Ken Tunnell

Ken grew up in rural Eastern NC, and early on learned the value of family and community. From his many hours working and hanging out in the general store his grandparents ran, the importance of respecting all people and having a space for folks to meet and talk was ingrained in him. It also gave him the love of collecting old soda bottles - and his shelves bear witness to it! The land of his childhood also influenced his respect and care for the environment and the animals that depend on it. Many hours in the middle of nowhere plowing fields, helping raise fledgling bald eagles and banding waterfowl (swans are much more agreeable than geese!), many more hours in the seat of the old Oliver 1800 tractor planting, cultivating, and harvesting – it all drove home his love of the outdoors, the creatures that inhabit it and our calling to care for it all. And these two values, environment ...