Celebrating Eytan Krasilovsky & Mike Lynch

Written by Zander Evans 

People make the Guild special. Members, staff, and supporters light the spark that powers the Guild’s positive impact. We’re lucky to have many of our founding members still actively engaged as we celebrate our 30th anniversary. Recognizing staff who have demonstrated their commitment to our mission over decades is also important. Eytan Krasilovsky and Mike Lynch have both hit milestones worth celebrating. 

Eytan Krasilovsky, closest in the red hat.

Eytan, one of the Guild’s Deputy Directors, and our longest-serving staff member, has worked at the Guild for 20 years. Eytan is the heart of the Guild in New Mexico. His passion to do the right thing for rural communities and forests desperate for restoration inspires everyone he works with. Eytan is creative – always pushing forward with new ideas – and he has the dedication to see them become reality. His energy and expertise have generated a long list of accomplishments over the last two decades, too long to list here. One on-going endeavor can serve as an example. In 2008, the Guild reviewed forest restoration projects implemented in New Mexico, and Eytan identified that the prescribed burning the forests needed wasn’t happening. Eytan proceeded over the next decade to fix that problem. Not on his own of course, he’d be quick to share the credit, but the culture of good fire that exists today in New Mexico would not exist without Eytan’s determination and ability to build consensus. He set up the Guild’s first prescribed burn, helped move forward state legislation to facilitate good fire, fostered coalitions to garner public support, and ensured connectivity with national efforts. His work continues as this past summer he and partners installed an AI driven wildfire detection camera running on Tesuque Peak. Even as this article is published, Eytan is helping to coordinate a multi-agency controlled burn near Black Lake, New Mexico (read more from this area from 2024).  

Personally, I’ve learned volumes from Eytan over the years we’ve worked together. He’s taught me so much, from how to navigate tough personalities in public meetings to the ecological nuances of the Zuni Mountains. I’m looking forward to the new creative, effective programs he builds in the years to come. 

Mike Lynch

Mike Lynch, the Guild’s Lake States Director has been with the Guild since 2015. I first met Mike working on an analysis of how constraints on timber harvests affect forestry in Wisconsin. Right from the get-go, I realized Mike brought far more knowledge, experience, and hard work than his humble, easy going demeanor would suggest. A walk in the woods with Mike quickly reveals his keen eye for reading the landscape, and the experience to put his observations in context. During our study we hosted focus groups with loggers and foresters. Mike’s friendly midwestern manners put even those who prefer trees to people at ease. Over his tenure at the Guild, he has jumped into help with all sorts of projects from geospatial analysis to reviewing reports before publication. 

Mike has also stepped up to lead by initiating important initiatives in the Lake States. Mike developed a project with Camp Ripley to bring prescribed fire training to local practitioners. He drew on Guild members and staff to put on engaging and effective training, which in turn led to an increase in good fire in the area (improving military training opportunities and increasing the safety of base neighbors). More recently, Mike has led the effort to connect the needs of songbirds with forest stewardship. The Minnesota Forestry for the Birds Guide is in high demand as a tool for engaging landowners and improving habitat. Along with project partners, Mike is leading a new effort to bring the same science-based approach to Wisconsin and Michigan. 

I hope you’ll join me in celebrating two people who prove individuals can make a positive difference in the world.