Hello! My name is Megan McReynolds, and I am excited to be working as a Land Stewardship Technician this season for Oakland Township Parks & Recreation. I am a recent graduate of Grand Valley State University with a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources Management, minor in General Business, and certification in GIS and Technology. While I have loved my time spent in the classroom, I am thrilled to finally be putting my skills and knowledge to use in this career field. I am looking forward to the opportunity to learn and grow as a land steward and to interact with the local community!

Like many kids who grew up on Finding Nemo and the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, I dreamt of being a marine biologist to study sharks from the time I could barely walk right up until I started at GVSU. I began my college journey majoring in General Biology, thinking I could eventually find my way to an ocean. However, after just two grueling weeks of classes and speaking with my academic advisor, I knew that this was not the right fit for me. I felt lost at first – after all, I was THE shark girl to everyone who knew me – what was my future if I was not to be a marine biologist?

Swimming with nurse sharks (a.k.a. water puppies) in the Bahamas.

I wanted to be in a more people-oriented field while still doing work to protect the environment, so my advisor suggested I try the Natural Resources Management (NRM) major. At first, I was a bit skeptical, but I quickly learned that the NRM major and career field was exactly what I had been looking for. It opened my eyes to an array of applied sciences that I had never even thought about (soil sciences, restoration ecology, watersheds and wetland management, pollution management, etc.) – all with goals of protecting, conserving, and/or advocating for our natural resources. Additionally, through this major I was exposed to geographic information systems (GIS) technology, which quickly became a passion of mine to learn and led to my pursuit of the certification.

Here I am using a soil probe to examine soil horizons and textures for my restoration ecology project.

As I progressed through my NRM degree, I decided I wanted to minor in General Business. Managing our natural resources seemed to be more about managing people and businesses. I found myself sitting in classrooms of two extremes with myself somewhere in the middle. At the business school, most professors and students were not entirely concerned with our natural resources when it came to the protection of these resources over time – they focused on trying to monetize things. Meanwhile, in my NRM-based classes, my peers passionately spoke in favor of always protecting our natural resources as you could hardly put a price on their value. Ultimately, I came to understand both sides. I knew that in order to protect our natural resources for the future, we must bridge the gap between those who see intrinsic and ecological value in nature with those who might give up these resources for other advancements.

Becoming a land steward for Oakland Township has helped me kickstart my journey towards a career that can integrate both my natural resources management training and my business skills and knowledge. I have greatly enjoyed learning what it means to be a land steward, and I have an immense, newfound respect for those who manage parks and natural spaces for the community’s pleasure – it is hard work! So far, my favorite part of this position has been learning about the countless native bird species on Wednesday bird-walks with local community members. I am excited to meet new people and continue learning and developing new skills this season – Please say hello if you see us on the trails!

Extra info about me: I have been playing tennis for nearly 15 years, I love to golf or cook in my free time, and I enjoy watching new movies. Leave me a comment with your favorite if you have one!