Erich Keyser

As an ORISE Fellow for Climate Change Integration in Tribal Forest Management, Erich supports Native American Tribes with revising forest management plans to include updated and relevant climate change information and adaptation strategies. Meaningful relationship-building, working in ethical space, and embracing Two-Eyed seeing guide the approach to his work. Prior to his role as an ORISE Fellow, Erich was an adjunct instructor who taught courses in human-environment relations and issues of justice. He was also a social research consultant for two years, working with First Nations and Métis communities in Canada on Traditional Knowledge and Land Use Mapping projects. These projects helped communities be more involved in regulatory negotiations and Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area planning. Erich received his Master’s in Geography from the University of Guelph, where he applied his research on the social dimensions of bison restoration to support the Iinnii Initiative. This Initiative was a Blackfoot-led effort to restore bison to Blackfoot Territory in and around Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. Erich is also a proud a cat co-parent, mushroom coffee enthusiast, and enjoys hiking and rock climbing.