FIELD NOTES BLOG

Introducing Shannon

Shannon Osadjan
October 22, 2024

Hello! My name is Shannon (she/her/hers) and this is my first year serving as an AmeriCorps Environmental Educator here at Severson Dells! I am from Poplar Grove, IL and have spent most of my childhood exploring familiar Stateline attractions.



In Summer 2023, I graduated from Iowa State University with my bachelors degree in Geology and a minor in Environmental Studies. I’ve spent the past year exploring the United States and trying to see as much as I can (37/50 states, and counting). I’m looking forward to applying my education and travel experiences towards teaching the community. 



Since a young age, I have always had a great passion for nature and the great outdoors. Some of my earliest memories as a child are being at Rock Cut State Park, either fishing or floating on a kayak in the middle of the lake. I love going on road trips and I am always down for an adventure!



In my free time you can find me watching movies, hiking with my dog, at concerts, or nerding out on rocks. 



I’m grateful to be a new AmeriCorps member at Severson Dells and I can’t wait to see what I accomplish in my time here!


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By Olivia Price August 13, 2026
As the goldenrod has begun to bloom over the past week, the prairie has started to look closer to how it did when I first started my AmeriCorps term here last fall. I have loved spending so much time on this land for the past year, a year which has been hallmarked by the breathtaking colors, sounds, and smells that the forest and prairie have taken on as the seasons turned. Being a witness to this nearly everyday has changed me for the better, and I will forever be grateful to have gotten to know this place and its people.
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Remember how excited you were when you got to go on a school field trip? Whether it was to a zoo, a play, or a forest preserve, you were excited! A day out of school; something new to look at; and the chance to sit by your best friend on the bus.