Brendan Wiltse

Brendan Wiltse Natural Resources Conservation (MS) Ph.D. in Limnology, Visiting Assistant Professor, Executive Director of the Adirondack Watershed Institute. Brendan is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Paul Smith’s College and serves as Executive Director at the Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute (PSC AWI). He holds a Ph.D. in limnology from Queen’s University and a B.Sc. in field biology from Paul Smith’s College. Brendan has a broad range of interests in the field of limnology. He has a strong background in paleolimnological approaches, specifically looking at the historical response of lakes at the Experimental Lakes Area to recent climate change. He has also published work on millennial-scale climate variability across eastern North America, as well as acid rain recovery in the Adirondacks. Recently, he has led research on road salt impacts on Mirror Lake in Lake Placid, NY, which contributed to forming a state-wide road salt reduction task force. Brendan has also built capacity for environmental-DNA work at PSC AWI, working on regional projects to map native and non-native fishes’ distribution. Brendan’s career has focused on merging science, communication, and management to protect freshwater ecosystems. He is a Certified Lake Manager through the North American Lake Management Society, a national accreditation program for lake professionals. Wiltse also has a keen interest in conservation photography. His work has been published in regional and national magazines. Recently, he worked with Northeast Wilderness Trust on a project that raised more than one million dollars to purchase the Eagle Mountain Preserve in the eastern Adirondacks. Brendan serves as the Vice President of The Waterman Fund, Associate Director of the Adirondack Lakes Alliance, and a board member of the Northern Forest Atlas Project.