Austin Heslinga

My childhood love for the outdoors transitioned to a full-blown obsession that still carries with me today. That passion brought me to Lake Superior State University, where I obtained a bachelor’s degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Management in 2022. Between semesters, I worked as a Piping Plover Research Assistant in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and as a Waterfowl Nest Research Technician in North Dakota. After graduating in 2022, I accepted as position working as a Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist in North Central Kansas. Working with private landowners on various USDA wildlife contracts and initiatives. However, my desire for the Northwoods turned me back towards the mitten state. In coming to ABC, I’ll be working with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the Forestry for Michigan’s Bird Initiative to manage for focal bird species in the norther Lower Peninsula of Michigan.