Meet Jason "the platypus" Jurey

Google "Platypus," and the first three questions Google will tell you that people ask are:

Is a platypus a beaver or a duck?

Are platypuses friendly to humans?

What three animals make up a platypus?

I Googled platypus. This is what I got.

Now, a platypus is actually just an oddball member of the class Mammalia (as are we); it is not a beaver, a duck, or a Frankenstein comprised of bits and pieces of other animals. And it's always wise to avoid trying to befriend poisonous wild animals (yes...it has venomous spurs).

So why am I telling you all this? You came for that juicy, controlled environment ag content, right?

I'm telling you this because instead of a "New Year, New You" post for my first newsletter of 2025, I wanted to reintroduce myself. And when I introduce myself, I often tell people I'm a platypus—a mixture of seemingly disjointed parts that somehow found a niche to operate in.

So, let's start sticking some pieces together.

Previous employment:

1) Akron Zoo Outreach Educator

2) National Park Service (Wyoming) Law Enforcement Ranger- Bighorn Canyon NRA WY/MT

3) Commercial Roofing Project Manager

4)Home Inspector

5) High School Science Educator

Education:

1) BS Wildlife Biology

2) State/Federal Law Enforcement Credential

3) MS Secondary Ed

4) MS Environmental Science

So those are the pieces I'm working with. I've somehow cobbled it all together into a role as a support person for educators, a lover of wild things, an enjoyer of seeing others have their "ah ha" moments, and a firm believer that when we are supported and lifted up by those around us, we are capable of extraordinary things.

My road to my current role as Education Director at CropKing has been far from straight, but the funny thing about roads is they always go somewhere if you're brave enough to follow where they lead.

I'm Jason Jurey. I look forward to working with you, and I hope you let me apply a little of my inner platypus to your feed! Thanks for taking the time to read, and Happy New Year!