Eric Greenwell’s career interest in land conservation began in the MFA Creative Writing program at the University of Idaho. Through coursework that blended writing and natural sciences, he traveled to remote places to write and study. While he graduated in 2014, his graduate experience ultimately culminated when he accepted an appointment as the 2016-2017 PEN/Margery Davis Boyden Wilderness Writing Resident. The Margery Davis Boyden Residency provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live and write as a caretaker of 93-acres for 14 months in one of the most biologically diverse locations in North America: the Wild and Scenic Corridor of the Rogue River.

Currently, Eric is a Senior Connectivity Specialist for the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y). The Y2Y region remains one of the largest intact mountain ecosystems on earth, and Eric works with a large team of professionals and partners to connect land trusts and other land protection partners with financial and technical resources to protect wildlife corridors in the southern half of the Y2Y region. He also supports the advancement of wildlife crossings, highway infrastructure, and other programs that aim to balance the safety and viability of people and wildlife living on the landscape together.

Prior to Y2Y, Eric worked for local and regional land trusts throughout the intermountain West, including Wallowa Land Trust in northeast Oregon and Five Valleys Land Trust in western Montana. For these organizations, he managed land conservation strategic planning and worked with private landowners, public agencies, local governments, tribes, and other nonprofit partners to purchase land or strike mutually beneficial agreements that facilitate connection while protecting land and culture.