Dr. Eric Huber, CalTrout’s new Sierra Headwaters Regional Director

*Read the full Press Release: New Regional Director Brings Research, Consulting Experience to California Trout’s Sierra Headwaters Office

How does it feel to be the new Sierra Headwaters Director for California Trout?

I am truly honored to team up with a group of knowledgeable, dedicated, and effective conservationists and eager to help continue the momentous advances made by CalTrout over the last 47 years.

What are you looking forward to most in this new position?

I am most looking forward to cooperating with diverse interests in order to solve crucial and complex natural resource issue problems imposed by climate change and population growth in California.

What projects/area will you manage/work on and how will it benefit the world?

I will be primarily responsible for continuing the Sierra Meadows research and restoration project spearheaded by my predecessor, Dr. Mark Drew. Through coordination and collaboration with numerous partners, we intend to produce meadow restoration protocols and strategies to achieve multi-benefit outcomes, including improved habitat for plants and wildlife, sequestration of greenhouse gases, and a safer and more reliable water source for Californians.

What sparked your interest in research or science in general?

My interest in science was initially sparked by my eighth grade science teacher, Mr. Wallace, whose enthusiasm for the subject matter fostered a fun and highly productive learning environment. My most memorable activity was first gathering water samples from a nearby pond in Massachusetts and then observing live zooplankton under a dissecting microscope. I was fascinated by this invisible and mysterious world and knew immediately that I wanted to become an aquatic biologist when I grew up.

What is an interesting fact about yourself or something you want people to know about you?

I enjoy traveling by bicycle because, in addition to the tremendous physical challenges, it is undoubtedly the finest way for me to observe landscapes and meet and interact with local residents. I recently completed a trip from Maine to Wyoming through the country’s heartland in order to see the country first-hand and obtain a deeper understanding of the shared values, struggles, and concerns currently experienced by many Americans from vastly different walks of life. I am confident that my traveling experience and university training will help me engage with a diverse group of stakeholders in order to achieve CalTrout’s mission of “solving complex resource issues while balancing the needs of wild fish and people.”

Eric’s Biography

Eric Huber is California Trout’s Regional Director for the Sierra Headwaters Region. He recently graduated from UC Berkeley’s doctoral program in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. His Ph D research focused on the estuarine ecology of Central California Coast fishes and Central Valley Chinook salmon hatchery management practices. He previously obtained an MS degree in Ecology from UC Davis where he utilized otolith microanalysis to investigate juvenile steelhead temperature-growth rate relationships throughout the Navarro River watershed in Mendocino County. Eric is a first-generation college student and majored in Integrative Biology and minored in Forestry as an undergraduate at UC Berkeley.

Before entering graduate school, Eric worked as a field technician for the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Harvard University, and Michigan Technological University where he helped maintain microclimate stations and study carbon dioxide fluxes in boreal, eastern hemlock, and mixed conifer forest ecosystems. Eric also possesses environmental consulting and teaching experience for a broad array of subjects including general environmental science, fish ecology, geomorphology, and resource management and economics. His unique background is well-suited for implementing and coordinating CalTrout’s interdisciplinary projects throughout the Sierra Nevada region.

In his spare time, Eric enjoys outdoor exploration by foot and bicycle. His long-distance travels include partial hikes of the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails and bicycle tours through 25 US states, both islands of New Zealand, and portions of Mexico, Canada, and Australia. He considers the Sierra Nevada mountains his favorite place on earth and is happy to be ‘home’.