Retiree dedicates his time to environmental education
By Angela Greiner Contributing writer

Arthur Skura shows a group of school children fungi growing on a piece of wood. PHOTO/ANGELA GREINER

Marlborough - For many children in central Massachusetts, Marlborough resident Arthur Skura is better known as "Ranger Arthur." Skura, who spent 23 years of his professional career working the field of life sciences, is now dedicating his retirement to educating children about the importance of nature and conservation.

Skura has a master's degree in biology and worked in the education and research fields first as a biology teacher and then as a research assistant developing life-saving drugs. He decided that the best use of his retirement would be to volunteer in local wildlife sanctuaries.

In January 2007, immediately after retiring, Skura began his volunteer efforts working at the National Wildlife Refuge in Sudbury and Garden in the Woods in Framingham (a plant sanctuary with the largest depositories of native plants in New England).

"I did not want an abrupt ending," he said.

After spending several years researching and developing chemotherapy drugs used in cancer treatment, Skura understands the need for diverse plant life. In his research he worked with doctors and plant extracts from all over the world, he explained. He is afraid that, with more and more plant life becoming extinct, valuable ingredients needed to cure diseases might be lost.

"Humans will suffer if plants continue to become extinct," Skura said. "I am concerned about the environment. I am not a big shot and I cannot do a lot, but what I can do is encourage kids to care about the environment."

As he pointed out a "kettle" left by the glaciers that tore through the Sudbury landscape during the last ice age to a group of children on a school field trip, he explained the importance of getting children outside.

"You have to catch kids when they are young," he said. "They need to see the vistas, the tree canopies, the groundcover. They have to smell the aroma of nature and have a good outdoor experience."

As the children bounded through the woods, squealing "Ranger Arthur, look at this," or asking the endless question "What is this?" Skura chuckled and patiently answered the children's questions. He showed them that the falling leaves will naturally break down into soil. He explained that nature was a carefully balanced wheel and if you upset part of the wheel you could damage and harm it.

After a vigorous morning of hiking, testing water along the river, and bird watching, all of the children eagerly ate everything in their lunches, even the carrots. As passionate as Skura is about nature he is equally concerned about the state of the health of the children in America.

"I feel strongly that children spend too much time inside, they don't go outside," he said.

He encouraged parents and educators to read books like Richard Louv's "The Last Child in the Woods," which addresses the issue of saving our children from "Nature Deficit Disorder."

When he is not leading groups of children through the woods, Skura spends time with his wife or with his five grandchildren. An avid gardener, he maintains a large vegetable garden. He has a very large garden at his son's house.

"It is not that I need the garden, I have a small set-up at my own house, but it is so I can spend time with my grandkids and get them interested in it," Skura said.

"I don't want to sound corny, but I want to give back to children. I hope my legacy is that I taught some children to understand and preserve the importance of the balance of nature."