Eric Parker
Joined the team at Whitefish Lake Institute as Program Coordinator in February of 2026. Born and raised in Ohio, Eric’s love for the environment was sparked at a young age through time spent in the Cleveland Metroparks and their nature centers. After earning a Bachelors in Geology from The College of Wooster, he spent several years exploring his passion for watershed science while building a strong background in outreach and science communication, field sampling, laboratory analyses, and research.
Eric’s first connection with the Flathead Valley occurred when family friends connected him with Ric Hauer at the Flathead Lake Biological Station. As luck would have it, a temporary position with the Freshwater Research Laboratory there opened shortly after he graduated in 2016. His adventures continued at the Algal & Water Quality Lab of Ohio State’s research station on Lake Erie, Central Michigan University’s Wetland Ecology Lab, and University of Michigan where he worked on the National Science Foundation’s Arctic Long-term Ecological Research program.
His adventures in northwest Montana, Washington, across the Great Lakes region, and Alaska inspired him to pursue a graduate degree at University of New Hampshire, where he is completing a Masters in Natural Resources: Ecosystem Science. His graduate work focused on modeling watershed responses to shifts in climate and land-use over time. Those investigations involved a variety of catchments, from temperate suburban rivers under increasing pressure from human impacts to remote mountain stream systems in the tropics.
Passionate about sharing his love of nature and science with others, Eric is excited to connect with the community here in northwest Montana. Beyond work, he can often be found cozied up at a coffee shop, working through his ever-expanding reading list, spending time in nature, and capturing moments with his camera.
