Filling my sense of purpose: Welcome to my blog

By Doug Beard, Senior Advisor, Rooted Waters Consulting

I’ve written previously about the things I miss from working: the people, learning, and sense of purpose. The question for me now is how do I find these things in my new life stage? Start a blog, of course!

My Winding Path 

I’d been working since I was 15, starting with bagging groceries at the local IGA and ending with running a national climate science program for the federal government.  Throughout my work journey I sought job opportunities that allowed me the freedom to learn and grow without necessarily being hemmed into a set of routine tasks. I never set out for a predetermined goal (although I know that works for many people); instead, I let my curiosity, willingness to learn and/or fail, and self-confidence take me through an interesting career journey. Probably why I ended up in the sciences. 

"There's only one thing that I know how to do well... and that's be you, be what you're like, be like yourself." – They Might Be Giants

My first professional stop was short-lived with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, working as a field fisheries biologist. Which, in retrospect, was definitely not my strength, given my non-interest in details, inability to focus on a small set of defined tasks, and, well, my complete dislike of planning. Luckily, within six months I moved to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WI DNR), helping to implement a joint fishery between recreational anglers and traditional tribal fishers. Right in my wheelhouse – everything was new (although bound by a legal settlement), plenty of room to explore and grow while assuring the joint fishery was sustainable. And the WI DNR was an excellent employer, even allowing me to build a Ph.D. into my work program.  

For my next career step, I wanted to work on a bigger scale than the state could offer and build upon my lifelong love of applied science, i.e. science used to help solve management problems. I ended up at the United States Geological Survey (USGS), a world-class government science agency, whose mission is to work directly on the intersection of science and application. I worked my way through various fisheries programs, ultimately leading a number of national and international initiatives.

Then the opportunity of a lifetime was presented to me: the chance to build a program from the ground up, providing science to agencies to adapt to a changing climate. But what did I know about climate? Very little, if I was being honest, other than that it is an important driver of change for fish and fisheries. But I was always interested in learning new things, so I took the plunge.  And what an excellent opportunity it turned out to be. USGS, like the WI DNR, is an excellent employer, allowing creativity, learning and growth to be a part of your job. With no roadmap to follow, I was able to put my footprint on the development and growth of the Department of the Interior’s Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASC). Leading the CASCs was an incredibly fulfilling capstone to my career, allowing all those things I loved about working to occur simultaneously – great people, constant learning, and a sense of purpose.  

So What’s Next?

But what does this all have to do with my life now?  Well, these jobs really helped me hone in on what meant the most to me about working, and allowed me to grow professionally and personally. So, in looking at my semi-retirement and my new role with Rooted Waters, I’ve tried to be intentional about filling the holes where work once was.

I’ve stayed engaged with the people I worked with previously, largely through Rooted Waters efforts, continued active participation in the American Fisheries Society (AFS) and continued engagement with the International Biodiversity Assessment community through the Intergovernmental science-policy platform for biodiversity and ecosystem services (IPBES). Together, we’ve written proposals to work on recreational fishing issues and climate adaptation projects. I’ve also kept in touch with former staff on ongoing science projects. I’ve even had time to be a lead author on a paper; it had been quite some time!  

Learning lifelong I think is a choice, which for me has been fairly easy to maintain. I still read voraciously, always non-fiction, because I get to learn something new with each book.  I still engage with the International Assessment community, because of its excellent ability to pull together experts from multiple disciplines to address problems (and I can learn from those that work in other areas than myself).  And I’m still engaged on science projects, forcing me to keep up with the latest thinking and approaches.  

That leaves maintaining a sense of purpose, perhaps the biggest hole to fill. Yes I know when you retire, that’s supposed to change. But I still care deeply about fish, fisheries, recreational fishing, aquatic biodiversity, and, perhaps as importantly, the future of the scientific enterprise that supports sustainability. Certainly, the consulting team can fill part of that, continued work on projects in my areas of interest also help, but I feel like I need more for that purpose.  

So, I’ve realized that one thing missing to help with my sense of purpose is the writing I did while working, usually to help push forward new ideas or challenge existing dogma. I always enjoyed writing down my ideas (some good, some not so good) and seeing where they would take the debate. I was never afraid to be wrong, but always willing to challenge accepted notions. 

So with that, I’m starting a blog series to help me fill the “sense of purpose” hole in my semi-retirement. I hope they make you think about the world, your career, or science differently, and that these ideas (through you, the reader) can contribute to the ongoing discourse in a meaningful way. Please enjoy!

Doug Beard retired in May 2025 after 15 years as the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Climate Adaptation Science Center (National CASC). He is now a Senior Advisor with Rooted Waters Consulting LLC and a scientist emeritus with the USGS. Doug also continues to contribute his extensive expertise in fisheries biology through roles with the Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis Working Group on Guidelines on Core Data for Climate-Resilient Inland Fisheries (GO FISH).