Keith Watson

Based in Twisp, Keith Watson is part of our Sagelands Heritage Program. He develops and implements strategies that protect and restore wildlife habitat, increase habitat connectivity across barriers, and support community outreach in north-central Washington’s shrub-steppe.

Keith received a B. S. from The Evergreen State College and began a career as a naturalist where he was able to share his fascination of nature with kids while climbing Wyoming mountains, exploring California redwood trees, and kayaking glacier filled bays in Alaska. In 2005, he took a position as a salmon biologist, bought five acres near Winthrop, and began planting fruit trees. His work included routine assessments of river habitats and a wide variety of fish population sampling methods. The accurate processing and reporting of these data streams are critical in the management decisions for threatened species. Keith earned a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science at the University of Idaho by examining the effects of wildfire on salmon habitat. When he is not working in the field to conserve local habitats, he can be found taking his family out to play in these same places.