Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 74
Of Porcupines
and Salamanders
Jim Schaberl works to protect wildlife from climate change in
Shenandoah National Park.
By NANCY HENDERSON | Photos courtesy of JIM SCHABERL
O
ne day, after venturing into
an old logging camp in an
abandoned section of forest
in remote northern Pennsylvania
where he lived,
10-year-old Jim Schaberl
leaned against a wild apple
tree, unaware that a life-changing moment
was literally just around the corner.
" I didn't know that a porcupine was
on the other side of the trunk, " he says.
" And it was just chattering away. We had
this little conversation. That porcupine
didn't care ... and I had fun. "
Fittingly, that natural connection
with wildlife has turned into a 33-year
career with the National Park Service.
Schaberl, 55, now serves as division chief
74 BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
of natural and cultural resources at the
200,000-acre Shenandoah National Park,
where he oversees research, conservation
and management of 500 miles of hiking
and horse trails.
Schaberl was in high school when
he heard about a two-year wildlife technology
degree at Penn State that would
allow him to do everything from stock
fish in streams to transfer wild turkeys to
safer locations. But by the time he completed
his studies in the 1980s, the recession
had hit and few jobs were available.
So a professor suggested he bide his time
by earning a bachelor's degree in wildlife
management.
Diploma in hand from West Virginia
University, Schaberl once again ran into
roadblocks finding employment, so instructors
urged him to go to graduate
school. " I don't think I can do that, " he
told them. " I'm kind of out of money. "
Fortunately, a paid ecology assistantship
at State University of New York
offered a work-study program concentrating
on white-tailed deer at Saratoga
National Historical Park in Stillwater,
New York. The pace was already incredibly
difficult-the work was full time,
and so were his studies-but when his
supervisor left six months later and there
were no funds to replace him, the superintendent
announced to Schaberl, " Oh,
you can do that too. "
The workload didn't deter Schaberl.
" That's where I got hooked. I became
http://www.BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 1
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 2
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 3
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 4
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 5
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 6
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 7
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 8
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 9
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 10
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 11
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 12
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 13
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 14
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 15
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 16
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 17
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 18
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 19
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 20
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 21
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 22
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 23
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 24
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 25
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 26
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 27
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 28
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 29
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 30
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 31
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 32
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 33
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 34
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 35
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 36
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 37
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 38
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 39
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 40
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 41
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 42
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 43
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 44
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 45
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 46
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 47
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 48
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 49
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 50
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 51
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 52
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 53
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 54
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 55
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 56
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 57
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 58
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 59
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 60
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 61
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 62
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 63
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 64
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 65
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 66
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 67
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 68
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 69
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 70
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 71
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 72
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 73
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 74
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 75
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 76
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 77
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 78
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 79
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 80
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 81
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 82
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 83
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 84
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-may-june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-march-april-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-january-february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-november-december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-sept-oct-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-july-august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-may-june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-march-april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-january-february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-november-december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-september-october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-july-august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-may-june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/BlueRidgeCountryMarchApril2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-january-february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/BRCND21
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/BRCSO21
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brcja21
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2021_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2021_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2021_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_11_12
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20170102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_201612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20151112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20141112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20131112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20130910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20130708
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com