Shellie Zias-Roe, Ph.D.
FOUNDEr/Executive director
Shellie is Paul’s mom. She has been inspired to do hard things as she watched her son learn with great effort the things most of us can do without much instruction or help. As a result of Paul setting the pace for achievement in their small family, mom had no choice but to measure up. When Paul went to school, mom went to school. Shellie finished her degrees, working full time, and making life long friendships with Paul’s community. She works full time at the University of Redlands teaching in the Environmental Studies Department. Shellie teaches undergraduates about environmental science, planning, environmental impact assessment, and civic ecology. She works with students to learn more about their community through community engagement and service learning. Her students are often inspired by Paul and his friends when they volunteer for Club Friendship, an organization that creates socialization and inclusion for a community of friends who have special needs. Shellie founded Urban Earth Care Farm so that Paul and friends can experience an environmental education and gain pre-vocational skills in an urban setting, while making new friends, and to make their own world bigger and better. When Shellie is not working with young adults, she is volunteering her time as a board member of the Crafton Hills Open Space Conservancy and Club Friendship, and preparing environmental documents as an environmental consultant. Shellie enjoys going on walks with Paul on nature trails, swimming at the YMCA, going on weekend get-a-ways in Southern California, especially to Disneyland, and visiting her family in Pennsylvania. Dragonflies and swans are her spirit animals. Shellie nursed a wild raccoon while she wrote her dissertation in her study during the middle of the night, as the injured raccoon would visit every night and sleep by her side.
Shellie’s Partner in Crime, Bandit
To Learn More About Shellie’s Life’s Work, Visit: Dr. Shellie Zias-Roe
Connecting People
Creating a Sense of Belonging
Henry showing how to test the soil for available nutrients
Henry Roe
Permaculture & infrastructure
Henry Roe is a retired Building Official. He has over 35 years working in the building industry. Henry is innovative and industrious and has built water re-use systems, rain-barrel catchment systems, etc. Also, Henry has built many homes over his lifetime. He is Shellie’s husband of 16 years and has volunteered with Club Friendship, our community of friends who have special needs for more than 10 years. Additionally, Henry’s volunteer service includes installing photovoltaic solar panels on homes in disadvantaged communities in Southern California with Grid Alternatives and planting trees at Texonia and Israel Beal Parks in Redlands. During his free time, you can see Henry holding our farm cat Rocky, going to the beach to play in the ocean, going on long car rides with Shellie and Paul, and visiting his 101 year old mom in Montana.
Nature Education
“All must have the knowledge required to retain their traditional relationship with the environment.” - Ellen Swallow 1873, (The Woman Who Founded Oikology/Ecology)
Arianna Marquez
University of Redlands Student Volunteer Leader & Civic Ecologist
Arianna is a Sophomore at the University of Redlands. She aspires to become a medical doctor upon graduating from college. Arianna currently holds a leadership position as a Peer Advisor to an incoming first-year seminar. The seminar is focused on Civic Ecology, the study of community-based solutions to environmental challenges. Arianna enjoys spending time with her family. She knows her way around a car, as her dad has taught her how to make repairs and she can be found assisting him restoring old cars when she is not studying chemistry and biology. She belongs to a car club and cruises Southern California listening to oldies with her mom and dad.
