Ian Beilfuss

What is your major? Environmental science and cartography/GIS with minors in environmental studies and science communication

Expected graduation: May 2026

What inspired your interest in the environment and/or community? I grew up spending a lot of time outdoors, camping and hiking with friends and family. However, I didn’t truly start to care about the environment until I took a family trip to Grand Teton National Park towards the end of high school. The Tetons gave me a love for backpacking and spurred me to want to do more to care for our vulnerable ecosystems.

After high school, I took a year off before college to work for Northwest Youth Corps doing trail maintenance and invasive species removal on Forest Service land in Oregon and Idaho. Working outside daily on environmental projects I cared about amplified my love of nature and ultimately convinced me to change my major from electrical engineering to environmental science.

In college, I became interested in understanding how prescribed burning in California and other western states could improve the health of forests and minimize the frequency and severity of wildfires and damage to homes and businesses. Through this interest, I discovered how important it is to include Indigenous voices in our land management and environmental stewardship. I hope that bringing more people from all communities into the outdoors will help raise awareness and support for the ecosystems that have been so exploited by the global economic machine.