Pollinators and Fine Art – Pamela Judson, NCWF Charlie Shaw Society Donor

Throughout March, NCWF is ushering in the colorful spring season by honoring March for Pollinators.

While the monarch butterfly has garnered increased attention over the years for its vital pollinating role, stunning beauty, and precarious plight, it doesn’t work alone in its pollinating prowess. A diverse array of pollinators are absolutely essential to the prosperity of plant life across our state.

Unfortunately, many of these pollinators face mounting pressures and declining populations due to habitat loss, urbanization, pollution, invasive plants, and detrimental agricultural and landscaping practices.

But people like Pamela Judson, so passionate about pollinators that she chooses to devote funds to their protection – are truly making a difference for these species.

When Luck Finds You, Share It with Others – Pamela Judson, NCWF Charlie Shaw Society Donor

This story was featured in the Summer 2022 edition of the NCWF journal.

Some people search for hours for a four-leaf clover. For Pamela Judson, she’s had luck finding them easily ever since she was a small child. She likes to give them to people who may need luck that day. Pamela also incorporates them into her handcrafted jewelry which she sells through her company, Cloverwing Studio.

“I believe the most beautiful art of all is found in nature,” Pamela said. It inspires many of her handcrafted jewelry, fine art, and upcycled designs. “A butterfly, capable of flying thousands of miles, painted in a palette of bright colors, is magical art in motion,” she writes on her Cloverwing Studio web site.

She donates all her profits, including labor, to North Carolina Wildlife Federation’s Butterfly Highway. “The more I make, the more the butterflies gain, and it makes me want to create more,” Pamela said. Her sales last year enabled her to join the Charlie Shaw Society, a group of donors giving $1,000 or more in a calendar year to NCWF.

Pamela promotes Butterfly Highway on her website and displays a Butterfly Highway sign at her jewelry booth at arts festivals and fairs. “The sign piques curiosity in people,” Pamela said. “It is fun talking about Butterfly Highway, pollinator and insects, and what people can do to help. People just come up to me and tell amazing stories about their experiences with bees and butterflies. The conversation is so much more engaging when we discuss pollinators.”

Butterflies have a special place in Pamela’s heart. Before her mom passed away, she told Pamela that she would send butterflies to visit after she was gone. Pamela has turned a hillside at her Webster, NC home into a native wildflower garden to guarantee their visits. Connecting with nature in this way makes her feel part of a larger community that includes creatures, not just people.

“The idea of service or giving to your community is an essential part of being human,” Pamela said. “I don’t feel like I am making a tremendous impact, but I feel that every bit helps. I hope that in sharing my art that I am also opening eyes to be aware of pollinators and their habitat.

If you would like to join Pamela as a Shaw Society donor, learn more at www.ncwf.org/ShawSociety or contact VP of Philanthropy, Kate Greiner, [email protected] or 704-332-5696.

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