Get to know Environmental Technician, Austin Vong

We’re delighted to welcome Austin Vong to the Biohabitats team! A Maryland native and environmental technician, Austin has already begun fueling his passion for applied ecology by contributing to Biohabitats projects in the Chesapeake Delaware Bays Bioregion.

Austin Vong

Childhood career ambition:

Paleontologist

Favorite ecosystem, plant, or animal:

I think the pawpaw is cool, because it’s our largest native fruit and hasn’t been truly cultivated. They’re relatively unknown unless you know about them, but once you do you start noticing them everywhere in the region. They are also the host plant for the zebra swallowtail butterfly, so they’re important on an ecosystem level.

pawpaw (Asimina triloba)

When he’s not working, Austin can be found:

Reading, biking, or spending time with his family.

Austin getting some miles in on the NCR trail in Phoenix, Maryland

Favorite film:

The original Jurassic Park. Also, the 1996 Flipper movie with Elijah Wood and Paul Hogan is a childhood favorite.

Genre of music that instantly puts Austin in a good mood:

ska-punk