Erik Lilleskov joined the KLT board in fall 2004. He came to the Keweenaw in 2002 with his wife, Elise Nelson, and two sons, Eli (age 16) and Ben (age 12). Drawn here by a position as a research ecologist for the U.S. Forest Service in Houghton, Erik has fallen in love with the Copper Country, or as he likes to think of it, the “north coast” of the U.S. He and his family love the sense of community here, and are active in Ski Tigers. He brings to the board his training as a field naturalist at the University of Vermont, as a forest ecologist at Cornell University and as a mycologist at the University of California, Berkeley. He has also worked in a variety of other fields, including many years working in commercial salmon fishing in southcentral and southwestern Alaska. This background deepens his appreciation for the Keweenaw and for people who rely on healthy natural ecosystems for a living. He sees this as an exciting time to be a part of KLT:  “With all the changes occurring in the region, KLT has the opportunity to make a huge difference—to keep the natural areas of the Keweenaw intact and accessible to all those who value this unique, beautiful and wild corner of the world. I hope I can contribute to realizing the vision of keeping the Keweenaw unspoiled.”

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