Who I Am
I am Scott Spangler, an early career environmental professional and graduate of the College of Saint Benedict/ Saint John’s University. I am constantly seeking new avenues for professional growth, and my curiosity motivates me to be on the lookout for new people, places, and experiences. I have always been the type of person who wants to know a little bit about everything, and this has led me through many diverse experiences- both personal and professional- all of which have shaped me into the outgoing, driven, and deeply curious man I am today.
Since graduating with my Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies in 2024, I have had so many incredible experiences which have shaped the course of my life, as well as my personal goals. From teaching English in Guatemala, to helping prevent wildfires in National Forests across the United States, to spending a summer working aboard a hand-built tall ship on the great lakes, I have gathered a strong set of values and interests that I am seeking to continue to expand and explore.
My service work has instilled in me a great desire to support communities in need. My time as a teacher has taught me my passion for mentorship, and the joy of seeing a young mind learn. My work with the Forest Service, combined with my studies, has instilled in me a deep fervor to support the ecological communities that have always supported humankind. As I continue to develop in my skills and interests, I look forward to the ways in which I will combine these facets of my life, be it in my work, my leisure, or anything in between.
Beyond my professional life, I love to make and play music, hike in the mountains of Colorado (which I consider myself beyond lucky to call my home), read books, play retro video games, and marathon the Lord of the Rings trilogy with my friends
What I Care About
Conservation
One of the reasons I chose to come back to the United States after living abroad was because I wanted to learn more about the methods of conservation that we have adopted in this country. I believe that the creation of our federal conservation agencies such as the US Forest Service and National Park Service were shining examples of how a nation could devote manpower to the preservation and conservation of our natural resources. I also believe that these principles of conservation and preservation are more important than they ever have been. As the earth begins to face real, crisis level events as a result of human development and unsustainable practices, I want to be on the ground making changes that will ensure future generations will be able to enjoy the environmental prosperity that myself and my parents were able to enjoy. Even the smallest of changes can have resounding impacts. J.R.R Tolkien said it best, “it is not in our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succor of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till.”
Environmental Stewardship
While stewardship and conservation are superficially similar concepts, I usually think of stewardship under the terms of humankind’s relationship with nature. With this, I am thoroughly a student of wiser minds like Robin Wall Kimmerer and Aldo Leopold. I have been shaped by both my education and experience to uphold the core belief that one of the ultimate goals a person can achieve is to support and show reciprocity for the gifts they have been given by nature. Leopold’s line about how “A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community (and) it is wrong when it tends otherwise,” is engraved on my heart. In all things, I believe the preservation of the ecosystems which sustain our very being is paramount not only to the flourishing of the human race, but the flourishing of all living creatures. I am always asking questions and looking for ways in which I can be a better steward to the planet which provides everything I need.
Community Service
My passion for community service was first revealed to me during my time in Guatemala with the Benedictine Volunteer Corps, and further developed through my time with AmeriCorps NCCC. I see the importance of community service through a lens similar to the one I view environmental stewardship through. By supporting the needs of the communities we live in, I believe we enable the mutual flourishing of everyone in that community. In a more personal sense, working in the service of those in need has been the most meaningful work I have done in my life. It has made me a more tolerant, more wise person, and it has taught me more skills than I ever would have learned if I had only focused on supporting myself instead of those around me. I believe there is so much more to be learned when we work together and support the people we share this Earth with.
Education
None of the things I have achieved, and none of the things I wish to achieve, would have been possible without education. I strongly believe education is the cornerstone of solving all the problems of this world. When I was in high school, I was lucky enough to have a teacher who took groups of students on day hikes on the weekends, and through these hikes he showed me the abundance of natural beauty that was in my backyard in Colorado. Without realizing it, he set in motion a domino effect that would lead to me dedicating my life to protecting and advocating for the natural world that he exposed me to. My own experience in teaching has showed me that I possess the skills to share the passions I developed for the natural world onto the next generation of learners. I strongly hope to be able to use these skills in the future, to pay forward the love of this world that was given to me at the time when I needed it most.