“With the weather the way it has been, we have been able to get out and about a lot, which is unusual for this time of year,” Greenfield said. “We’ve been doing a lot of park maintenance, and I’m looking forward to meeting the public. We’ve been working hard to keep things looking really nice, so it will be good to hear what people think.”

A 2023 graduate of Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska, Greenfield earned his Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Environmental Studies.

“I knew coming into it that my field would require the criminal justice aspect, because we are peace officers,” Greenfield said. “My focus and interest has always been in environmental studies, a lot of biology, and that really gave me the outdoors aspect of what I want to do.”

Greenfield previously completed an internship with Cherokee County Conservation and began his new role for Hamilton County Conservation on Jan. 8.

This year he will be active in the parks, based right now at Briggs Woods. To complete his required training for all Iowa peace officers, he will be off to the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy in January 2025.

Growing up on an acreage outside of Wahoo, Greenfield said he has always enjoyed spending time outside, particularly in more rustic habitats.

“We did a lot of hunting and fishing,” Greenfield said. “I’ve always enjoyed being outdoors and that’s what brought me into this field.”

He enjoys hunting upland game, as well as waterfowl, and is anxious to learn where the turkeys might be found come hunting season. And he can probably share some secrets as to the hot spots in other states.

“All the guys in my extended family would take a lot of trips out to Trenton, Nebraska,” Greenfield said. “Some of my buddies and I also like to go up to some places in South Dakota.”

Greenfield has been impressed with the quality of parks and other public lands maintained by Hamilton County Conservation.

“Briggs Woods is really unique,” Greenfield said. “There’s not a lot of timber stands like this. It’s here because of the river and that provides a unique aspect.”

Likewise, he has been spending time at Little Wall Lake and Bells Mill Park. To Greenfield, they are unique simply because they are county-owned. Few Iowans even realize that the county park system is really only found in Iowa.

“In Nebraska, everything is either state- or city-controlled, and that’s really the way it is everywhere,” Greenfield said. “Iowa is very unique in the county park system, and that provides a great opportunity for me.”

Located north of Lincoln and west of Omaha, Greenfield said Wahoo was similar to life here in Hamilton County.

“It was a small town, just about everybody knew everybody else, and most of them got along pretty good,” he said.

As spring arrives, Greenfield is looking forward to meeting the public and sharing with them all the unique aspects that Hamilton County Conservation has to offer in its parks and natural areas.