Garrett Klepitsch
Advancing Conservation through Soil Science
Garrett Klepitsch chose Loyola for his undergraduate education after visiting campus and noticing the passionate energy of the School of Environmental Sustainability's students and faculty. He graduated in 2017 with a bachelor's in environmental science, and today, he is pursuing his passion for conservation as a soil scientist with the US Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Garrett Klepitsch advances sustainable land use practices as a soil scientist with the USDA.
Originally from Park Ridge, Illinois, Klepitsch enjoyed spending time on the Lakeshore Campus in Chicago's Edgewater community, where his parents grew up. In addition to the location, he appreciated the school's facilities, such as the SES greenhouse and aquaponics systems, and the environmentally friendly features of the University campus.
Klepitsch also took advantage of the opportunity to take classes at the Loyola University Retreat and Ecology Campus (LUREC) near Woodstock, Illinois. He said that taking an entomology class at LUREC was one of the highlights of his time at Loyola. The LUREC site includes nearly 100 acres of green space, including woodlands, wetlands, and savannas, making it an ideal setting for immersive, experiential learning.
"Having the ecology campus was a big deal," Klepitsch said. "Being able to see the ecological concepts we were learning in class out in the field meant a lot to me."
Interning with the SES Urban Agriculture Program also made an impact on Klepitsch. The program gives students hands-on experience with environmentally friendly, sustainable food production methods.
"I really appreciated the urban ag internship a lot," he said. "That gave me skills managing a greenhouse, maintaining an aquaponics system, and monitoring that system to keep the plants and fish alive and healthy. And each student had a project to complete. For mine, I built a three-bin compost system at the Winthrop Garden out of all reclaimed materials. That was a precursor to what I do now-- thinking about the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils ."
After graduation, Klepitch did ecological restoration and environmental consulting in private industry for several years. Through this work, he became increasingly interested in soils.
"I learned how resilient but fragile soils are and how our society doesn't value them to the extent that we should. I noticed how diverse and beautiful they are and how much they impact land use. That tied together what I'd been doing in urban ag and restoration ecology," he said.
Klepitch decided to specialize in work related to soils. He enrolled in the master's degree program in soil science at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and graduated in 2023. Shortly after that, he started his current position as a Soil Scientist with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service. He is based at the Onalaska Soil Survey Office in Onalaska, Wisconsin.
At the USDA, Klepitsch uses his knowledge of soil formation and properties to describe, classify, and map soils as they occur on the landscape. Using field and lab data, he investigates how soils change over time under different management regimes. Lastly, he provides community outreach to increase awareness of soils as a resource.
He says that he enjoys helping people understand and appreciate the complexity and diversity of soils. He also finds it rewarding knowing that his work contributes to conservation and sustainable agriculture practices.
"The soil survey is the basis for any conservation planning," he said. "And tracking the success of a conservation practice can be done through soils. It's the basis for all life and can be the basis for managing our resources and land more sustainably."
Klepitsch said that his education in SES set him up for success in his current career by providing an essential understanding of ecology. His undergraduate program also taught him vital skills, such as using geographic information systems (GIS) to analyze and display information.
He advises current SES students to make the most of their time in college by participating in research activities and digging as deeply as possible into areas of interest. He also recommends connecting with faculty and staff mentors, who can help answer questions and provide guidance.
Klepitsch noted that the energy he first noticed in SES continues to impact his work.
"The faculty and the students have a lot of passion for what they do, and following graduation, that passion carried with me," he said. The inspiration and passion carried forward, and that energy helped me get to where I am now."
Originally from Park Ridge, Illinois, Klepitsch enjoyed spending time on the Lakeshore Campus in Chicago's Edgewater community, where his parents grew up. In addition to the location, he appreciated the school's facilities, such as the SES greenhouse and aquaponics systems, and the environmentally friendly features of the University campus.
Klepitsch also took advantage of the opportunity to take classes at the Loyola University Retreat and Ecology Campus (LUREC) near Woodstock, Illinois. He said that taking an entomology class at LUREC was one of the highlights of his time at Loyola. The LUREC site includes nearly 100 acres of green space, including woodlands, wetlands, and savannas, making it an ideal setting for immersive, experiential learning.
"Having the ecology campus was a big deal," Klepitsch said. "Being able to see the ecological concepts we were learning in class out in the field meant a lot to me."
Interning with the SES Urban Agriculture Program also made an impact on Klepitsch. The program gives students hands-on experience with environmentally friendly, sustainable food production methods.
"I really appreciated the urban ag internship a lot," he said. "That gave me skills managing a greenhouse, maintaining an aquaponics system, and monitoring that system to keep the plants and fish alive and healthy. And each student had a project to complete. For mine, I built a three-bin compost system at the Winthrop Garden out of all reclaimed materials. That was a precursor to what I do now-- thinking about the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils ."
After graduation, Klepitch did ecological restoration and environmental consulting in private industry for several years. Through this work, he became increasingly interested in soils.
"I learned how resilient but fragile soils are and how our society doesn't value them to the extent that we should. I noticed how diverse and beautiful they are and how much they impact land use. That tied together what I'd been doing in urban ag and restoration ecology," he said.
Klepitch decided to specialize in work related to soils. He enrolled in the master's degree program in soil science at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and graduated in 2023. Shortly after that, he started his current position as a Soil Scientist with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service. He is based at the Onalaska Soil Survey Office in Onalaska, Wisconsin.
At the USDA, Klepitsch uses his knowledge of soil formation and properties to describe, classify, and map soils as they occur on the landscape. Using field and lab data, he investigates how soils change over time under different management regimes. Lastly, he provides community outreach to increase awareness of soils as a resource.
He says that he enjoys helping people understand and appreciate the complexity and diversity of soils. He also finds it rewarding knowing that his work contributes to conservation and sustainable agriculture practices.
"The soil survey is the basis for any conservation planning," he said. "And tracking the success of a conservation practice can be done through soils. It's the basis for all life and can be the basis for managing our resources and land more sustainably."
Klepitsch said that his education in SES set him up for success in his current career by providing an essential understanding of ecology. His undergraduate program also taught him vital skills, such as using geographic information systems (GIS) to analyze and display information.
He advises current SES students to make the most of their time in college by participating in research activities and digging as deeply as possible into areas of interest. He also recommends connecting with faculty and staff mentors, who can help answer questions and provide guidance.
Klepitsch noted that the energy he first noticed in SES continues to impact his work.
"The faculty and the students have a lot of passion for what they do, and following graduation, that passion carried with me," he said. The inspiration and passion carried forward, and that energy helped me get to where I am now."