Chris Oswalt, Texas

I'm fortunate to be born and raised in the heart of The Great State of Texas. I'm a graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in Natural Resource Management and Archaeology. For most of my life (until I was 22) I didn’t have a strong connection to the out-of-doors. This changed in a 2007 summer of boredom: my girlfriend and I packed up my Toyota Tacoma and headed West. We traveled and camped and hiked in 25 National Parks for 3 months and loved it so much so that we repeated the trip the following year. The following year I was fortunate to work at Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge via The SCA. It was another one of those things that was so awesome the first time that I had to do it again. I spent 2009 and 2010 building trails, counting terns, taking trips to Atlantic Islands, and enjoying the unique Maine lifestyle.

My days now are spent working at REI and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. For TPWD, I travel with a trailer of camping gear and kayaks to a different state park and tach folks who have never been camping how to do so.

Aside from that, I'm a simple man. I love photography, Texas Aggie Football, riding my motorcycle on forgotten 4x4 roads and dirt country roads. I enjoy cooking, smoking, and grilling all kinds of meats, cheeses and vegetables, writing, traveling, hang gliding, fixing and operating anything with an engine. My favorite dog is the basset hound, my goal is to own a farm with a mini-donkey and a Bison. For the short term, I'd love to make it out to Alaska and enjoy the lifestyle for as long as possible.

Important facts

• Favorite animals in order- Bison, Porcupine, Javelina.
• Dream car- 1970 Plymouth Barracuda.
• Favorite Book- Harry Potter (only real books I've ever read.)
• Most frequented National Parks- Zion, Yosemite, Olympic.
• I can grow a sea-worthy beard in about 3 days.