“An encyclopedia of nature,” is how Meg Scanlon has often been referred to, and it is a title well-earned. Scanlon will be retiring from her role as the Interpretive Naturalist at the Latodami Environmental Education Center of North Park, Allegheny County Parks. Scanlon has been involved with North Park since 1974 when she started volunteering.
“I was the only one that showed up for an 8th grade field trip to Latodami to learn about bird banding— even the teacher did not show because it was a cold, rainy day. I had Joe Grom (the naturalist prior to Scanlon) to myself, and I was hooked,” Scanlon explained. “ I volunteered and also worked as a seasonal worker for him over the years until he retired, at which time I applied for the job.”
Scanlon assumed her role as naturalist when Grom retired in 1987. “Grom was the most amazing teacher— patient and kind and still the most knowledgeable man I have ever met. He is renowned as an ornithologist, naturalist, artist, writer, photographer and again as a teacher. I would not be the person I am today if not for him,” she said.
Over the decades that Scanlon has worked at North Park, it is no exaggeration to say that she has imparted her vast knowledge of nature to thousands of young people and adults through the hundreds of programs that she developed and led. In the beginning, Scanlon kept many of the existing programs but began eliminating those with poor attendance, and then she started expanding. “I started to develop public programs I thought would attract families and would be fun to do because of my own interests,” she said. Scanlon created programs for in-school and field trip educational experiences for many local schools and other organizations such as Easter Seals, Head Start, YMCA, Senior and Alzheimer Care facilities, Shuman Juvenile Center, VA Hospital, animal shelters, garden clubs, and more. “Many of these public, private and school programs still occur. As the demographics and lands of the region have changed, so has our programming,” Scanlon explained.
A favorite of Scanlon’s over the years was working with local scouts. “I am very proud of all the amazing Boy and Girl Scout projects that have made such an impact in opportunities in research, education and habitats in North Park. Without these I could not have accomplished many of the things that I wanted to do through the years— bridges, decks, tree nurseries, trails and boardwalks, tree plantings, stream restorations, wildlife nest boxes— just to name a few,” she said.
One of Scanlon’s biggest fans is Andy Baechle, the Director of County Parks. “Meg eats, sleeps and drinks her job. They just don’t make them like Meg anymore,” he said. A nature buff himself, Baechle credits much of his own knowledge to Scanlon. “No one knows nature like her.”
Summing up Scanlon’s 40 plus years at Latodami, Baechle said, “We can’t count the number of people whose lives she has touched.”
And Baechle isn’t alone in his praise. Scanlon’s successor Katie Stanley, Interpretive Naturalist, said of their first meeting, “It was clear right from the beginning that Meg considered nature the most precious thing in her life, and that was incredibly inspiring to me,” she said. Like Baechle, Stanley credits much of her own knowledge to Scanlon. “I came from a more research-based background so I was unaware of how to identify plants, animals and fungus as well as how to conduct a successful interpretive program. As I worked with her, I was and still am continually amazed at how much she knew. She was able to identify nearly every living being in North Park’s ecosystems, while also providing information about their life cycle, importance and so much more.”
While Scanlon has a long wish list for her retirement, including domestic and international travel, attending more rock concerts, visiting all of the National Parks and reconnecting and visiting friends and family, it is no surprise to see 'volunteering at Latodami' on that list. “I have a feeling that we haven’t seen the last of Meg,” Baechle said.
It is clear that Scanlon has left a legacy. “She made Latodami what it is,” Baechle said.
Stanley agreed. “To say she will be missed is an understatement, but I know that her legacy will live on in every nook and cranny of Latodami Nature Center.”
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