Meet Erika, the park's new CVA!

Hi everyone! My name is Erika and I’m the new Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) serving with the National Park Service and Mississippi Park Connection for the next year! Tamara Few previously held my position. I have been a nature lover from a young age, always finding new places to explore outdoors as a kid. Growing up just outside of Minneapolis, I would ride my bike to the Mississippi River to skip rocks and admire the giant cottonwood trees—something I still find myself doing to this day!

My curiosity for the natural world led me to study Landscape and Horticulture at Hennepin Technical College. I later went on to participate in the Minnesota GreenCorps for the City of Fridley’s urban forestry program, an experience that left me wanting a deeper understanding of natural resource management. I decided to go back to school and enrolled at the University of Minnesota where I studied Forest and Natural Resource Management, specializing in Parks and Protected Area Management. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 2019 and spent a season working at the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District where I gained a greater understanding of ecological restoration and invasive carp management.

In my new position as CVA, I will be assisting with environmental stewardship, recreational, and educational programming. I love helping others discover and experience the outdoors without having to travel far from home so I’m excited to be working in the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, the park I grew to love long before I knew it had a name.