Austin took a long and winding path to the Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute. Born in 1997 in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, he began his lifelong passion for building and repairing. From humble beginnings building tree houses to pursuing a civil engineering degree at the University of Idaho, Austin has always been driven by the thirst for knowledge. However, it was when he became a permanent resident of the Palouse that he found where his talents could be used to their greatest potential. In 2019, Austin began working at a quail farm as a seasonal worker while finishing his degree. Through his dedication and tenacity, he became operations manager shepherding a flock of nearly 30,000 quail. During his tenure, he and his wife put roots down and started a family. Their daughter, Adelaide, had a thirst for knowledge that reminded Austin of himself at her age. So, he made it his mission: wherever kids can learn, and have fun doing it, he would be there to lend a helping hand. Austin began volunteering with the Palouse Science Discovery Center and then at the PCEI fixing and helping whenever he could. Not long after he became an AmeriCorps member with PCEI, and then the Palouse Nature Center Manager, where he will continue to help kids have a space to learn and grow while maintaining the Nature Center for the community to enjoy.