Erik interned with Climate Solutions’ Strategic Innovation Program in summer 2015, studying environmental politics and policies at Oberlin College. He has many interests surrounding sustainability, ranging from preservation of migration corridors for the megafauna of the West to electrification of the automobile industry. He plans to attend the United Nations Climate Conference in Paris this December, and to incorporate his studies there into his capstone project.

Erik has done a variety of things to contribute to the environmental movement. He worked as a volunteer, pulling invasive mustard weed from the otherwise pristine Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. He created a series of six educational podcasts under the persona of EcoKid for California State Parks, which were shown across the state to middle school audiences to educate urban children about the wilderness. He has also been a part of the city of Oberlin’s Sustainable Transportation Working Group, which helped improve accessibility for pedestrians, bikers, and senior citizens in the city.

In his spare time, Erik writes young adult fantasy adventure novels and enjoys drawing and illustrating. In particular, he likes to blues dance, and has been an Oswing board member for two years, hosting weekly social blues dances for college students.