The Pottawattamie Conservation Environmental Education Mission is to promote environmental literacy by building relationships between people and the natural world.
Pottawattamie Conservation provides year-round environmental education programs in four main target areas: field trips at our county sites, outreach programs, public programs, and summer camps. The Pottawattamie Conservation Environmental Education county-wide program is headquartered at Hitchcock Nature Center in the Loess Hills Lodge Interpretive Facility.
Our environmental education programs are designed to develop an appreciation and understanding of our local environment, the communities within, and the inhabitants of those communities as well as to foster positive attitudes and patterns of conduct toward the environment. We believe that one is never finished learning. Each day offers the opportunity to observe and discover something new and to reflect and share our learning with others.
Public Programs
Programs for visitors of all ages to enjoy and experience.
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For Schools
In-school presentations and field trips for grades K-5.
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Private Programs
Off-site or on-site programs for community groups.
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Environmental Education Staff
Amy Campagna
Environmental Education Coordinator
amy.campagna@pottcounty-ia.gov
712-242-1189
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Amy Campagna
Environmental Education Coordinator
amy.campagna@pottcounty-ia.gov
712-242-1189
Amy is a Nebraska native who earned both her Bachelor of Science & Master of Science degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She brings a wealth of experience to our Environmental Education team & previously worked as a Youth Programs Coordinator, Environmental Educator, & Education Coordinator with other conservation & environmental organizations in the area. She has also lent her considerable skills to the Nebraska Master Naturalist program & Nebraska Wildlife Rehab.
Dustin Clayton
Naturalist
dustin.clayton@pottcounty-ia.gov
712-328-5834
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Dustin Clayton
Naturalist
dustin.clayton@pottcounty-ia.gov
712-328-5834
Dustin, an Omaha native, is a lifelong student of the natural world. He has been a practitioner of Earth-based skills for over 25 years. He has also formally studied geology as well as the traditional uses of native plants as foods and medicine. Dustin spends as much time as he can wandering the loess hills getting to know our local native wildlife.
Together, he and his wife Clarissa enjoy hiking, traveling, gardening, and birding.
Rene Stroud
Naturalist
rene.stroud@pottcounty-ia.gov
712-242-1197
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Rene Stroud
Naturalist
rene.stroud@pottcounty-ia.gov
712-242-1197
Rene Stroud received a Bachelor of Animal Ecology from Iowa State University. Rene has a wide variety of prior experience including providing environmental education to the citizens of Sac County, Iowa from 2005-2014. Some of her other experiences include banding birds in Texas, providing environmental education at Custer State Park, and interning at Neil Smith Wildlife Refuge.
Rene and her husband, Marty spend their time watching their daughter, June grow and rediscovering the joys of the outdoors together.
