was hard enough to run straight away lol. I have yet to see a bear at work, but live in fear when I go up to Buffalo Valley. The moose are pretty cool, definitely don’t have those back east.
Q - What are you thankful for?
A - Thankful for the itch I had to get out of town earlier this year and thankful for a friendship that brought me here—for the jeep that made it through the snow and across the desert before I got here. Thankful for my parents. Thankful to be here, simply. It’s beautiful and there is so much opportunity and so much playing to do. It’s helping my mind a whole lot to spend time here :)
Need any help with mosquitoes on your property this year? Marge is your gal!