Karen Solas
Stewardship Director
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Karen Solas is Mississippi Park Connection's Stewardship Director. She works with land managers, natural resources professionals, community and tribal partners to ensure that efforts across the entire park are aligned, ecologically sustainable, prioritize best practices for climate change adaptation, and incorporate indigenous knowledge.
Karen has led hundreds of volunteer ecological restoration events, educational outings, workshops, and lectures and formerly worked as Friends of the Mississippi River’s Stewardship Coordinator. While at the MN Pollution Control Agency, Karen directed the MN GreenCorps program, a statewide sustainability-focused AmeriCorps program. She also worked on environmental justice at the MPCA, seeking to modify practices to provide more equitable environmental protection and access to the decision-making processes that contribute to healthy communities. She has spent time as a research assistant, a field crew member, a consultant developing habitat and restoration management plans, and a sustainability program manager. Karen is a former board member of the Minnesota Environmental Fund, and a current board member of the YMCA's Camp Northern Lights.
Interests
Karen is a big fan of all four seasons and loves camping, hiking, running, paddling, and pretty much any other activity that gets her outside. She loves good food, good music, good conversation, and a good field guide, and is always planning her next adventure.