The staff is specially selected for
their leadership qualities, professional experience, and strong
desire to share their profound passion for the natural world with
the children. There is a 1:8 ratio of senior staff to children.
We pride ourselves on the individual attention we give to each child.
Our staff ensures that each camper experiences activities in which
they find success. The staff include environmental educators, certified
teachers, arts and crafts specialists, musicians, actors, storytellers,
counselors, and counselors-in-training, Many staff were campers
themselves, and return to contribute to the camp community.
Camp Director Kate Fox and Camp Manager Ed Helbig were honored to recieve Orange Environment's annual Environmental Education Award for their work at Free Spirit Nature Camp. More Info Here
Picture of Camp Staff from August 2009
Staff
Director
Kate
Fox,
Kate leads the camp community and designs the program. Kate has managed programs for children for twenty years, including fourteen seasons of summer camp. She shares her understanding of ecology and respect for nature through unique, hands-on activities that emphasize cooperation and healthy physical and emotional development. Some of her favorite camp activities include fire-making and outdoor cooking, puppet-making, tie-dying, parachute games, adventure challenges, cooperative and multicultural games, and learning about birds. She has directed summer camp and afterschool programs for the YMCA, the Boys & Girls Club, and other Youth Service organizations. She has been trained at the Vermont Wilderness School in the Art of Mentoring, an approach to environmental and cultural mentoring. She is a member of the Town of Wallkill Conservation Commission and a Board Trustee at the Interactive Museum in Middletown. Kate is currently working towards her Masters Degree in Environmental Education at NYU. She directs the Watershed Learning Center, and provides consulting services.
Manager
Ed
Helbig is the Camp Manager, responsible for all aspects of the physical facility. He has an MAT in history and BFA in music. He is looking forward to sharing his extensive map and geographic skills with campers, having traveled and hiked all over the region for many years. He is also an accomplished musician and singer-songwriter, and shares his passion for music with campers, especially at "All Camp Circle". Ed offers hiking, map skills, plant identification, basic woodworking, drumming and music. He organizes outdoor construction and maintenance, and coordinates transportation and trips for camp. During the school year he is Conservation Education Coordinator and cartographer at Orange County Water Authority and is the Lead Teacher at the Watershed Learning Center.
THE following staff members are confirmed for the 2010 Season.
Rebecca
Carter, has worked with kids in many diverse situations. She has previously served as counselor and medical director at Free Spirit Camp. She is a certified EMT. She has been a Youth Services Specialist at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Phoenix. She's served as Sports Program Director at a Vermont sleep-away camp, and as Physical Education Instructor for a private elementary school and a swim instructor. She is currently studying for BA in Teaching at Arizona State University. She is skilled at survival skills, including fire-making and cordage. She loves to review paperwork and memorize all the important details. Rebecca will return to NY for camp in 2010 as programming specialist.
Sara Cavanaugh graduated this spring with a Masters degree in Outdoor Education from at SUNY Cortland and will be teaching this fall for New York State Parks, Taconic Education Center. She is the camp "Games" expert and has been known to play 50 games in a day. She received training at the National Outdoor Leadership School last summer. She has been a part of camp since the beginning, as her mom, Ellyce, founded camp in 1989. Sara is a collegiate basketball star, breaking the school career points record at SUNY Cortland. She is from Hastings-on-Hudson. Sara will be contributing to camp for her 21st season.
Levi Gordon graduated from Warwick Valley High School last year, and is attending University of Vermont. In addition to his work at camp, Levi has worked at Orchard Grove Animal Hospital for over a year. Levi began his career at camp as a Running Deer eleven seasons ago, and is thrilled to finally be leading the Running Deer this season. Favorite camp activities include hiking, games. visiting the animals at the barn, and singing camp songs.
Gabriel Jasmin joins the FS staff for his eighth season as Counselor for the Laughing Coyotes. Gabe is an accomplished musician, and in addition to sharing his music with campers, he plays with several bands. He is a graduate of SUNY Purchase, and is best known for his guitar & trumpet playing. He also works at the Town of Wallkill Boys and Girls Club and has coordinated their after-school music program. At camp, Gabe's favorites include games, paper maiche masks, firebuilding, outdoor cooking, debris hut shelter building, making kites, hiking, and writing songs with campers.
Ben Waring will join us again this summer to share his extensive skills and knowledge of primitive technologies, especially flintknapping. He is looking forward to sharing more primitive technology crafts and skills, including atl atl, press drill, and friction fires.
Danielle Marse graduated from Eastern University with a degree is Psychology. She works at the YWCA of Orange County coordinating the supervised visitation program. Danielle has worked at camp for 4 seasons and returns this season to provide leadership to the CITs (counselor in training) and Tracker Guides. Danielle has experience coordinating character development activities with junior high and high school age adolescents.
Tanner Wilcox will return as a Trackers Counselor for his fifth season. Campers love Tanner's fun approach to life and his ever-present smile. He is a talented musician, and will be touring this spring . His contribution to camp singing and music is a camp highlight. He also writes and sings original songs with camp kids. His camp favorites include singing, hiking, outdoor cooking (especially the pit oven), sewing recycled clothes, jewelry-making and visiting the cows.
Sarah Kelso
Sarah Kelso is currently a student at SUNY Fredonia as a major in music therapy. She plays guitar, clarinet, drums and piano and enjoys singing with the campers. She is a lifeguard and has first aid and CPR/AED training. She was a high school swim team member and loves canoeing on the pond with the kids. She has been at camp for four years. She enjoys crafts such as soap carving, making friendship bracelets, making grass heads, beading, sewing, painting, and tie dying. She enjoys playing all kinds of games and going on hikes all over the farm. She loves animals and enjoys going to the barn to see them. Sarah will be working with the Laughing Coyotes this season.
Alyssa Sable graduated from Pine Bush High School this year and will be attending RIT in the fall. She plans on pursuing a degree in Engineering. She has been at camp since she was a Leaping Frog. She is a lifeguard and has first aid and CPR/AED training. Alyssa has become the camp expert in
making origami cranes and friendship bracelets. She always looks forward to working at camp. Alyssa is excited to work with the Trackers for the first time
Max Gaydos has also attended camp since he was a Leaping Frog. He is graduating from Pine Bush High School this spring, and will be attending SUNY Purchase in the fall to study art. Max played Varsity Lacrosse for Pine Bush. He likes to help campers with outdoor skills, firekeeping, hiking, and games. He likes to draw and play guitar.
Gaye Sable has been involved with camp in various ways since her daughter Alyssa was a Leaping Frog. This is her 3rd year spending a lot of time at camp. She teaches quilting and sewing classes at Quilter's Attic in Pine Bush. When not working, she volunteers her time for Alyssa's swim club and school activities. She is always looking for new things to do at camp and
loves exploring different crafting projects with the campers from nature crafts to recycled stuff. Her favorite is tie-dyeing and batik with
friendship bracelets and beading right behind.
BIOS on the way for:
EJ Fox is a homeschooled high school junior who has been at camp since he was a Leaping Frog. He is an aspiring graphic design artist with many of his original infographics and interviews published on the internet. He
Nicole Bender graduated from Warwick High School this spring and is headed to Marist College in the fall, She is considering learning to be a teacher. She has been at camp since she was a Leaping Frog, and has worked with all the different groups as a CIT and Junior staff member. She will be helping to lead the Running Deer this summer.
Samara Blank is a sophomore and this is her second season at camp. She will be providing special attention for our youngest campers. She enjoys photography and art.
STAFF EMERITUS
Adrienne Testa received a BA in Elementary Education at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina. The only summer she didn’t spend at camp, (or at least basking in the glow of its joy) since age 9 was the summer she spent interning at the North Carolina Coastal Federation where she educated the public about the preservation and restoration of North Carolina’s coastlines. She is currently employed at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, NC as a Master Teacher.
Dan Purcell is a graduate of The American Musical and Dramatic Academy at which he majored in Acting. Dan has been involved with camp almost since the beginning, when he was a Leaping Frog himself. He is versed in many different aspects of camp from directing traffic and answering phones, to leading a Free Choice and playing a game of Food and Water. Dan is currently living in New York City, but is from Warwick, NY where he graduated from High School.
Additional staff will be announced as they are confirmed.
Special Visitors
Brother Wolf, an old friend of camp and former Program Director, will be visiting camp during session 3.. Eric has studied with Tom Brown's Tracking School, Audubon Expeditions, and is a gifted storyteller. He is the host of the Storytelling with Children weekly podcast. (available at iTunes). We are very excited to have Eric contribute to camp. His website: http://www.ericwolf.org/
Health Provider
Mart Lain is our camp health provider. He is a Registered Nurse and lives on-site. In addition, he is the primary Kezialain Farmer, with assistance from his father, Art, son Milton, sister Deborah, and other family members. He enthusiastically shares the joy and wonder of the farm with Free Spirit Campers.
