AOK BOD Spotlight of the Month: Cindy Jeffrey

How did you get started in AOK?

When our previous Northern Flint Hills Audubon Society Chapter Representative passed, I took his place.

What is your background? Have you always lived in Kansas (or Nebraska)?

I grew up in Iowa, went to college first in Lincoln NE where I met my husband. After he graduated, we were in the Army for 21 years, traveled and lived all over the world -too many adventures to tell for this article! I finally finished my BS in Hawaii, then after my husband retired I earned my Master’s at K-State. I am a producer/director in Video production for the Div. of Communications and Marketing at KSU.  We joined the Northern Flint Hills Audubon Society in 1988.

What is your most memorable AOK experience?

Celebration of Cranes

What is your greatest conservation concern?

Climate change overall, and the lack of caring by politicians and general public.

What gets you excited about nature?  What is your passion?

The Smell –  each has its own smell, from the prairie, wetlands, forests, oceans… all get me excited.

The Beauty –I am mostly a visual person, so nature (plants and animals), landscapes, art, plus great architecture, all give me great peace.

What is your favorite spot in Kansas?

Favorite spot in Kansas –difficult to pin down, but probably my own backyard here in the northern Flint Hills. This area around Olsburg has so much diversity.  While I love visiting the mountains, the seashore, the woods of the northeast and big cities, I breath easier here in the plains.

How did you connect with nature growing up?

I grew up in rural Iowa, in the 50s, little TV, no computers, cellphones, we lived outside for the most part and spent a lot of time on the Nishnabotna river, floating, fishing, hunting for bison bones, fossils and Indian artifacts in the sandbars and banks. Our vacations were always camping. I don’t recall ever not being connected to nature.

What accomplishments are you most proud of?

My two sons – both have a deep love and appreciation of the natural world.  And being married to the same man for over 50 years. It has been quite a journey.