Brian Keeley

Brian Keeley brings over 40 years of experience in ecology and conservation education, including 20-years of studies and conservation education with bats, shrimp aquaculture, native plant nursery management and is a restoration specialist. He received his B.S. in Wildlife Sciences with a specialization in Terrestrial Ecology from Texas A & M University and has co-authored over 10 scientific publications. 

Brian works as an ecologist for the Upper Salinas- Las Tablas Resource Conservation District (US-LTRCD) and is leading the newly developed native plant nursery at Willow Creek Conservancy, managed by the US -LTRCD. In 2023, Brian joined the Greenspace Board of Directors and provides valuable expertise with ecology-based projects.

Brians favorite animal of the Monterey pine forest is a unique salamander called the Ensatina which spends most of its time underground, probably in places like gopher burrows. Unlike many amphibians the Ensatina does not need water to raise its young as there is no larval stage like tadpoles, the eggs hatch directly into small versions of fully formed salamanders.  They are rarely seen but fairly common in Cambria. 

Brian lives in Cambria with his wife, Dr. Annika Keeley who also has expertise in ecology and is the Senior Conservation Scientist for the Center for Large Landscapes. In his free time, Brian enjoys playing guitar, gardening and hiking.