Molly Hanson has spent the past four years as a naturalist in Madison County, helping people learn about Iowa’s environment. At the same time, she was on the board of Iowa Rivers Revival, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting Iowa’s vast array of streams. When the group decided to hire its first full-time director, Hanson got the job.

It was the latest move in a career that quickly veered away from the typical path of University of Northern Iowa geology majors — teaching, graduate school or working for an oil company.

When she interned at the Black Hawk County conservation department, “that really opened my eyes to conservation in Iowa, especially the environmental education component,” Hanson said. “I’m a difference-maker. I wanted to do something positive for my state.”

We talked with Hanson at an Ingersoll Avenue coffee shop to see how her early career path led her to Iowa Rivers Revival.

How did you get interested in educating people about environmental issues?
In fourth grade we had to give how-to speeches and teach the class how to do something. I taught the class how to properly recycle using the green (Curb It!) bins.” (Editor’s note: The small bins with no wheels had very specific rules about how materials had to be placed in the container, or haulers would leave the filled bin at the curb with a little slip of paper — a fine-free citation from the recycling police — that explained the homeowner’s inability to follow directions. Now residents throw all recyclables into a pile in a bigger, back-friendly bin on wheels because the recycling administrators discovered that making the system easier to use would boost participation.)

There’s always been a little bit of that (teaching) in me. As I got more exposed to more aspects of the natural resources in our state, the need for them to be protected and improved, and these wild and crazy, interesting, intelligent, adventurous people who are like, ‘Let’s go burn some prairies and, you know, rehabilitate these wetlands, and take kids on a creek walk,’ I just really fell in love with it. I want to help people protect their state a little bit more. 

How did you give up the career as a sideline reporter and end up a geology major?
It was a complete coincidence, I’m sure. I originally went to (the University of) Iowa to go to journalism school. I realized I had been given a lot of freedom in high school to cover what I wanted. When I got to college, I kept getting told what to do. I felt like I was being told how to think, and it was really frustrating.

What did you do then?
I had no idea what I wanted to do. I transferred to UNI, and had to take a general science class with a lab. I ended up in Introduction to Geology with Dr. Lynn Brant, and I was teaching the lab the next semester. I loved it. It was not ‘rocks for jocks.’ He was this world-traveling, leading researcher on diatoms. It was blowing my mind every day.

Why UNI?
I had friends at UNI, so I went to visit them. It seemed not huge, but not tiny. It was a perfect middle ground for me. And I got to travel abroad and I played club sports like at a big school, but I had a great relationship with my professors and I had my niche group in geology. 

Why did you accept the position at Iowa Rivers Revival?
I certainly wasn’t looking to leave Madison County. I’ve been on the board of Iowa Rivers Revival for three years. Our executive director (Rosalyn Lehman) decided to go in a different direction and was going to leave. We decided we had grown to the point that we needed a full-time employee for the first time. That really opened my eyes to a whole new opportunity. It was a combination of me (expressing interest) and a few board members suggesting I consider it.

When did you start?
April 25.

What are the funding sources?
We are completely funded through fundraising and grants. For the last two years we have been part of the McKnight Foundation grant. Other than that, it’s personal donations.

What are the main goals for the organization?
(We want to) really grow our outreach and mission, which is to restore, protect and enhance Iowa’s rivers and streams. Our goal is a statewide river restoration program with regular, annual funding.