Jacob Yastrow has been nominated as the Outstanding Graduate in Restoration Ecology by the Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship at Colorado State University.
This recognition highlights his academic performance and leadership within the Warner College of Natural Resources as he completes his Bachelor of Science degree.
At 31 years old, Yastrow’s achievements are the result of a non-traditional path that included a nine-year hiatus from higher education. He discovered his interest in restoration ecology not in a classroom, but through self-led restoration work on an acre of land he owned in Northern California.
During his time away from school, Yastrow developed a “food forest” and worked to restore an oak woodland using historical imagery and forensic forestry.
“The concurrent healing of the land and myself made so much sense and felt so right,” he said. “I can’t imagine where I would be if I hadn’t stumbled into this field.”
When he returned to Fort Collins in 2024 to be closer to family, he enrolled at CSU specifically to turn this newfound passion into a career.
Since returning to campus, Yastrow has maintained a 4.0 GPA and conducted research in Professor Seth Davis’s forest health laboratory. His research involves studying the impacts of western cedar bark beetles on giant sequoias, a project that reconnected him with the related coastal redwood ecosystems he frequented during his years in California.
“I spent countless hours exploring trails in Redwood National Park. When we moved back here, I thought I’d never work on anything related to redwoods,” he said. “Even now, it’s surreal to be studying the biggest trees in the world.”
His contributions to the university extend beyond the laboratory. Yastrow was also honored with the Mollie H. Beattie Congressional Award for Distinguished Environmental Scholarship, a national accolade recognizing his research and his commitment to mentoring others. In addition to being nominated as an Outstanding Graduate, Restoration Ecology graduate Jacob Yastrow has been recognized as an Outstanding Senior by the Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship. He has served as an ambassador for the Office for Undergraduate Research and Artistry and chaired the Warner College Student Technology Committee.
“I wanted to pay forward the help I had gotten while looking for research and provide tools for others to find opportunities.” Upon graduation, Yastrow will remain at CSU to pursue a master’s degree, focusing on a ponderosa pine bark beetle outbreak in the Colorado Front Range under Professor Seth Davis.
Why did you choose this course of study?
I had taken nearly a decade from school after pausing my college experience at Humboldt State University. I didn’t think I would return to higher education, but I had gotten into some ecological restoration work on a property that I owned. After I sold the land and moved back to Fort Collins, I struggled to find meaningful employment. I decided to look at the degrees offered at CSU, and when I found out I could study Restoration Ecology, I knew it was what I wanted to pursue.
What advice would you give to current Warner College students?
Engage, follow your passions and be open to new experiences. Ask questions and connect with students and faculty; the more you put into your experience in Warner, the more you will get out of it!