Winter Lady Slipper Award Winner
Congratulations to Ted Altman, our Winter Lady Slipper Award recipient!
When Ted moved back to Tryon, he rediscovered his passion for hiking. Specifically, Ted is fond of the Norman Wilder Forest, calling it one of Conserving Carolina’s “little gems.” It is there that he began his journey with Conserving Carolina. Shortly after Ted retired as a research scientist in 2018, the Norman Wilder Forest was ravaged by extreme flooding, sparking Ted’s interest in joining Conserving Carolina as a volunteer. He began working on non-native invasive plants species removal and independent trail maintenance at the Forest.
Nowadays, Ted is a regular Kudzu Warrior with Conserving Carolina, giving time, sweat, and hard labor to protect and preserve the Norman Wilder Forest. Here, Ted gets to see the benefits of what Conserving Carolina and our volunteers do from year to year.
“It was enormously satisfying to see a carpet of wildflowers this Spring where we pulled out Kudzu the year before.”
When Ted isn’t volunteering his time and effort, he enjoys hiking, woodworking, and traveling. His passion for hiking feed his future hopes for Conserving Carolina—that we continue creating and maintaining safe and enjoyable places for people to hike and experience the outdoors. Through this, Ted believes that Conserving Carolina can inspire more people to protect and preserve natural resources.
As Ted moves forward in his journey volunteering, he notes that volunteering to help protect North Carolina’s natural resources is rewarding beyond what statistics and data can deduce. The work has meaning in its results, but also in its community. Together, Ted knows that the effort of both volunteers and staff make a world of difference, and he wants to help these efforts expand as time goes on.
“Financial support for Conserving Carolina is very important, but the time and talent of the many dedicated staff and volunteers is also critical to maintaining our natural resources and building a vibrant community.” Ted explains.
When volunteering time, Ted says that you often receive more that you give. In Ted’s case, this comes in the form of great new friends and a wealth of knowledge about the natural world.
Conserving Carolina knows that all the efforts that Ted has contributed is beyond what words can express. We are so very grateful for all that he has done! Thank you, Ted!