HADLEY — U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service employee Jackie Stephens starts her day at the Cronin Aquatic Resource Center in Sunderland by checking her email to see if she’s been fired.

“It feels like every day is just coming to work and opening up your email and just seeing what new has happened and doing your best to keep doing quality work for the projects that you are on and keep pushing them forward,” Stephens said, “because you can’t keep thinking about what might happen next.”

Stephens was speaking from a sidewalk at the crossroads of Routes 9 and 116 in Hadley, not far from Fish & Wildlife’s Northeast regional headquarters, where about 70 people gathered Monday to demonstrate against the Trump administration’s firing of 36 probationary employees and planned closure of the headquarters building in August. Employees at the regional headquarters are responsible for protection of 79 wildlife refuges in 13 states.

The Cronin Center serves as the Connecticut River Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, studying endangered freshwater mussel species, floodplain maps and climate change impacts. Stephens, who just received her master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, researches the ecological relationship between freshwater mussels and the blueback herring, but she never knows when her work will come to screeching halt.

“Continuing to maintain these funding relationships with the Fish & Wildlife facility, as well as with UMass — that connection is so integral, especially for scientists,” Stephens said. “All the interconnections that we can have with communication and collaboration, on the state, federal and nonprofit levels, we can all work together and accomplish some really great things. So I think that’s what would really be hit by these cuts.”

As she spoke, those attending the demonstration, bundled up in rain jackets on a cold, rainy spring day, were fueled by a symphony of supportive honks as vehicles drove through the busy intersection.

“We are outraged and saddened that the Trump Republican administration is indiscriminately (and often illegally) firing federal workers who provide valuable services to our communities and people,” said Marta Lev, protest organizer and member of Swing Left Western Mass.

“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service does essential work to protect wildlife, open spaces and the environment. We stand in solidarity with these brave civil servants to demand that this ruthless cutting be stopped and that our government continues to work for the people.”

A federal employee at the U.S. Geological Survey, who requested anonymity for fear of retribution, said they work with many employees at the Fish & Wildlife headquarters who remain in limbo, waiting to hear more about the future of their jobs.

“I talked to someone today who was distraught, emotionally explaining they don’t know what they’ll do. There’s no plan,” they said.

The employee’s fears regarding their own job security grow on a weekly basis, despite their position as a high-ranking federal employee. However, their concerns aren’t limited to their own job. Many of the researchers they’ve trained are struggling to find and maintain federal jobs, facing whiplash between probationary firings, possible rehirings and refirings.

“It’s all so toxic for recruiting the next generation of brilliant professionals that we need to run the greatest country in the world,” they said.

UMass Ph.D. student Anna Baynes experiences these “toxic” working conditions as she witnesses her coworkers and friends get fired. Baynes showed up to the protest with Corrin Moss, who works in the clean energy sector, to communicate to the American people what is happening to these public services.

“We’re seeing grant funding get cut, staff get fired, cuts everywhere to things that are really essential,” Moss said. “The climate crisis is the most pressing issue of our time and cutting everything, including [U.S. Fish & Wildlife personnel and offices] is really scary.”

Despite the motivations of the demonstration focused on Fish & Wildlife, many protesters expressed more broad concerns about grant freezes, office closures and staff layoffs across the federal government.

Amherst resident Teresa Amabile said Congress’ failure to follow through on appropriations to federal departments and agencies is not only detrimental economically and diplomatically, but directly contradicts her values.

Former educator Nancy Jessup said she’s fighting in whatever way she can to the protect the people who protect wildlife, social benefits and human well-being.

“I hope that people driving by see how many different people care about these federal organizations,” Stephens said. “It’s not just Fish & Wildlife out here; everyone is taking hits and feeling the impact. As a community, it’s all about coming together and building strength in numbers.”

Emilee Klein can be reached at eklein@gazettenet.com.