Ian Craighead, Project Assistant
What led you to choose a career in conservation?
I had spent time in social work and environmental education and wanted to combine those loves, specifically in the realm of collaborative conservation. That led me back to school at the University of Montana, where I completed a degree in environmental studies and a Natural Resource Conflict Resolution certificate. I had a land trust staff member tell me that she views her role as a “social worker for the land,” and I felt that I had arrived!
What inspires you in your daily work at Heart of the Rockies Initiative?
I am inspired by the collaborative approach to projects. It’s inspiring to see folks — producers, Indigenous partners, land trust staff — work through perceived differences and gain new perspectives because of their love for the land and place.
When you’re not working, how do you engage with the people, lands, or wildlife of the Central Rocky Mountains?
I enjoy hiking, backpacking, skiing, camping, and paddle boarding, as well as foraging for different plants to make teas, baskets, or other wild goodies.
I feel at home in alpine ecosystems. I have spent time in both Colorado and Washington state, and spaces in the Bitterroot Valley (see the image below) seem like a combination of both those worlds I love so much — rocky mountains, babbling streams, with wetter-climate conifers such as larch, cedar and even yew.
