garrett frandson
Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Coordinator

Garrett’s path through life has been as meandering as the streams he now works with. An outsider to Missouri, he’s no stranger to the outdoors, having been hiking, camping, cycling, paddling, botanizing, fishing, birding, herping, and more since childhood across the Midwest and Upper South. A sharer by nature, these outdoor experiences would be captured and described through photographs and writing, which encouraged participating in outreach through running booths at fairs to leading visitors through the night at a planetarium.

The question of “how does this work?” has driven his studies, during which he earned a B.S. from the University of Central Arkansas in Applied Mathematics & Physics and an M.S. from the University of Missouri in Water Resources. That same question, in addition to formative experiences conducting research in stream ecology labs and field work with the Flathead Lake Biological Station in Montana and Northern Arizona University in Alaska, influenced his change of career paths from astrophysics to stream ecology.

Garrett joined Missouri DNR in 2021, focusing on monitoring streams, data analysis, and water quality assessments. It wasn’t long before he was assisting his coworkers with VWQM trainings. Their guidance allowed him to organize, teach at, and lead trainings and connect with an immense network of people across Missouri who share a care for healthy waters and the organisms who depend on them. He believes in the multifaceted approach of VWQM and Stream Team, fostering analytical, hands-on, and interpersonal skills for the betterment of the environment for its own sake and the sake of life.

While not working, he can often be found hiking with a camera, unable to decide if he wants to keep a good pace or stop to inspect everything that catches his eye, or at home working up photos with his cat, Oscar, sleeping away on his lap.

Voice Mailbox: (573) 526-7838

Email: Garrett.Frandson@dnr.mo.gov