The Roanoker March/April 2024 - 63

outdoors
of her time traveling and enjoying it, so it
makes sense that she would gravitate toward
work whose mission is to protect it.
Key's first position in air quality was in
Oklahoma, but when an opportunity opened
in her hometown, she took it. As an Air Permit
Engineer, her job included approving Title 5
permits and writing reports on her decisions.
The work was highly technical, so when she
retired, she looked for something fun.
Key became a seasonal park ranger, serving
her summers out west. But the commitments
were always season-long, and she wanted to
travel more.
Though her permit decisions hadn't been
light reading, her coworkers always complimented
her on her writing. In her retirement,
she found that without that writing outlet,
she still felt compelled and took to journaling
about her travels. It served a practical purpose,
too.
When she's out in the wilderness with
shoddy reception, it lets her husband (who
hates traveling himself but encourages her),
mom, and other loved ones know she's safe.
Key's mother used to accompany her, but
now that she's in her nineties, mom stays at
home. But despite Key being a retired adult
herself, her mom still worries. The journals have
offered comfort.
Lately, her mom has been recommending
Key publish her work, partly as a way to
encourage other women travelers.
" We've kind of been encouraged to feel like
we need a protector, " Key says. But by using
her intuition, making smart choices and staying
at populated sites, she's never felt endangered.
During an Alaskan trip, Key took a small
plane to Gates of the Arctic National Park.
It was incredible, but she didn't see the snowcapped
mountains she was expecting.
Her pilot told her, " You won't see glaciers
anymore in Gates of the Arctic. "
Key asked him if he knew of an organization
where she could donate potential proceeds of
a book. The answer was him. It would fund
additional flights for him to show more climate
scientists and, crucially, decision-makers
the changes he's been witnessing.
Back in Oregon, Key saw other signs of
environmental problems at her courtside seat
to the wildfires we only see on the news in
Virginia.
When asked to lead hikes during that time,
she worried about the air quality and people's
health. So Key invited the person who issued
the environmental outlooks to speak with the
rangers.
That led to the next stage in Key's career
- firefighting.
As an Air Resource Advisor, Key now
makes those air reports from the middle of
the encampment where all the firefighters and
other staff stay.
The position is a good fit. It continues to
fuel Key's love of travel which she still enjoys
even while protecting the places she goes.
Secondly, it offers more flexibility than her
ranger gig. It requires long days (16 hours) but
for two weeks at a time, allowing other trips
between firefighting.
Finally, there's an unexpected perk: The food
is delicious, maybe too delicious.
" The catering companies are contractually
obligated to provide 3,000-calorie meals. "
That's because firefighters do so much physical
activity they can lose weight on a 9,000-calorie-a-day
diet.
" My work is mostly a desk job, so I have to
be careful, " she laughs.
Key's duties include collecting measurements,
creating reports and informing and
advising the public and firefighting team of
the conditions. Sometimes, that involves public
briefings.
Unfortunately, some of that work is starting
to come home. Last year, Key had her first
Virginia assignment.
" With climate change and also with insect
damage, we've lost a lot of trees so there is a
lot of fuel on the forest floor... it would not
surprise me to see more smoke in Virginia in
the future. "
She warns that we should have a fire plan
here to protect kids and others from air pollution
and other issues, much like we have them
for winter weather, " and like fixing your roof,
it's best to do it when it's not raining. "
Margaret Key has led a fascinating life in
service to the environment and, by extension,
all who live in it, and in a way, it all started with
that science project.
She encourages those kids in school she's
advocating for to take the time for that extra
project when it comes up, because " it really can
help show employers down the road what your
interests and abilities have been. "
And you never know where that might
lead.I
" ...it would not
surprise me to
see more smoke
in Virginia in
the future. "
MARGARET KEY
TheRoanoker.com
MARCH/APRIL 2024 63
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The Roanoker March/April 2024

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