BROOKVILLE – A local man is taking to the land and water to help raise awareness of a problem impacting creatures of the air.
Tommy Shaffer, who lives near the small village of Porter in Jefferson County, near the Mahoning Lake Dam, kicked off his Save Our Symbol effort on Saturday, starting off on his 200-plus mile sojourn by kayaking a portion of Red Bank Creek from Brookville to Summerville.
Diagnosed last year with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, Shaffer, a U.S. Navy veteran, said he wants to use his time to raise awareness of the dangers lead ammunition and fishing tackle can pose for birds of prey, such as America’s symbol, the bald eagle.
“I want to put my best foot forward and do something good with my time,” Shaffer said recently before starting on his floating and hiking sojourn.
A graduate of Punxsutawney High School, Shaffer grew up an avid outdoorsman and hunter, enlisting in the U.S. Navy where he served as boatswain’s mate. Following his service, he attended Triangle Tech in DuBois for carpentry, and worked for years as a residential contractor in the area.
Shaffer said he’s always been interested in conservation of natural resources, and became a Pennsylvania Master Naturalist in 2021 after completing the program.
Diagnosed with ALS in 2023, Shaffer said the disease has been slow progressing, impacting his shoulders, but still allowing him to use his hands. Although no longer able to work, Shaffer said that when he received his pension from the Navy, he decided to use his time to a greater cause.
“I have decided to focus on the things that are dear to me: nature and wildlife,” Shaffer wrote. “That is why I have launched the Save Our Symbol project, a campaign to help protect bald eagles and other raptors from the threat of lead poisoning.”
Emphasizing that he grew up a hunter, and is not at all opposed to hunting, Shaffer said that when he learned about the dangers of lead ammunition for birds of prey, he had to rethink much of what he had come to know over his 54 years.
“Lead is a neurotoxin that even in low doses impairs an eagle’s balance and stamina, reducing its ability to fly, hunt and reproduce,” Shaffer said. “A piece of lead, the size of a grain of rice, will kill an eagle. Lead ingestion causes seizures, breathing difficulty and death. Eagles are exposed to lead when they scavenge the remains of animals shot with lead bullets that fragment within their bodies or when they ingest lead fishing weights or lures that are lost or discarded in the water.”
He said that looking back, and knowing what he now knows about lead, one moment in his life stands out:
“I was hunting grouse with my friends as a kid on a snowy January day, and I missed a shot at a flushing grouse,” Shaffer wrote. “My friends laughed as I reloaded my 20 gauge. Just as I finished closing the singleshot, the grouse flew back toward me. I pulled up, shot, and to my surprise, the grouse fell to the ground. More surprisingly, a red-tailed hawk abruptly swooped in and landed on the grouse. The hawk took a look at me and then flew away with the grouse. My friends laughed louder. I was left with only the hawk’s wing imprint in the fresh snow and a good story. Or so I thought. Now I know that I surely killed the hawk when it ingested my No. 8 lead shot.”
“It is a story that still haunts me because I have always considered myself an ethical and responsible hunter,” he added. “It is a story that happens too often and that we can prevent.”
Shaffer became involved with the Sporting Lead-Free organization, as well as the Tamarack Wildlife Center in Saegertown, a wildlife rehabilitation and education center that specializes in rehabilitating and releasing birds of prey.
Many of the birds of prey that are treated at Tamarack test positive for lead poisoning, and around half will die.
“I’m not saying that lead ammunition should be outlawed,” Shaffer said. “The key is to educate hunters.”
He explained that non-lead ammunition and tackle are made of materials such as copper, steel, tungsten or bismuth, which do not fragment or dissolve in the body.
“They are equally effective and affordable as lead alternatives, and they are widely available in the market,” Shaffer said. “Many hunters and anglers have already made the switch and have reported positive results and experiences.
“By choosing non-lead products when we are afield, we can reduce the risk of lead exposure for ourselves, our families and our wildlife. We can ensure that our good stories are truly good and that our hunting and fishing traditions are sustainable and ethical. Lead is not a concern when target or skeet shooting in most circumstances. Avians will not be exposed to lead unless it is associated with a food source.”
He said that the solution is simple: “We need to get the lead out. When we are hunting or fishing, we need to switch to non-lead ammunition and tackle, which are safer for wildlife and humans alike. Or if we choose to use lead, we can still remove or bury the remains to protect avian scavengers.”
To raise awareness, Shaffer decided to spend his time in nature, traversing the area’s many natural waterways and trails as part of his Save Our Symbol sojourn.
Kicking off last weekend in Brookville, Shaffer said he planned to float additional stretches of Red Bank Creek, along with Mahoning Creek, the Clarion River and more waterways. His journey will also take him on the Redbank Valley Trail, Armstrong Trail and Roaring Run Trail.
“I’m hoping to keep myself moving on water and land all of June,” he said.
He said the response so far has been very positive, and he has received support from the Armstrong Master Naturalists, the Outdoor Discovery Center at Crooked Creek and other groups.
Shaffer is planning to float Red Bank Creek starting from New Bethlehem today (Thursday), and he will be at the Outdoor Discovery Center this Saturday, June 8, at 10 a.m. to talk about his efforts.
Supporters can join him on any of his excursions, by checking out his schedule on the “Save Our Symbol” Facebook page.
While he is paying for his sojourn himself, Shaffer said he asks that anyone wishing to support his cause send donations to the Tamarack Wildlife Center, 21601 Stull Road, Saegertown, PA 16433.
“Together, we can protect these magnificent birds and ensure that their story is one that continues on,” Shaffer said.