Colin Strickland: Cave Specialist and Winner of the Never Quit Award

Exploring the Depths: A Cave Specialist's Unwavering Commitment to Conservation

For most, the idea of venturing into dark, spider-filled caves might be the stuff of nightmares. Yet, for Colin Strickland, it's all in a day's work. As a cave specialist biologist for the City of Austin, Texas, Strickland's role is vital to the community's ecological health and stability.

"A lot of these caves, right at the entrance, there will be daddy longlegs, 5,000 of them covering the walls," he describes. "And you try to go in the cave, and they all start running around, and then they're just, like, climbing all over you."

Despite the eerie atmosphere, Strickland's mission is clear: he monitors the complex ecosystems within and above these caves. "The main part of my job is monitoring caves, their health, and the ecosystem within the caves," he notes, emphasizing the importance of maintaining both the subterranean and surface environments. "If we go into the cave and see that everything is dead, then we know that we have a problem."

Protecting endangered species residing in these caves forms a crucial part of Strickland's duties. "You have this very complex ecosystem happening," he explains. "And so, by protecting these few endangered species, we're able to blanket protect a huge amount of land and all the ecosystem services that nobody thinks of."

Strickland's dedication to his work and community has not gone unnoticed. As a member of AFSCME Local 1624, he has been honored with the Never Quit Service Award, celebrating public service workers who exceed expectations in their contributions to society.

His work is not without its challenges. "It's a little scary, having to go through really tight squeezes," he admits. These "chest compressors," as they're called, require him to squeeze through narrow spaces, sometimes needing to exhale deeply to fit through.

Nevertheless, Strickland embraces these challenges with enthusiasm, viewing them as integral to his dream vocation. "This is, like, my dream job," he states, relishing the opportunity to educate the public on the significance of these underground ecosystems and their inhabitants.