Farewell to Kass, FMR's 2024-25 Climate Impact Corps member

This summer, we said goodbye to Kass Swanson, who wrapped up their AmeriCorps term as a member of the Climate Impact Corps. Programs like the Climate Impact Corps are vital for nonprofits like Friends of the Mississippi River, bringing in skilled, dedicated service members who expand our capacity to connect communities with the river and advance our mission. Since the creation of Americorps in 1994, over 1 million Americans have served through its programs.

While at FMR, Kass worked in classrooms alongside Youth Program Manager Sovatha Oum. They helped deliver engaging, hands-on lessons about river health, conservation and community action to students across the metro area. Their skill in making environmental topics interesting, fun and relevant strengthened our youth education programs and left a lasting impression on the students and teachers they worked with.

Kass also had the chance to participate in our community stewardship event season, where they helped bring interpretive walks to some of our volunteer restoration events. Drawing on their training in environmental education, Kass created and led guided walks that gave volunteers time to explore and learn about the restoration site before picking up tools. These walks quickly became a highlight for volunteers and are something we plan to continue as a regular part of our events.

“Kass always found skillful, accessible ways to weave information into volunteer stewardship events and enhance events’ educational impact,” said FMR’s Volunteer Program Manager Carrie Pomeroy. “Their knowledge and enthusiasm shone through brightly.”

We rely on volunteers and service members to make much of our work possible, from habitat restoration to community education. Kass’s contributions over the past year remind us of how much can be accomplished when skilled, passionate people step into these roles.

Thank you, Kass, for the dedication and insight you brought to our classrooms and restoration events this past year. We'll miss you!