Luke Etchison

Luke grew up in Indiana, where his love for all things aquatic began with catching “crawdads” from a stream in his parent’s backyard. His childhood was spent visiting family near the Smokies each summer where he grew to love and appreciate the Blue Ridge Mountains. Luke’s passion for aquatic wildlife led him to pursue a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from Ball State University, where he was involved in research on aquatic insects, aquatic snails, crayfish, mussels and fish. After graduate school, Luke worked for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission mapping sensitive habitat on Florida’s Wildlife Management Areas. In 2016, Luke moved to Asheville to pursue conservation work with non-game aquatic species. Luke has gained over 10 years of experience working with crayfishes, mussels, snails, and fishes in the Midwest and Southeast. He enjoys spending his weekends snorkeling, camping, and hiking with his wife Katherine and two dogs, Charlie and Kirby.