Kohn settles in at Cross Ranch
By Don Winter
After a lengthy wait, a new Interpretive Ranger has finally arrived on the scene at Cross Ranch State Park. Laura Kohn, a former seasonal interpreter at Grahams Island State Park on Devils Lake, was hired to take over the position in late spring of this year. Kohn grew up on an Iowa dairy farm, and it’s there she acquired her love of animals and the outdoors. That passion drove her to attend Iowa State University, where she received a Bachelor’s degree in zoology and animal ecology. Kohn’s quest for knowledge of the great outdoors, and college experience in wildlife rehabilitation, led her to the Salt Lake City area, where she first interned, and then became a full time employee for HawkWatch, a non-profit organization that specializes in researching and educating the public about birds of prey. A flame of desire for a more diverse knowledge of the outdoor education field is what led Kohn to leave Salt Lake City for the vastly differing climate of the North Dakota prairies. "I’ve been an educator since college," Kohn said. "But this position really offers me the opportunity to branch out. My goal is to go out and try to learn everything, although you never do. It’s too vast."
