Hubbard County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) welcomed a new staff member this spring.
Claire Hansen is a community conservationist.
Originally from Anoka, she moved to Bemidji in 2012 to attend Bemidji State University. She received a Bachelor’s of Science in aquatic biology and continued my education by pursuing a master’s in biology immediately after.
Throughout her time at BSU, she says she “worked many positions in lake and stream sampling as well as outdoor education.”
“I have a passion for outdoor activities and outdoor recreation. After completing my credits, I worked at a school as a special education paraprofessional as well as outdoor education and service learning,” Hansen said.
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She worked for a summer with Hubbard County SWCD on gardening and pollination projects – “another passion of mine” – and she “really enjoyed the work being done and the staff at the office.”
Hansen praised SWCD staff as “very knowledgeable, and the work aligns with the conservation that I hope to continue throughout my career here.”
As community conservationist, Hansen does a variety of tasks. “I am taking over coordination of citizen science data collection, coordinating our nitrate clinics – we have free nitrate testing the first Friday of every month and at many local events. I assist with easement acquisition and processing, wetland work, education outreach and much more,” she explained. “I am looking forward to continuing learning and engaging the community in natural resource and conservation practices.”
