Shawn Dell Joyce
Shawn Dell Joyce grew up as a citrus farmer in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. An unseasonable freeze killed all the citrus trees and her family farm was lost to developers. This personal tragedy introduced Joyce to climate change and became the fuel of her lifelong efforts to curb climate change and preserve sustainable agriculture. Joyce has been called the “Green Queen” of Orange County, NY.
She founded the nonprofit Wallkill River School, which marries art and agriculture by bringing inner city artists to paint on farms and open spaces. She trained with the Climate Project and Al Gore in Tennessee to lead public presentations on climate change. She has been on a yearlong speaking tour educating about simple ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save money at the same time.
Her weekly column “Sustainable Living” has inspired thousands of people to adopt a “low carbon lifestyle” involving eating locally, energy efficiency and being mindful of the Earth’s limited resources. Joyce is a recognized citizen-scientist on sustainability issues and has received several awards, including Orange Environment’s “Sustainable Art” award, and a Puffin Foundation award for environmental awareness.
She is a professional artist who is collected by the Museum of Modern Art and the Centre Georges. Her home utilizes a rainwater catchment system, a composting toilet and wind power. She lives in the Hudson River Valley region of New York with her husband, son, and many small farm animals.
