Margo Roseum has encountered nature’s majesty in protected wilderness spaces from coast to coast, yet the peaceful beauty of Shenandoah National Park remains a favorite.
As Shenandoah’s education program manager, she shares her love of the natural world and the park with thousands of visitors of all ages and nationalities. She also plays a role in keeping visitors safe and protecting the park from wildfires.
“I have loved exploring various parts of the country, but I love Shenandoah National Park for the details—the millipedes and salamanders, the changing colors of the leaves, the variety of visitors, and the feeling evoked walking on ancient mountains, she said.
Located in Virginia, Shenandoah National Park protects almost 200,000 acres of land within hours of millions of people. It contains over 500 miles of trail—every bit of it beautiful, according to Margo—including 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail.
“The park was founded on the idea of having an ‘Eastern Park in the Western Tradition’ to provide a place for preservation and protection as well as recreation and enjoyment for all.”
Margo’s main role is supervising the park’s education staff and manages the programming. She does everything from creating new programs, to finding funding, to delivering education to schools and youth groups both on site and virtually.
“I also work with other divisions as a red-carded wildland firefighter, on the search and rescue team, with media and interpretation, and on incident command teams for events in the park,” she said.
Juggling all these duties can be challenging, she admits, but worth it. Nothing gives her greater satisfaction than working with children.
“The National Parks have been called ‘America’s Greatest Idea’ and I get to be part of the ‘aha moments’ of students discovering the joy of the natural world,” she said.
Her career path started at Ohio Northern University where she studied business, communication, and environmental studies, receiving a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
“I have a unique background in the business side of managing, but I work well communicating complex science for a variety of students. I have a strong background of practical knowledge and people skills.”
She’s worked at United Way of Lake County, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Yellowstone National Park and Olympic National Park.
“I’ve done everything from teaching cross county skiing to youth to playing an elf at Santa’s workshop as well as working as a snowmobile guide for a few winters and a camp counselor in Ohio and Alaska.”
She’s pleased her career journey led her to Shenandoah, one of the nation’s over 60 National Parks.
“I love being part of an organization that balances preservation and protection with recreation and enjoyment for this and future generations.,” she said.