Meet Ethan Robison, AmeriCorps Member

Ethan Robison when he thought it was a good idea to shave his head.

By Ethan Robison

Hello! My name is Ethan Robison and I am PPRV’s first AmeriCorps member. With the official title of “Pollinator Education and Outreach Specialist” comes a wide range of responsibilities and some exciting prospects for the future of PPRV.

Before all that, I was born in Reno, Nevada. My Mom is an artist and illustrator, and my Dad is a structural/civil engineer. My twin inherited all the art talent, and my older sister inherited all the math skills. I was left with facial hair and chronic back pain! In addition to these, my parents encouraged me to remain curious and dedicated. These qualities have helped me follow the path I am currently on. In 2021 I began attending Southern Oregon University as an Environmental Science and Policy major, and in 2022 I decided to minor in Biology as well. After graduating, I plan on pursuing a masters degree in entomology with a specific focus on aquatic invertebrates. In addition to my family, I have my high school Biology and Environmental Science teachers to thank for inspiring me to pursue my passion for science and education.

What is AmeriCorps, you might ask. AmeriCorps is a federal program tasked with bringing service members to communities and organizations in need, and works to further their efforts in education, environmental stewardship, healthy futures, and more. AmeriCorps has partnered with United Community Action Network (UCAN), an organization working in southwest Oregon to bring service members to organizations needing support to develop their scope and capabilities. As an AmeriCorps member, I am serving the community by helping to create, develop, and deliver education and volunteer programs at PPRV. You can learn more here.

Ethan releasing our second monarch!

I chose to pursue this opportunity because for the past few years, the work I was doing was just work and didn’t feel like it mattered or changed anything. I wanted to step away from that feeling, and try working on something that mattered to me. In pursuing that, I found AmeriCorps and their position with PPRV. I am looking forward to making lesson plans, working with the Education Committee, meeting with volunteers, and I am especially excited to get to know the community better.

PPRV's table at the Monarch Release at Phoenix Industrial Studios this month and a few of the American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) caterpillars we are raising!

I am excited to use my passion for learning and teaching to spread the message of PPRV and advocate for native pollinators. In just my first two weeks at PPRV, I’ve gotten the chance to release monarch butterflies, track 30 American Lady caterpillars that hatched in the propagation nursery, meet and talk with local growers and conservationists, make educational posters, and help kids make seed bombs out of seeds collected from native plants in PPRV’s gardens! So far it’s been a blast, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with the community.