Born and raised in Minnesota, Austin relocated her life to Colorado in 2014 to join the team of educational mentors at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Before making the move she was indulging in the small town, off the grid lifestyle, living along Lake Superior, just shy of the Canadian border. She was apprenticing and teaching traditional Scandinavian Craft at the North House Folk School in Grand Marais. Her background of basket weaving, ethical harvesting, woodworking, and hand craft is still very much present in her day to day life. She is known by those in her life as a sucker for adventure and always aspiring to strengthen her connection to nature.

After attending the University of Minnesota she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Outdoor Recreation and Education with an emphasis on Organizational Leadership. Through experiences that have led Austin around the world, she brings new innovative ideas to the Teen Program at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. With her vast experience in the world of outdoor educational programming, Austin has created and implemented an adventure component into her Zoo programming. Currently the program travels nationally and internationally teaching about conservation and environmental stewardship through the medium of recreation. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Teen Program is seen as a catalyst for other teen programs across the nation.

Many of you may know me already but for those of you who I am yet to meet my name is Russell Friedman, and I am your Lead Teen Mentor! I first came to the zoo in May of 2018 where I started in the wonderful summer camp programs. It was through the camps that I first got to meet some of our amazing teen volunteers and truly see just how impactful their presence could be. They all worked so well with our younger camp groups and I honestly don't know if would've survived without them! After camps I continued on as an EdVenture Mentor where I would assist our education department with zoo tours and teen programming. As I continued my work with education I was constantly amazed by the work our teens would do here at the zoo. From their willingness to do the hard, grimy work of animal care to their ability to share knowledge with our guests through their incredible interpretive skills, I truly believe these teens have the capability to change the world!

I have a strong background in the Environmental Education field, which I hope to utilize and strengthen as I continue my work here at the zoo. I graduated from the University of Iowa in 2016 with a B.S. in Environmental Education and earned a Master's Certificate for Environmental Education from Hamline University in 2018. I have worked in quite a few wildlife facilities and nature centers where I have been able develop my toolbox of both wildlife care and interpretation. I continuously strive to build upon a toolbox in which just last November I took a course to become a Certified Interpretive Guide. With my continuing growth, here at the zoo combined with my experiences I believe I will help bring our teen program to new levels of awesomeness! There has been so much great work done with this program already and I cannot wait to bring new, innovative ideas to the table. There is so much potential with our teens and the possibilities are endless! I look forward to working with each and every one of your teens this upcoming season, and also having the chance to meet everyone that is a part of our teen program family!