Watershed Conservation Corps Staff
Watershed Conservation Corps Staff
Rodney Edwards, WCC Director
Rodney grew up in central Missouri and discovered his love of the outdoors at an early age. While earning a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology from Missouri State University he developed a deep affection for the clear running streams and the vegetative diversity of the “hills n’ hollers” of the Missouri Ozarks. Rodneys career path has allowed him to develop an interdisciplinary approach of gaining experience while working in both the public and private sectors of resource management. He has worked for the National Park Service within Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, served as lead technician on an invasive plant management team, worked as an ISA Certified Arborist for a utility contractor, performed as burn boss leading a team for conducting controlled burns, been on western fires as a wildland firefighter, implemented various strategies for native vegetation and wildlife management in rangeland settings for private properties, and acquired various construction skills while filling in the gaps as a carpenter.
As a member of the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks team, Rodney looks forward to expanding his profound desire of preservation, protection, and restoration of natural communities, providing a service for both public use opportunities and private landowners as well as advancing the critical message of habitat conservation and restoration. Rodney has called the Springfield area his home for nearly 20 years. With his free time, Rodney enjoys trying to fool a fish on one of the many waters of the Ozarks and pursuing quality bird habitat on public land with his trusty sidekick Tig.
Grant Denbow, Projects Coordinator
Grant grew up in the Ozarks, spending much of his time outdoors, which spurred his passion for nature. This led him to attend Missouri State University, where he graduated in 2021 with a double major in Wildlife Conservation & Management/Natural Resources with an emphasis in Forestry. Grant joined the Watershed Conservation Corps after graduating and serves as the Local Field Lead. He enjoys the experience of being able to steward the many native habitat types we are host to.
He has always had a passion for the outdoors and he spends his free time roaming the Ozarks on adventures with his wife and their two dogs, hiking, fishing, or just hanging out in the backyard.
Jeremiah Cline, Federal Projects Manager
Jeremiah “Jerry” grew up spending most of his summers enjoying the local lakes and rivers in Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas. At a young age, with these experiences, he recognized the importance of protecting the unique flora and fauna found throughout the Ozarks.
While pursuing his degree in biology at Missouri Southern State University (MSSU), Jerry worked as a Seasonal Steward at Roaring River State Park in 2019. This role helped solidify his career choice. He then moved to Prairie State Park and the Cardinal Valley Restoration Project. Towards the end of his college career, he took the skills learned from his work experience in habitat restoration and created a wetland restoration project that included an outdoor classroom, removing invasive plant species, and promoting natives on the MSSU campus.
In the summer of 2020, he joined the Watershed Conservation Corps (WCC). Starting out as a crew member, then becoming a crew leader, and he has now stepped into a more administrative role as the Federal Program Manager.
Henry Wilbers, National Park Service Level 3 Conservation Technician
Henry has been with the Watershed Conservation Corps since 2021, working with on the Buffalo National River. Henry grew up in Springfield, MO and attended Missouri State University where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology. Henry joined the WCC because he believes that careful management of invasive species is the first step toward creating more diverse, resilient, and beautiful natural areas. In the future, he hopes to be federally employed and work in a position that prioritizes observational science. Henry also enjoys activities like running, and gardening
Veronica Jensen, National Park Service Level 2 Conservation Technician
Veronica grew up in rural South-Central Missouri and spent most of her childhood exploring the outdoors. She grew up with an admiration for law enforcement and for nature. Veronica graduated from Ozarks Technical Community College with an associate degree in criminal justice in 2018 and then from Missouri State University with a bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology and a certificate in conservation law enforcement in 2023. Veronica joined the Watershed Conservation Corps to learn more about plant life and working with the National Park Service.
Mackenzie Blair, National Park Service Level 1 Conservation Technician
Mackenzie is from Lebanon, Missouri. As a kid she was always interested in science and nature. Living in Lebanon gave her the opportunity to hike as on the beautiful trails of Bennett Springs State Park, reaffirming her passion for science and the environment. She attended Ozarks Technical Community College to get her associates degree and transferred to Missouri State University in 2020. Mackenzie graduated from Missouri State with a double major in Natural Resources and Wildlife Conservation & Management. During her time at MSU, she gained an interest in habitat restoration after learning the importance of protecting biodiversity and the impact of invasive species. Mackenzie says she decided to join Watershed to help protect and give back to nature, stating “I look forward to seeing the progress that we make as a team.”
Ryan Moore, National Park Service Level 1 Conservation Technician
Ryan is from Lake Ozark Missouri, he grew up on the lake and spent his free time outdoors hunting and fishing. He attended Missouri State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources with a certificate in soil sciences. Ryan Joined the Watershed Conservation Corps to gain experience in vegetation management and habitat restoration. Ryan hopes to work in a direct role for the National Park Service in the future!
Katelyn Polly, National Park Service Level 1 Conservation Technician
Katelyn grew up in a small farm town east of Kansas City, Missouri. Her family owns property where she discovered her love for plants and wildlife. Whether it was catching frogs, riding 4-wheelers with her dad and brother, or simply exploring the woods, most of her time was spent outdoors. Katelyn moved to Springfield to attend Missouri State University, where she recently graduated with a major in Wildlife Biology, and minor in Horticulture. While attending, she connected with Fassnight Farms, a local, family-owned produce and flower farm, where she has worked for a few years, only growing her love for the beauty of nature, and the satisfaction of hard work. Katelyn is looking forward to traveling with the crew to improve habitats, working with the NPS, and making connections with like-minded people. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, gardening, being by the water, and art.
Alex Stradal, United States Forest Service Level 2 Conservation Technician
Alex was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. To beat the heat in the summers, Alex spent much of his time in Northern Michigan on the Lake with his grandparents, picking blueberries and cherries, playing tennis, and capsizing the family’s small sailboat. After graduating with his BA in Philosophy and Religion in 2015, he joined AmeriCorps St. Louis Emergency Response Team, where he spent the next two years serving with both state and federal agencies. During his time with AmeriCorps, Alex was deployed to numerous natural disasters where he primarily functioned as a logistics specialist helping deliver aid to families. During his two years of service, Alex also developed strong conservation and forestry skills by running chainsaws, combating invasive plant species, and helping restore the integrity of natural communities in the Missouri Ozarks. After his two years of National Service, he jumped on board a type 6 wildland fire engine with the Bureau of Land Management in New Mexico. The fire season was about what he expected: hot, exciting, and dangerous, but it was not the career path for him. Coming back to Missouri after the fire season, he worked for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources on a land stewardship crew and helped manage many state parks in Eastern Missouri through timber stand improvement and controlled burns. While this was an excellent job, it was also only seasonal, and after two seasons with DNR, Alex started to look for something different. Alex then went to work for another government agency, FEMA, where he traveled rural Missouri as a Site Inspector Specialist, helping communities document infrastructure damages so they could receive federal assistance to rebuild their communities for another government agency, FEMA, where he traveled rural Missouri as a Site Inspector Specialist helping communities document infrastructure damages so they could receive federal assistance to rebuild their communities. Alex continued his work as a site inspector well into the onset of the COVID pandemic, then switched gears within FEMA by assisting with the vaccine roll-out efforts at the Dome in downtown St. Louis. Later Alex went to work for the National Park Service, as an interpretative Park Ranger at Ozark National Scenic Riverway where he was able to teach thousands of park visitors about the cultural and historical significance of the Ozarks. On his last day as a park ranger, Alex was offered a supervisory position with the Ozark Trail Association and then spent the next ten months with his co-worker hiking, maintaining, and surveying the 400+ miles of the Ozark Trail. After exceeding the expected length of commitment to the OTA, Alex moved back to St. Louis where he worked in a high school during the fall semester. Feeling the itch to get back in the woods, Alex sought employment with the Watershed Committee and is very excited to help improve the Paddy Creek Wilderness Area.
Caitlyn Kelly, United States Forest Service Level 2 Conservation Technician
Caitlyn was born and raised in Springfield, MO and grew up floating the Current River, camping throughout the Mark Twain National Forest, and spending Summers at table rock lake with her family. Caitlyn has a passion for environmental science and sustainability. In 2020, she joined AmeriCorps St. Louis Emergency Response Team. During her time with AmeriCorps, Caitlyn performed conservation throughout Missouri, assisted with emergency management operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, and was trained as a Wildland Firefighter. Despite her diversity in experience, Caitlyn was inspired by the natural environments of Missouri and decided to pursue more field work in conservation.
While working as a Trail Supervisor for Ozark Trail Association, in May of 2023, Caitlyn received her B.S. in Environmental Studies, Sustainability, and Science online from Antioch University. Caitlyn has a deep understanding of the lasting impact sustainable trails have on the surrounding environment and the role they play in the protection of wildlife habitats and biodiversity. She advocates for the environment and encourages others to recreate responsibly while enjoying the beautiful glades, prairies, and woodlands of the expansive Ozarks.
Caitlyn has joined WCC for the 2024 Spring/Summer season to become involved with the Watershed’s vision in “Clean Water for Life” and assist in preserving public lands in the Ozarks. After her season with WCC, she intends to pursue her MS in Environmental Studies with an emphasis on Wetland Ecology and Natural Resource Management.
Taylor Hudson, United States Forest Service Level 1 Conservation Technician
Taylor Hudson grew up exploring the forests, streams, and caves within the Ozark Missouri region, developing an appreciation for all things in the wild. Wanting to learn more about the environment and means to protect it, she pursued an environmental science major.
During her time in college, Taylor worked as a teaching assistant in an entry level earth science class, volunteered with the sustainability and plant clubs, and completed undergraduate research on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Taylor graduated from Hope College (Holland, MI) with a degree in environmental science and a concentration in geology. She chose to join the Watershed Conservation Corps to learn more about Missouri’s native plants and the United States Forest Service.