Eric Castle

Eric Castle is an Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota Crookston, affiliated with the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department. His research focuses on community volunteerism in urban spaces, ecological restoration, nature play, and stormwater management. He holds a B.S. in Conservation Biology from Brigham Young University (2003), an M.L.A. from Kansas State University (2007), and a Ph.D. from the University of North Dakota (2018).

• Education:
• B.S., Conservation Biology, Brigham Young University, 2003
• M.L.A., Kansas State University, 2007
• Ph.D., University of North Dakota, 2018

His work bridges ecological restoration and community engagement, particularly through projects like natural play spaces and stormwater mitigation. Notable awards include the 2009 Outstanding Service-Learning Faculty Award and the Dangermond Fellowship. He has been involved in collaborative design processes addressing obesity through nature-based interventions and has published on intercultural community studies and landscape architecture.

Recent achievements include being a finalist in the International Federation of Landscape Architects' 2023 art competition and leading a trails usage project with U of M Crookston students.