Black History Month: Arabia Mountain’s Naturalist & Ranger Shaundon Moore

Born and raised in neighboring Ellenwood, Georgia, Moore spent much of his childhood outdoors. With an insatiable passion for nature, he soon realized that this was something he would be doing his whole life.

Shaundon Moore holds a unique position at the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve (DAMNP) as both a Ranger and Naturalist, the first time one person has held both positions at the preserve. This culminated from Moore’s upbringing in nature, his extensive experiences at Atlanta-area parks and conservation-based organizations, and working with people across many diverse communities. This role has earned him high regards as a park caretaker and expert of the natural world, as well as a leader and community facilitator. And with such a solid history of experience in the field, he’s only getting started!

The Making of an Outdoorsman

As a child and young adult, Shaundon Moore couldn’t stay away from the outdoors, spending a great amount of time exploring and playing in nature around his hometown of Ellenwood, just outside the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area. After his high school graduation when the time came to further his education and begin exploring career paths, Moore knew he wanted to follow his passion and make it into a living. “I have been an outdoor person for most of my life,” said Moore. “As a kid I spent an absurd amount of time outside. I didn’t know exactly what I was gonna do for a career but it was very clear it had to be something outdoor or biology related.”

Although he was unsure at the time of how being a good lizard and frog catcher would help him find a job, Moore grew confident in his passion for nature as a valid path and chose to pursue Biology in his undergraduate studies at Valdosta State University. While enrolled in a Molecular Ecology class, his professor noticed how most of Moore’s projects were focused on reptiles and amphibians and referred him to a Herpetology lab. Despite Moore not meeting the GPA requirements to join, the Herpetology lab professor was impressed by Moore’s dedication to his interest and admitted him into the lab anyways. This experience would shape the rest of Moore’s education and solidified his confidence in his passions being transferable to the working world.

Following his graduation with a Biology bachelor’s degree, Moore pursued a Master’s in Conservation Biology at Central Michigan University. Although his sights were set towards a field in conservation, he kept finding himself in positions that offered him diversions back to his original interest in herpetology, such as invitations to speak at events and lead presentations to share his knowledge and unique experiences around amphibians and reptiles. This led him to appreciate communication as a skill and inspired him to focus more on the educational aspects of his expertise. After returning to the Atlanta area, Moore “traveled the 285 circuit,” working for organizations like Zoo Atlanta, the Georgia Aquarium, Cobb County Watershed, the Amphibian Foundation and the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance until he ended up at his current position as a dual Naturalist and Ranger at DAMNP, where he’s been since 2023.

No Boring Days at DAMNP

With such a diverse position, Moore is never in a shortage of work at the preserve. His duties range from trail maintenance and park security to engaging with visitors by leading hikes and educating visitors at events at Arabia Mountain. He also helps conduct research in the park space, which is home to many rare and endemic species (such as the stunning diamorpha succulent which grows in the preserve’s solution pits and will be blooming soon). These rare plants attract school groups, nonprofits and research organizations to explore the outcrop.

Additionally, Moore sees himself as responsible for educating visitors about their own natural surroundings. “A subversive goal that I have and I think most of us naturalists are aligned with is that we’re building other naturalists,” said Moore. “We’re helping them to have the knowledge and the language so that when they go home they start to see their home as their own little nature preserve.”

Moore holds a deep sense of pride for the work he does, especially since he sees it as a continuation of the legacy created by previous Naturalists at the preserve. He particularly looks forward to advancing record keeping at the site, citing a lack of previously recorded data of geological and biological goings on in the preserve which would have been useful for the analysis of irregularities like the great reduction in last year’s yellow daisy bloom, one of Arabia’s signature plants, which had an exceptionally weak showing during the summer of 2024.

What Does It Take?

For those interested in becoming a Ranger or Naturalist, Moore offered his suggestions for experiences that one may need to acquire, in addition to experiences that he is glad he had that help him perform his tasks well.

Centrally, Moore values his passion for the outdoors and even sees it as a requirement for the job. “Specifically in my role, if you’re trying to be a ranger or a naturalist-type person, you have to not only be comfortable but genuinely enjoy being outside a lot,” said Moore. He also believes you must be curious, or even borderline nosey. This will allow a deeper understanding of the park or preserve and make it easier to notice problems when the first arise.

Moore also recommends narrowing down a career path to specific central interest, something that he wishes he had spent more time doing initially. “There’s a career for almost every little thing in the world,” said Moore. “I would just do research on who or what job specifically is doing that task.” Awareness of a personal central interest is key to honing a path of relevant education, work and volunteer experiences that will allow an individual to be prepared for a job that they are truly interested in, enjoy and are confident in performing.

Although a background in nature or biology is important, Moore believes that a lack of it can be made up with a strong passion, work ethic and curiosity, while also citing his degrees and his work experiences as being central in his success.

Hopes For The Future

While the world of parks and outdoor recreation is always changing, Moore is looking forward to continuing his involvement however he can, potentially shifting more of his focus to leadership-based projects. Additionally, Moore will continue his participation in projects that he was involved in at his previous positions, notably the Chattahoochee River Paddle that he spearheaded at the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance, which he is still working with to this day. “One of the burdens I think that a lot of us Naturalists share is that when we start something, it’s hard for whoever comes after us to continue it,” said Moore. “When we leave, the project ends.”

If anything, Moore believes that him having his hand in many pots will allow him to further his portfolio and grow new opportunities. “I enjoy helping people find their outdoor thing,” said Moore. “I think there’s an outdoor thing for everybody and I just so happen to be interested in all of it.”