Jack Hubley has been a lover of the outdoors
for as long as he can remember. A life-long resident of southern Lancaster
County, Hubley has been bringing creatures that most of us are lucky to
observe even from a distance into our homes for more than 20 years. Since
childhood, Jack has surrounded himself with creatures of 2, 4, 8 or no legs.
It makes no difference. The well-respected naturalist served as Outdoors
Editor for the Lancaster Sunday News for 18 years and editor of Pennsylvania
Wildlife Magazine for a decade.
His list of credits also includes serving
as host of Call of the Outdoors, a weekly outdoors program that aired
locally on Lancaster-based WGAL TV. Eventually, the program went off the
air, but it gave birth to Call of the Outdoors for Kids. His very
popular half-hour syndicated nature show, Wild Moments, aired weekly
on more than 140 network stations coast to coast.
Today, Jack shares his love and knowledge
of wildlife through on-site nature programs and A Wild Moment, a
one-minute vignette which airs every Friday on WGAL's 5:30 p.m. newscast.
When I sat down with Jack for this interview,
he was just as I expected, laid-back and unpretentious.
W&W: What was it like growing
up in the Hubley household?
Hubley: "Mom was a piano teacher
who taught music theory, and my dad...I can still remember being asleep
and looking up and my dad was standing over me saying, "Get up Skippy, we're
going fishing,' I was about 6 years old at the time. It's funny how some
things just stay with you."
W&W: Did your parents encourage
your interest in wildlife?
Hubley: "Oh yeah, I remember on one
trip to Florida I came back with two alligators...If it wasn't big enough
to resist me, I'd bring it home."
W&W: Who were your heroes when
you were growing up?
Hubley: "There were always westerns
on in our house, so I liked Roy Rogers and the Lone Ranger. Of course, Marlin
Perkins and Jim Fowler (Wild Kingdom) were favorites. I actually
got to know Jim Fowler in later years."
W&W: What did you study in school?
Hubley: "My mother was very influential.
I actually went to Lebanon Valley College on a music scholarship, which
was good because I was a pretty average student. My mom was the one who
instilled the importance of working hard. When you live with your music
teacher, you practice. But, nature was always my first love, and I always
knew I'd do something in that field."
W&W: How did you get your start
on Call of the Outdoors?
Hubley: "I was working on a story
for PA Game News on Harry Alleman (original host of Call of the Outdoors),
and WGAL called and asked me to come in for an interview."
W&W: W.C. Fields once said, "Never
work with animals or children." You've worked with both at the same time.
Any funny stories?
Hubley: "Once while taping Call
of the Outdoors for Kids, I had a bunch of baby Binterongs. I thought
it would be a great idea to put ropes above the set for them to climb on.
Binterongs eat mainly fruit. What I didn't know was that they just fed them
before coming to the show. Let's just say that their internal piping isn't
as long as the adults. You can imagine what that was like with the baby
Binterongs overhead and 30 to 35 kids in the audience. Elementary-age kids
find nothing funnier than pee and poop!"
W&W: What are your favorite animals
to work with?
Hubley: "Birds of prey."
W&W: Your long-time companion,
Trusty, your English Setter, passed away last year. You were a kind of duo;
what made him so special?
Hubley: "Trusty was my best friend;
he went everywhere with me. He was so gifted...he cannot be replaced."
W&W: What are some of the projects
that you are currently involved in?
Hubley: "I am still doing A Wild
Moment. But I also do alot of speaking engagements, mostly for elementary
and intermediate grades. But, they don't want to see me, they want to see
the animals. I will be doing programs for 16 inner-city schools. It's sad
how little city kids know about wildlife...I'd really like to narrow the
rift between man and nature."
W&W: Where do you keep all the
animals that you exhibit?
Hubley: "At home. People don't realize
the work that is involved in keeping these animals. To exhibit the animals
they need to be clean, in good health, fit and habituated to people. I need
to handle them alot. I don't want to keep an animal that doesn't want to
be with me. They have to be content in captivity. Lester, my Great Horned
Owl, is great with kids, and it's a species that is usually not approachable."
W&W: With all these animals,
how do you take a vacation?
Hubley: "I don't."
W&W: In addition to being a naturalist,
you are a Master Falconer and one of only a few dozen people licensed to
hunt with Golden Eagles in the United States.
Hubley: "I hunt small game with my
Goshawk and my Golden Eagle, Alpha."
W&W: What is difference between
hunting with a hawk and an eagle?
Hubley: "Eagles are smarter. And,
it is harder to find hunting grounds for her because you can't do it anywhere
near development; she could harm small pets. They are basically dragons
with feathers."
W&W: What does the ideal retirement
look like for Jack Hubley?
Hubley: "More time hawking with Alpha."
W&W: Where is your favorite place
in Pennsylvania?
Hubley: "My backyard. The highest
density of native wildlife is on my building lot. Somerset County for deer
hunting. Canyon country in Tioga County, Colton Point."
W&W: What do you want to be remembered
for?
Hubley: "I just remember growing
up on Cherry Street in Lititz and thinking about people I looked up to,
my local heroes. I'd think, 'Gee I wish I could go fishing with him.' I'd
like to be known for giving kids a good start and influence them to turn
to wildlife and safeguard and protect it. If I could just get kids away
from the computer and put away their IPods. They need to go outside and
get dirty. You see, animals are still magical to me. I'm basically a third-grader
with a gray beard."
Do you remember what it was like to get
a new pet as a child? You know, before the novelty wore off, when all you
wanted to do is be with that animal. Jack's love of nature and wildlife
has never lost its "new pet" excitement. His desire to educate children
and instill an appreciation for wildlife has never been greater. Hubley
lives in Lititz with his wife, Tina, and has two daughters, one English
Setter and a host of other creatures.
-Wendy Royal
JACK HUBLEY NATURE
PROGRAMS
* Critters Beyond Your
Backdoor: A close look at the animals that are all around us yet
little known and seldom seen.
* Critters Nobody Loves:
From spiders to snakes to rodents, there's something yucky for everyone!
* Feathered Hunters: Pennsylvania's
Hawks and Owls
* Snakes: Venomous or
Not?: Most of the techniques typically given for identifying venomous
reptiles are useless and even dangerous in the field. Learn how to safely
identify the hot ones at a distance.
All programs, about an
hour long, feature live animals. Each presentation can be adapted to an
age group, from preschoolers to seniors.
To book Jack Hubley for your
group, call 717-627-2605 or email Jack at jhubley@hearst.com
