Chris Kracha is an environmental and data scientist with a background that spans consulting, GIS and data infrastructure, restoration ecology, and community planning. He earned his BS in Environmental Studies from UC Santa Barbara and a GIS Certificate from San Diego Mesa College. His early work in restoration and monitoring at UCSB’s North Campus Open Space gave him a foundation in field ecology, coastal systems, and data analysis. His interests in GIS opened the door into deeper data work with the NSF Arctic Data Center, where he collaborated with interdisciplinary researchers to curate their datasets for maximum impact.

Chris first joined Great Ecology as an intern, contributing to restoration, mitigation, and litigation support projects through mapping, technical writing, and quantitative analysis. He also helped improve internal data management by drafting documentation, building data analysis workflows, and presenting interactive tool demos to expand internal data access and reveal potential for client-facing deliverables. Back as an Associate Ecologist, he supports a range of ecological and planning projects while continuing to strengthen his data and regulatory chops.