Upland habitat enthusiast returns to The Habitat Organization
Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) are proud to announce Marissa Jensen has returned to the organization as the habitat education programs manager. Jensen will help lead numerous conservation education initiatives, including the Pollinator Habitat Outreach Program and Milkweed in the Classroom. She will also help expand participation and education on the importance of quality wildlife habitat, wild places and healthy ecosystems.
“We are extremely excited for the opportunity to bring Marissa back to the organization in a leadership role that will allow her to have a major impact on our national efforts to expand, educate & engage the upland conservation community,” said Colby Kerber, PF & QF’s director of conservation education programs. “As an avid upland bird hunter, Marissa has a deep passion for grassland landscapes and truly personifies how our habitat education programs inform others on the significant role of one of the nation’s most iconic ecosystems.”
Just one of the programs Jensen will now oversee, Milkweed in the Classroom is a turn-key habitat education program that provides all the necessary materials to grow native plants in classrooms across the country. It also includes on-line training on how to grow native plants via curriculum that meets all national science standards. The results of this program not only benefit pollinators by providing quality foraging and nesting habitat, but also provide opportunities for youth to get outside and gain an appreciation for wildlife and conservation
Similarly, the Pollinator Habitat Outreach Program helps educate future generations of conservationists about the importance of Pheasant Forever and Quail Forever’s habitat mission. With the realization that good pheasant and quail habitat is also good pollinator habitat, Jensen will work with PF & QF staff and local chapters nationwide to create youth pollinator projects in their communities.
An Omaha, Nebraska native, Jensen came to The Habitat Organization in 2018 when she was hired as the organization’s outreach and communications coordinator in Nebraska. She then transitioned to the education and outreach program manager position where she developed the Women on the Wing initiative, coordinated the National Youth Leadership Council, and represented PF & QF at events across the country. As founder of the Nebraska Chapter of the Mayfly Project – designed to mentor at-risk youth through outdoor activities and fly fishing – and a regular contributor to many different outdoor publications including Project Upland and Trail Tales, Jensen is well-suited for her role as part of the organization’s conservation education team. A licensed veterinarian technician by trade, biology major and wingshooter, Jensen is an all-around outdoorswoman.
Since July of 2023, Jensen has been working with City Sprouts as their executive director. Here, she worked with Omaha-area residents, volunteers, and interns to grow vegetables, flowers, and herbs using environmentally responsible and sustainable gardening techniques in community gardens and an urban farm.
“I’m thrilled to be back home with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever as the habitat education programs manager,” Jensen said. “This position allows me to combine my passion for habitat conservation and education to help our organization ensure a sustainable future for wildlife and the next generation of conservationists.”
For questions about PF & QF’s education and outreach program, contact Marissa Jensen at [email protected].
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever make up the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. This community of more than 420,000 members, supporters and partners is dedicated to the protection of our uplands through habitat improvement, public access, education, and advocacy. A network of 754 local chapters spread across North America determine how 100 percent of their locally raised funds are spent — the only national conservation organization that operates through this grassroots structure. Since its creation in 1982, the organization has dedicated more than $1 billion to 580,000 habitat projects benefiting 26.5 million acres.
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