Voyageurs National Park and the Conservancy welcomes their new AmeriCorps VISTA and CVA
Voyageurs National Park and the Voyageurs Conservancy are excited to introduce our new AmeriCorps VISTA and Community Volunteer Ambassador! Laura Beck is working with the Voyageurs Conservancy to increase youth, volunteer, and community engagement opportunities that connect new audiences to Voyageurs National Park. Cassie Olson is working with the National Park Service to bolster the park’s Volunteer in Parks (VIP) program and create a sustainable pathway for individuals to help steward their national park.
Meet Laura Beck, Outreach Coordinator, AmeriCorps VISTA
Hiya! I’m Laura, Voyageurs Conservancy’s Outreach Coordinator through AmeriCorps VISTA. After years out west, I am thrilled to return to my Midwest roots to give back to the lands and communities that gave me my start.
Laura Beck, AmeriCorps VISTA
With pockets full of lessons from Wisconsin’s forests and waterways, I set off to Santa Clara University to study Communication with a side of Art History and Environmental Studies.
After graduation, I scampered back to the woods, interning at Rocky Mountain National Park and donning the green and grey at Capitol Reef National Park before transitioning to environmental and science outreach education in SE MN, WA, and UT.
After a few years in the mountains of Idaho, I’m returning to Minnesota with a Master of Natural Resources with emphases in Science Communication and Environmental Education from the University of Idaho’s McCall Outdoor Science School, a love of skiing in thrift store jackets, and the hope of making natural science fun and accessible for everyone.
Thank you to our partners, Conservation Legacy and the National Park Foundation for supporting our new AmeriCorps VISTA!
Meet Cassie Olson, Community Volunteer Ambassador
Cassie Olson, Community Volunteer Ambassador
I grew up in the forests and lakeshores of West Michigan where I first gained an appreciation for wilderness. At Central Michigan University, I studied Public History, German, and Museum Studies, in and out of the classroom. I was able to experience German language and culture firsthand by studying abroad in Germany, gaining knowledge of and respect for people from different societies. I had additional opportunities in a historical library and local museum, where I worked with both collections and education. A museum collections internship at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore opened my eyes to the possibilities of a career in the park service. I further explored this idea with a second internship at Fort Michilimackinac, a fur trading fort. As a historic interpreter, I was able to make history relevant and personal to visitors with engaging demonstrations and discussions. I hope to continue integrating my love of history, nature, conservation and people into my future career.
Becoming the Community Volunteer Ambassador for Voyageurs National Park is an exciting step in this journey. I will strive to cultivate a more inclusive and sustainable volunteer program that will help visitors become stewards of this northern Minnesota gem.