Winter Lady Slipper Award: Ecusta Legal Advisory Team
Introducing our Winter Lady Slipper Award recipients: Amos Dawson III, Mike Egan, and Pat Cafferty! While they have all been volunteering for Conserving Carolina for different time periods (Amos for 9 years, Pat for 2.5 years, and Mike for 15 years), our award recipients have all made huge impacts for the conservancy. Amos, Pat, and Mike are all lawyers and have worked tirelessly to make amazing strides in the Ecusta Trail project – working on negotiations for months and helping to secure a $6.8 million grant from the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
All three men fell in love with the picturesque beauty of western North Carolina during trips in years past and have decided to call this area home. Along with all their work for the Ecusta Trail Task Force, they each serve on multiple committees and teams at Conserving Carolina, including: Land Protection, Stewardship, Risk Management, Sustainability, and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). The three are also current members of Conserving Carolina’s Board of Directors, with Amos serving as a past Board President.
While the work that has been accomplished on the Ecusta Trail project is high on the list of rewarding experiences at Conserving Carolina, Amos, Pat, and Mike have all thoroughly enjoyed working with our passionate and dedicated staff and our amazing volunteers who make it all happen! With the global climate change crisis, they see the importance of the conservation work. They understand that western North Carolina has a unique position to help conserve lands that could prove crucial to several species’ survival. As the conservancy moves forward, each award recipient hopes that Conserving Carolina will continue to lead conservation efforts throughout western North Carolina to protect our numerous land types and help to build a community where conservation and equality are primary values.
Outside of volunteering for Conserving Carolina, you can find this wonderful crew traveling, visiting family and friends, playing golf, reading, and spending time in the beautiful natural world.
We love the quote that Mike says he does his best to live by, “There are nothing but gifts on this poor, poor earth” from poet Czeslaw Milosz.
Thank you, Amos, Pat, and Mike for all that you do for Conserving Carolina!