About

Kevin L. Erwin, CSE, PWS, (239) 707-9540, klerwin@environment.com

Kevin Erwin is an ecosystem ecologist specializing in large-scale ecological restoration, biodiversity conservation, and watershed evaluation to improve the functional capacity of watersheds, improve livelihoods, and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Since 1974, he has evaluated, designed, managed, constructed, and monitored numerous ecological, wetland restoration, water management and biodiversity projects around the world for local, state, and national governments, industry and NGOs. His early work focused on developing the science and practice of wetland restoration and ecological engineering.  He has served as the president and principal ecologist at Kevin L. Erwin Consulting Ecologist, Inc. since 1980, and serves on the Graduate Faculty, College of Arts and Sciences, at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU).

Locally, Kevin has led project teams for several mega-watershed projects including Density Reduction-Groundwater Resource (DRGR) studies for Lee County and Bonita Springs; the Lehigh Headwaters Project; the evaluation of phosphate mining and reclamation impacts on the Peace River watershed; design and permitting of FGCU, and the restoration of Little Pine Island for the State of Florida. He is currently leading a research initiative in the last remaining oligotrophic wetlands of the historical Everglades.

A few of Kevin’s outreach activities include; Director, Florida Audubon Society; Member, Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council; Advisor, Office of Technical Assistance, U.S. Congress; Director, Association of State Wetland Managers; Member, Florida Environmental Regulatory Commission, Wetland Mitigation Banking Task Force; Member, U.S. Congressional Task Force on Wetland Mitigation; Board of Members, Wetlands International (WI); Chair, Wetland Restoration Specialist Group, WI; Member, National Research Council, Transportation and Natural Resources Committee; Director, WI; Trustee and Senior Advisor, Southwest Florida Community Foundation (Collaboratory); Member and Wetland Restoration Lead, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, Science and Technical Review Panel; Expert, American Carbon Registry, and Master of Ecological Restoration, Peoples Republic of China.

Kevin has been a Certified Senior Ecologist under the Ecological Society of America’s Professional Certification Program since 1985 where he also served as Chair of the Board of Professional Certification. He has been certified by the Society of Wetland Scientists as a Professional Wetland Scientist since 1984. 

In early 2019 FGCU honored Kevin by creating the Erwin Environmental Ecology Collection. His papers will serve as the foundation for this environmental research collection at FGCU Library’s Archives and Special Collections.

Kevin is a fourth generation Florida native, growing up on the fringes of the Everglades in Dade County.  He and his wife Andrea came to southwest Florida in 1974. They reside in Bokeelia and are proud to be Pine Islander’s.