Jeff Shields is the Spring 2022 Lady Slipper Award Winner
Congratulations to Jeff, our 2022 Spring Lady Slipper Award Winner!
Serving as a volunteer for as long as he can remember after moving to western North Carolina from Pennsylvania in 2016, Jeff has been offering time and talents in many areas. He has been a boots-on-the-ground photographer of events such as Bearwallow field trips and the annual Conservation Celebration, and a behind-the-scenes help doing work in photo tagging in the Conserving Carolina server.
Not only is Jeff an excellent volunteer with Conserving Carolina, but he is an avid photographer, a member of the Camera Club of Hendersonville, a stamp-collector, and a basket-weaver! He’s a Jeff of all trades, one could say. Jeff says that photography and digital photo-processing come naturally but explains that he fell into the hobby of basket-weaving after wanting a “tangible” result of his hard work that his efforts on a computer didn’t provide and has stuck with the hobby for almost 30 years.
From an early age, Jeff was passionate about the environment. When he and his wife visited the Asheville-Hendersonville area about ten years ago, Jeff says he “immediately fell in love with the natural beauty and the vibrant culture scene” and they moved to Flat Rock shortly after. Being retired from a career in computer programming and system analyst, Jeff had time to offer up and wanted to do something worthwhile with it. He chose volunteering with Conserving Carolina (CMLC at the time).
An internet search for volunteer opportunities ultimately led Jeff to serve with us, but he states that he was aware of the reputation of excellence Conserving Carolina held before his involvement. With great admiration for the work Conserving Carolina does, Jeff decided to volunteer and has been ever since.
Jeff explains that his motivation is from “a love of the natural world and the belief it is critical to protect as much of it as we can, not only for our fellow creatures but for we humans as well.”
Originally living outside of WNC, Jeff has experienced life in large urban areas, like Chicago and Washington, DC. He watched land indiscriminately being developed and found it alarming. After moving to south, he realized that the same sort of development was budding WNC as well and wanted to make an effort to be part of a solution to overdevelopment.
In Conserving Carolina, Jeff had renewed hope that there could be a balance between development growth and protecting natural resources. He hopes that in the future the organization can continue doing what we do best: conserving land for nature and for people. According to Jeff, the results of Conserving Carolina’s efforts speak for themselves, despite the constant struggle it faces in this ever-developing world.
Along with this renewed hope, Jeff says it is the people who make volunteering so rewarding. Calling Conserving Carolina Staff, AmeriCorps Members, and volunteers a “breath of fresh air” sums it up for Jeff. In a world that seems to be focused on the negative, he finds a source of positivity and inspiration in the great people who make up Conserving Carolina.
“It gives me a real sense of hope for future generations. And the knowing I had some small part in it is a source of great satisfaction,” says Jeff.
A wonderful characteristic of Jeff is his humility. He gives out so much, without knowing how much it means to others. When asked about himself, his response is that he just “strives to the next right thing but being human [he] doesn’t always succeed.”
We are so grateful for Jeff and all that he has done for Conserving Carolina. Thank you, Jeff!