▁center ▁and ▁a ▁high ▁desert ▁conservation ▁award ▁are ▁named ▁in ▁his ▁honor . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁▁ ▁K err ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Port land , ▁Oregon ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁third ▁generation ▁Oregon ian . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 2 , ▁he ▁became ▁interested ▁in ▁fal con ry ▁when ▁a ▁teacher ▁brought ▁a ▁live ▁fal con ▁to ▁class . ▁ ▁That ▁experience ▁spark ed ▁a ▁bro ader ▁interest ▁in ▁wild life ▁and ▁nature ▁in ▁general . ▁ ▁In ▁high ▁school , ▁K err ▁raised ▁a ▁w olf ▁cub ▁as ▁a ▁bi ology ▁project . ▁ ▁He ▁attended ▁Oregon ▁State ▁University , ▁where ▁he ▁graduated ▁with ▁a ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁bi ology ▁and ▁a ▁minor ▁in ▁journal ism ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁ ▁After ▁gradu ating ▁from ▁Oregon ▁State ▁University , ▁K err ▁went ▁to ▁work ▁at ▁Port land ’ s ▁Washington ▁Park ▁Z oo ▁( now ▁called ▁the ▁Oregon ▁Z oo ). ▁ ▁He ▁later ▁took ▁a ▁job ▁with ▁the ▁Nature ▁Conserv ancy ▁as ▁a ▁wild life ▁bi ologist . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁K err ▁moved ▁to ▁Central ▁Oregon ▁with ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁creating ▁a ▁museum ▁with ▁living ▁animals ▁exhib ited ▁in ▁their ▁natural ▁environments . ▁ ▁High ▁Des ert ▁Museum ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁K err ▁founded ▁the ▁Western ▁Natural ▁History ▁Institute . ▁ ▁After ▁five ▁years ▁of ▁fund ▁raising , ▁he ▁persu