April 18, 1963 — Dec. 12, 2025
“Man must learn that, whatever his power as a magician, he lies under the spell of a greater, green enchantment which he can never avoid and that has been laid on him since the beginning of time — the spell of the natural world from which he sprang.”
— Loren Eiseley
“And did you get what
you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on the earth.”
— Raymond Carver
Evan Frost, ecologist and conservationist, passed away Dec. 12, 2025.
Born in Battle Creek, Michigan, on April 18, 1963, Evan was the youngest of three children of Ruth and Ian Frost. Growing up, he enjoyed exploring the woods and hunting fossils around the family’s cottage on the shore of Lake Huron, tidepooling and shell collecting along the New England coast, and canoeing across parts of the Canadian wilderness, where his passion for the natural world began to take root.
In 1985 Evan earned a liberal arts degree in biology from Kalamazoo College. Upon graduation, he was awarded a yearlong fellowship to study conservation issues throughout Central and South America. He later earned a master’s degree in biology from Humboldt State University in Northern California. Evan went on to a varied career across the Pacific states. He worked in outdoor education, field ecology, botany, writing and consulting in conservation science and environmental advocacy.
Evan was a longtime resident of Ashland, where he worked with nonprofit conservation groups to protect public lands that are now the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in southwest Oregon and Northern California. His scientific assessments of this biodiverse area were instrumental to expansion of the monument in 2017.
Evan also worked tirelessly to protect the nation’s federal forests. His research, analysis and advocacy played a
key role in elevating the ecological importance of mature and old-growth forests on public lands.
He was also an avid naturalist, and for several years published an ecoregional natural history journal called Mountains & Rivers.
Evan’s lifelong passion was exploring the landscapes of the American West. He especially enjoyed the wildlands of California’s Sierra Nevada, the Klamath Mountains, the Colorado Plateau and Southwestern deserts. And he loved discovering little-known, out-of-the-way wild areas and recommending off-trail adventures to inquiring friends.
He eventually moved to Bishop, California, where he continued his wandering practice into his last years.
In addition to outdoor pursuits, Evan had a strong interest in inner self-exploration. Through many trainings, he became familiar with several psychotherapeutic approaches, including Hakomi, shadow work, self-inquiry and meditation.
His brilliant mind, gentle spirit and vital relationship with the wild profoundly influenced many people throughout his life. Everyone who knew Evan recognized his thoughtfulness, intelligence, integrity, love for and deep, steadfast commitment to conserving the natural world.
Evan lived a life that was uniquely his, and that presence will be greatly missed by his friends, family and the conservation community.
He is survived by his partner, Maria Jesus; siblings Cindy and Brian Frost; and mother, Ruth Frost. An outdoor memorial will be held this summer in California.
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