WISCONSIN — In January 2021, when Liam Krause was hired by the USDA Forest Service Eastern Region State and Private Forestry program, it marked more than a new beginning — it was also the culmination of a series of key experiences in conservation, including two years of service with the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa.

It was in 2015 and 2016, during his work with the conservation corps, that Krause first connected with a Forest Service employee, Teri Heyer, who offered valuable advice about launching a career in the agency. Heyer is the Minneapolis/St. Paul coordinator for Urban Connections, an outreach program for the Forest Service’s Eastern Region that is based on a simple idea: reaching out to urban communities and building alliances to complement the Forest Service motto of “Caring for the land and serving people.”

As part of her role, Heyer routinely shares information with youth and AmeriCorps members in a variety of AmeriCorps programs about career opportunities with the Forest Service.

“I remember Teri emphasizing the variety of jobs with the Forest Service and the numerous ways to gain a competitive advantage in the hiring process, such as through Pathways or the Peace Corps,” said Krause.
Krause’s interest in conservation work was sparked many years ago. Raised in Deerfield, Wisconsin, he gained an appreciation for the natural world through his experiences in Boy Scouts and family vacations to places like the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Great Smoky Mountains and Sequoia National Park.

“I was very fortunate to have parents who put a lot of stock in getting us kids out to see the natural areas of our country,” said Krause. “It’s hard to have that kind of exposure without developing an appreciation for conservation work.”

After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in political science from Winona State University, Krause became a crew leader with the conservation corps, where he worked with fellow AmeriCorps members on restoration projects in Minnesota such as floodplain forest restoration in St. Paul’s Lilydale Regional Park. This experience cemented his passion for conservation and restoration.

After two years with the conservation corps, Krause joined the Peace Corps and participated in conservation and restoration work in Panama. There he served for two years, coordinating a community tree nursery and promoting reforestation, agroforestry and aquaculture best practices. Krause then returned to the United States and earned his master’s degree in forest ecology and management from Michigan Technological University.

This year, Heyer’s outreach efforts during Krause’s conservation corps experience came full circle when he successfully competed for his Forest Service role as the Eastern Region’s Forest Legacy Program assistant, a position based in the regional office in Milwaukee. During a regional office all-employee virtual meeting, Krause recognized Heyer when she gave an update on the Urban Connections program, and the two have reconnected.

As he embarks on his new career in the Forest Service, Krause will continue to enjoy hobbies including fly fishing and playing old fiddle tunes. Perhaps the Fiddlin’ Foresters are recruiting!