Many North Harford students have Mr. Jacob Birchfield as a teacher for the first time this year.  But many don’t know that he’s not only a teacher, he’s also a  boat captain. 

     “I teach during the school year, then during the summer I move down to Chincoteague, Virginia and captain for several months,” replied Birchfield.   He said there are so many different things he can do as a boat captain. “I gave scenic tours of wildlife such as whales, dolphins, sea turtles and the wild horses on Assateague,” said Birchfield. This is one of his favorite things. “My favorite part is seeing the wildlife and being up close and personal with nature. I also love meeting new people,” he said.

     Wonder how to get into this job? Birchfield said he made many different connections and ended up getting introduced to it. “While going to college at Salisbury, I made a lot of connections while working a summer job as a kayak instructor,” says Birchfield. “I worked in Chincoteague, Va where I eventually acquired my captain’s license,” he continued. This was in 2021 when he started and now has been doing it for almost 4 years.