Welcome New Staff Members of 2020!

 

Americorps VISTA

Kristy is standing along a trail while smiling during the fall season. The trees have lost most of there leaves and all the leaves and plants have turned orange/brown.

Kristy: California born, Minnesota raised, and a recent graduate of Augsburg University, that’s me!  The Mississippi River holds a special place in my heart so catch me visiting her, dancing to bachata, or singing “Cielito Lindo” by Pedro Infante on my days off! I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to be at Mississippi Park Connection as an Americorps VISTA service member. Woohoooooo!

Tamara is smiling and wearing a blue shirt. In the background is a huge valley with tons of mountains in the distance.

Tamara: I am the new Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) working with the National Park Service at Mississippi National River and Recreation Area this year. I was born and raised in Burnsville, MN where I spent my free time reading and getting my hands dirty gardening. I attended a local community college before transferring to the University of Minnesota to receive my Bachelor's in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology. My work experience ranges from working in the public school system as a tutor and special education assistant to giving back to the community in national service learning positions as a Summer Youth Corps crew leader for the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa. I am excited to have my first National Park Service experience with the volunteer team co-managed by the park and Mississippi Park Connection. 

Seasonal Park Rangers

Cory is smiling while standing near a sign that talks about the Mississippi River! He is wearing a jacket and a hat while there is some frozen water behind him.

I’m Cory and this is my second year as a seasonal ranger here at MISS. I’m a Minnesota native who grew up outside. I was still a newborn infant when my parents started taking me camping and we never stopped. In the cities, Battle Creek was a frequent destination to get outside. Anytime we entered a park I scoured the map looking for my favorite feature to visit, the waterfalls. I also grew up experiencing every kind of weather Minnesota has to throw at us. When it was finally time to go off to college I studied both meteorology and geology, but it was meteorology that was the subject of my Master’s degree. I quickly realized that the job of being a meteorologist didn’t really interest me. Eventually I figured out that it was the parks calling to me all along and I pursued a career as a park ranger. Best. Decision. Ever! My favorite outdoor activities include hiking and backpacking, but kayaking is also a blast. I’m also a bit of a photographer with landscapes and natural features being my focus. My favorite things to photograph are small waterfalls and mushrooms. If you see me in the park and you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask me. I love sharing the things I have learned with people!

Haddy is smiling and wearing glasses. She is sitting in a booth while at a restaurant.

I'm Haddy. I'm one of two pathways seasonals this summer. I'll be going into my junior year at the University of Minnesota this fall, majoring in French and Environmental Sciences Policy Management. This is my first year as an NPS employee, but for the past couple of years I've been Mississippi Park Connection staff, so I'm pretty familiar with the other rangers, and I've spent some time at the sites. Although a lot of this summer is a bit of a mystery, I'm pretty excited to take it as it comes and hopefully learn a ton. I look forward to meeting all of you peeps while I'm here!

Amanda is smiling and wearing a pink shirt with a backpack on. She is in front of a huge hill formation.

My name is Amanda and I’m from St. Cloud, MN. This will be my fourth season as a park ranger for the National Park Service. My first two seasons were at Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site. Last season I was at Zion National Park. Before becoming a park ranger I worked for the Conversation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa in Grand Rapids. I love to travel. I have been to England, Germany and all over the US.   

Josh is wearing a hat and a backpack while standing near a stream of water. He is smiling and standing near someone else.

My name is Josh and I am a 31-year-old pathways ranger. I am currently a senior at the University of Central Oklahoma. I am majoring in Outdoor and Community Recreation and plan on graduating in December. I have been in the Army now for 10 years. In my free time I enjoy backpacking, climbing, and playing rugby. 

Rhylan is standing out on a mountain while other mountains are off in the distance and it's sunny outside. She is smiling and wearing a pink headband.

My name is Rhylan and I am in my second season working for the National Park Service. Last summer, I worked for Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and I am very lucky to be working for the MISS in the city that I call home! I graduated this May from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Environmental Sciences, Policy, and Management and with studies in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology and Park and Protected Area Management. I enjoy backpacking, hiking, running, biking, and cooking! 

Renee is standing out in a desert while off in the distance there is a huge mountain with some glacial snow. She is smiling and wearing a jacket and hat.

Renée is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 2017. Renée was an education intern with the National Park Service in San Francisco, California for one year. She mainly worked on Alcatraz Island, but also spent time in Muir Woods and the Marin Headlands with their education and interpretive programs. She spent last summer teaching English for a semester in Chile to students in 5th-12th grade and got to do some incredible traveling there. This past fall, Renée was interning with the education program in Acadia National Park, which involved taking students tide pooling, on night hikes and learning about the Maine wilderness. Renée enjoys reading, traveling, biking, making music, spending time with her large family and exploring new places. This is her first time in Minnesota!

Brad is smiling and wearing glasses. He is wearing a striped button shirt and standing in front of a painting.

My name is Brad. I recently retired (2016) after a 29 year career in law enforcement as a Conservation Officer with the MN DNR. I had patrol assignments here in the Twin Cities that included parts of the MISS and St. Croix Rivers. I also worked along the north shore of Lake Superior which included The Superior National Forest and Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

While living on the north shore I served as a guest instructor/naturalist at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center. I currently volunteer with several organizations here in the Twin Cities: The Raptor Center, The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, and Audubon MN.

I grew up in the Twin Cities and attended college at The University of Minnesota Duluth. I am looking forward to my duties here as a Park Ranger at MISS.

 
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