Hazen Audel.

Hazen Audel’s passion for nature has led him all over the globe – always bringing him back to the Pacific Northwest.

It started with a trip to Ecuador after graduating from Spokane’s Lewis and Clark High School and draining the $600 in his savings account.

“When I landed in Quito, I went to the bus station and told the bus driver in the best Spanish I could muster: ‘You gotta take me to the jungle.’”

Dropped off at the end of the road, Hazen set up camp. Native children told their parents about the hapless stranger trying to catch enough fish to survive, and Hazen was invited into their self-sustained village. “They're cutting down palm trees and making their roof out of palm fronds, catching amazing fish, and having these incredible gardens.”

Hazen returned to the same village for several years, while studying at Eastern Washington University, Whitworth University, and the University of Hawaii. He made more visits to Ecuador and other remote jungle locations while teaching art and biology at Ferris High School.

“As a kid, I always had tin cans full of bugs and snakes and frogs, and they'd get loose in the house. My mom and dad always supported my love and passion for nature and let me be me.”

“I was always taking videos to show my students what I was experiencing, and then using them to help with my instruction during class,” Hazen said. Soon, his students were posting the videos on YouTube, where they drew a wider audience. That led to meeting film and TV execs.

With Primal Survivor in its sixth season and streaming on Disney+, Hazen has visited remote peoples the world over. Despite those broad travels, he has never stopped appreciating the Northwest. “For the people that live here, let's just wallow in how good it is.”

COVID-19 hit the pause button in 2020 on Hazen’s TV job. He’s using the time to make progress on the north Palouse farmhouse he made from 100% reclaimed and recycled materials. He’s planted over 400 trees, and created over 30 birdhouses.

Taking STCU to six continents.

Fifteen years ago, Hazen’s sister convinced him to switch from a big national bank to STCU, a local credit union. In the years since, he’s used his STCU debit card on six continents.

“With STCU," he said, "I can buy a beer in Spokane or buy a beer in some crazy town in Mongolia. It just makes things so much easier.”

Hazen loves that his community-minded credit union has the cutting-edge technology to support his adventurous lifestyle. He can do his banking anywhere there’s cell reception or internet access.

“If I have a check I can deposit it in my account. I can go paperless with e-statements. Basically all my money stuff.”