Every year, summer seems to go by in a flash—and, with it, Sea Grant’s summer internships. If you follow the news section of our website, you know that we have seven creative and capable interns this year, each working on a different project with a different mentor.
We caught up with one of those interns, Hunter Goldman, recently to see how things are going with Hunter’s work on the “Eat Wisconsin Fish” project under the guidance of Outreach Specialist Sharon Moen. Below are some excerpts from our conversation.
Wisconsin Sea Grant intern Hunter Goldman at Lake Superior (Submitted photo)
Major: Sustainable Community Development
College: Northland College, Ashland, Wisconsin
Hometown: Marietta, Georgia
So, how did a vegetarian end up helping with Eat Wisconsin Fish?
I e-mailed back and forth with Sharon, and she knew that I love cooking and have GIS experience. I also looked at the Eat Wisconsin Fish website to connect my interests to the mission of EWF. One of its goals is to cater to a wide audience, and I felt I was up for that challenge.
I also mentioned to Sharon some sauces I had made recently, and that’s part of how this came to be: our “get saucy with Sea Grant” theme this summer, with my making recipes on Facebook Live.
How have the weekly Facebook Live cooking events been going? It’s been fun watching you in your home kitchen.
It took a little getting used to, but I’m more comfortable behind the camera than presenting for a large audience face-to-face, so it’s easier for me to project myself over Facebook Live.
You’re using your GIS (geographic information systems) background to help with updates to the map on the Eat Wisconsin Fish website. What can we look forward to when this is complete?
The updated map will be really in-depth and easily filtered. It will be an upgrade to what’s currently there.
What I have planned is we’re going to have multiple layers, so you can easily select what you’re looking for, such as fishers, markets, academic or research facilities and so forth. For each producer, you’ll be able to easily see their location, address, a description, links to social media, a phone number and that sort of information.
Eat Wisconsin Fish is all about finding and enjoying fish that is sustainably caught or farmed in our state. That’s a nice fit with your major in sustainable community development. What draws you to this field?
I’ve always had a passion for the environment. Ever since I can remember, I’ve been fascinated with how the Earth works and how humans impact it. Long-term, I’d like to implement geography and GIS and do urban planning that is focused on sustainability.
We heard that you’re intrigued by Iceland and would love to work there someday! Tell us more.
As a country, Iceland is really focused on sustainability; they’re huge leaders in that field, with geothermal power and an emphasis on sustainable energy. Another aspect I like is Iceland’s emphasis on social justice and equality. Iceland has amazing things going on for the LGBT community, which I’m a member of.
I also have an odd fascination with puffins! Iceland has the largest puffin population in the world, with about 60% of the world’s Atlantic puffins.
In Wisconsin, we have to make the most of summer. It goes too fast! What’s your go-to dish this time of year that would pair well with Wisconsin fish?
My family has a great recipe for gazpacho. If you let it sit in the fridge for a bit, those flavors of tomato, lemon, onion and garlic really come together. It’s refreshing and very light.
You could serve this with a simple fish recipe, like the Fish Fillets with Lime from the Eat Wisconsin Fish website, using whitefish or whatever you like best. It would be a good choice for a hot summer day!