Science and Land Management Specialist
Rick Landenberger is the Science and Land Management Specialist for West Virginia Land Trust. He oversees the management planning and development for our nature preserves and natural areas – from writing the plans to executing and managing the development, building the trails, and restoring areas of degraded forest. He also works with partner organizations to support protected area management, trails, and ecological restoration, as well as supervising interns, working with researchers on our preserves, and supporting the outreach program.
Rick has a BA in Environmental Science-Ecology from State University of New York at Plattsburgh, a MS in Forest Resource Management from State University of New York – College of Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse, and a Ph.D. in Forest Resource Science from West Virginia University. He is a Certified Senior Ecologist and PSIA Level II Telemark Instructor.
With a background in forest ecology, remote sensing, and wildlands recreation, Rick enjoys every opportunity to be outdoors. If he’s not attending a partnership meeting, administering a grant, supervising volunteers, or writing a report, you’ll find him on the local trails, whether designing or building them, training interns in protected area management, or leading a field trip. In his spare time, he enjoys telemark skiing, mountain biking, hiking, trail running, fly fishing, going out to cafes and traveling to Greece with his wife, Nektaria, their daughter Elia, and their dog, Casper.
