Tyson’s love for Southern Utah began as a child, road-tripping out from his home in Texas every summer to visit family and go backpacking. These fond memories and family ties led them to move here and attend Utah Tech University, where they received a BS in English, studying Indigenous history, narrative ecology, and ethnobotany. Their interest in food systems, ecology, and decolonization led them to a career helping non-profits, tribal governments, and federal agencies across the country organize communities around education, conservation, research, and food security. He is so grateful to continue this work in the desert he calls home with GSEP while coordinating projects with the Forest Service and the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah’s Community Garden.

Keep an eye out for Tyson on the trails; he’s usually crouched down looking for clay to throw, plants to eat, or critters to chat with.