Don Elzer
Wildcraft Forest School, Canada
Biography
Don Elzer is a community economic development specialist and founder of the Wildcraft Forest School. He is a wildcrafter and field biosemiotician from British Columbia. He is best known for his investigative research and ongoing work with rural communities and First Nations. With over 20 years of field experience working with small and medium sized enterprises and communities he has acquired key knowledge about current development issues impacting our changing planet. As a consultant with the Canadian Tourism Commission he developed one of the first eco-tourism strategies in British Columbia, as well as the first creative sector development strategy in the Okanagan Valley. His role has been assessing, problem-solving and identifying emerging opportunities and leadership methods within such scenarios as industry closures, First Nations self-government, eroding community infrastructure and impacts due to climate change, so that a more creative and diverse economy can be realized and sustained based on stewardship.