On a recent Saturday, Radnor Lake’s chief put on an oversized leather glove and told visitors he was about to get a female eagle out of its large, outdoor enclosure. A park employee stood at the back of the small crowd, beaming.
“Now this eagle will be taking account of everything,” longtime park manager Steve Ward said before nodding toward his smiling employee. “She’ll want to know what Shawn had for breakfast.”
“Pop Tarts,” the employee, Shawn Byington, said in a stage whisper, eliciting some chuckles from the eight visitors to Radnor Lake’s aviary.
Byington’s smile got wider.
He loves making people laugh, he loves (most) critters, he loves being outside, he loves talking about nature and he loves people.
So Byington, 45, really loves his job as a part-time employee at Radnor Lake State Natural Area, where he works middays on Wednesdays and Saturdays at the education center and the aviary, a 550-foot boardwalk with those big enclosures for birds of prey who have been wounded and can’t safely return to the wild.
“I love this job more than any other,” Byington said. “I hope this is my last job; I’m not going to any other job after this one.”
Byington said he is relieved as much as he is grateful.
Diagnosed with intellectual disabilities as a child, Byington said he feels some of his other employers have taken advantage of him — sometimes that meant he worked extra hours without getting paid or he got the least desirable shifts or the least desirable tasks assigned to him.
“In those other jobs, he could be tired and grumpy, tired from unloading a truckload of stuff or doing all the dishes from the night before,” his adoptive mom, Kathy Byington, said.
“It’s easy to take advantage of Shawn. He’ll sometimes tell you what he thinks you want him to say. But Radnor is totally different. He absolutely loves it. There’s no comparison to other jobs.”
Byington has been a client of Nashville nonprofit Rochelle Center — which provides housing, employment and other services for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities — for more than 20 years.
A lifelong fisherman and nature lover, Byington first met Radnor Lake’s park manager, Ward, on a Rochelle Center field trip to the park about four years ago. Ward said he was impressed with Byington’s knowledge of state parks and with his love of the outdoors.
A short while later, the Rochelle Center reached out to Radnor Lake on Byington’s behalf. Would Radnor Lake be willing to give Byington a job?
The relationship started with an internship, and Ward looked out for Byington, who did well from the start, Ward said.
“Once you get him talking, he’s great,” Ward said. “And he really likes helping people. He’ll even hold people’s dogs so they can go see the birds.”
Byington and his mom praise Ward with treating Byington with dignity, kindness and patience.
“He feels very much a part of the team,” Kathy Byington said. “They help Shawn function to the maximum of his abilities.”
Byington said he views Ward as more than a boss.
“He’s like another father to me,” Byington said. “He’s very calm and collected, and he says whenever I need anything to call him, and he responds immediately.
“I’m valued big time at Radnor.”
Reach Brad Schmitt at brad@tennessean.com or 615-259-8384.
Chukkers for Charity fundraiser set for Sept. 7
What: The annual Chukkers for Charity polo match, which raises money for Rochelle Center and Saddle Up! equine therapy program for kids and young adults
When: 2 p.m. Sept. 7
Where: Riverview Farm, 1475 Moran Road, Franklin
Tickets: There are individual tickets and tailgate spots, starting at $300 and available at chukkersforcharity.net
More information: chukkersforcharity.net
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Radnor Lake hires Nashville nature lover for his dream job
