As an environmental scientist, I see every day how land conservation is critical to the functioning of the ecosystem that literally keeps us alive. As a human, I know how the preservation of open spaces is crucial for mental and social health. The Eastern Shore, with the interwoven water and land spaces, is especially important. Its beauty is matched by the significance of its ecology for wildlife in land and in the water.
A Harvard Medical School PhD in Genetics, Eric Schott has spent the last 23 years as an associate research professor at University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. In addition to his board membership at ESLC, Schott is a board member for the Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative and Chair of Reimagine Middle Branch’s Scientific Advisory Committee. Originally from Boulder, Colorado, Schott now lives in a tree-filled neighborhood in north Baltimore with his wife, Dr. Margaret de Cuevas, and their dogs, chickens, and guinea pigs. Both of his daughters have recently graduated from college. Schott’s favorite view on the Eastern Shore is the morning landscape at Deal Island Wildlife Management Area when the “water is smooth as glass.”