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Get to Know: Amy Campagna, Environmental Education Coordinator
We are delighted to announce that our Environmental Education team is growing! We would like to welcome our new teammate, Amy Campagna, & introduce you to this terrific educator. Amy will be taking on the daunting task of assisting our Naturalists in presenting educational programming as well as assisting in program development, overseeing the department schedules, & so much more. We are so excited to have her on board & look forward to all the experience she brings with her.
I sat down with Amy to get to know her so check out her interview & then stop by the park to say hi in person this season!
What is your personal and educational background?
I grew up on a small family farm in south-central Nebraska. I received my BS and MS degrees in Human Services fields from UNL and worked as a Youth Program Coordinator and then as a Counselor in the Omaha area before my husband and I moved our family to an acreage west of Fort Calhoun, Nebraska. There I focused on raising our three children and taking care of all the animals that soon followed. In 2011, I completed the training for the Nebraska Master Naturalist program, and that's where I found my people. I've been working and volunteering in the field ever since.
Where did you work prior to joining the staff at Pottawattamie County?
Prior to joining the team at PCC, I was the Education Coordinator for Nebraska Wildlife Rehab, an organization dedicated to rehabilitating sick, injured, and orphaned native wildlife. Because most of those animals are in need of help because of things people do, public education is a big part of their mission. I spent a lot of time in schools and in the community educating youth and adults about native wildlife and ecosystems. I had the great privilege of taking care of some very special animals, too. I was also an Educator for Fontenelle Forest where I facilitated nature-based programs for a lot of fun, energetic young people.
Tell me about a project of accomplishment that you consider significant in your career.
If I have changed a few individuals' perceptions about wildlife and the importance of protecting our natural systems, I consider that a great accomplishment. Once a student cried in fear of a live educational opossum I brought to her classroom. By the end of the hour learning about opossums and getting up close and personal with one, she exclaimed with enthusiasm that it was her new favorite animal.
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