When hiring a new naturalist, Louisa County Conservation decided to go with a familiar face from their recent past. Bobbi Provost had interned with the conservation board in 2014, and now she has returned to take over the position recently vacated by Roxy Gerard. Provost is originally from Chicago, Illinois, and graduated in May from Iowa State University majoring in animal ecology with a focus on interpretation of natural resources and a minor in environmental studies. Since leaving ISU, she had been working as a seasonal naturalist for Story County Conservation.

The internship at Louisa County Conservation is what inspired Provost to pursue a career as a naturalist, so she jumped at the chance to return when the position became available. She said, “I was definitely excited when I saw it came open. I loved it when I interned down here the first time, so I was very excited to see that it was a position they were looking for.” She officially started the job last Monday, and she has enjoyed working with the staff so far. Louisa County Conservation is one of the few county conservation boards that employs two naturalists to handle the multitude of programs offered, and Provost says working with Naturalist Lana Artz-McComb has already been a positive experience.