Meet the Staff
Justin Fausek
Director
Justin’s passion for nature was sparked during childhood, when he would go on annual camping trips with his family. He has been with Montgomery County since 2009 and became Director of the Nature Center in 2016.
“I believe our future depends on preserving the wild spaces we have left; we can’t afford to miss them once they are gone.”
Karie Briscoe
Manager
Cory has had a connection to the outdoors since he was a child, hiking the desert foothills near his home in Arizona. He has since fallen in love with the natural beauty of the pine forests of Montgomery County and has great joy giving visitors to the Nature Center a place to learn and discover their own love of the place we call home.
“The best way to learn is to experience it firsthand.”
Kerstin Alander
Coordinator – Animal Care & Education
A childhood of chasing dragonflies and lizards led to Kerstin majoring in Entomology and Environmental Studies at Texas A&M University. She went on to work at three different AZA accredited Zoological facilities and she strives to bring that same level of care to the animals here at the Nature Center.
“Our Animal Ambassadors are in a unique position to make meaningful connections between guests and wildlife. With our Ambassadors help, my goal is to encourage guests to participate in conservation work of their own and to teach them about our natural world.”
Cory Foster
Education & Trail Maintenance
Cory has had a connection to the outdoors since he was a child, hiking the desert foothills near his home in Arizona. He has since fallen in love with the natural beauty of the pine forests of Montgomery County and has great joy giving visitors to the Nature Center a place to learn and discover their own love of the place we call home.
“The best way to learn is to experience it firsthand.”
Ryan Dulfer
Education & Trail Maintenance
Ryan’s excitement for nature dates back to his days collecting and identifying specimens from tide pools on South Florida beaches. This eventually led to a degree in Biology from FAU and the opportunity to bring his passion for wildlife to visitors of the Spring Creek Nature Center.
“Nature is not a place to visit, it is home.”
Hannah Van Norman
Education
Hannah’s draw to nature came from living on a farm; she was able to experience how the outside world around her functioned and found it fascinating. She went to college to study environmental science, where she majored in Marine Biology and Captive Wildlife Care and Education.
“Nature is every living thing’s home and it is important that we try to learn more about it.”
Owen DuBois
Trail Maintenance
Owen’s love for nature comes from the many hiking and camping trips he took with his family as a child. He joined the Nature Center because he wants to help preserve something so near and dear to his heart.
“Nature always has this weird way of taking your troubles away.”