how is it done in the digital age? - chewonki...485 chewonki neck road wiscasset, maine 04578-4822...

How is it done in the digital age?

SPRING 2011

485 Chewonki Neck RoadWiscasset, Maine 04578-4822 (207) 882-7323 • Fax: (207) 882-4074 email: [email protected] • www.chewonki.org

CHEWONKI FOUNDATION STAFFWillard Morgan, PresidentMark Adams, Big Eddy Campground StaffSusan Adams, Big Eddy Campground ManagerAnnika Alexander-Ozinskas, Semester School, Math Teaching FellowGarth Altenburg, Camp for Boys, DirectorScott Andrews, Semester School, HistoryCarob Arnold, Facilities ManagerPeter Arnold, Sustainability CoordinatorPaul Arthur, Semester School, English, Assistant Head of SchoolSandy Bandhu, Camp AssistantLauren Bangasser, Outdoor ClassroomJennifer Barton, GardenerKate Braemer, Outreach/Outdoor ClassroomAbby Burbank, Camp for Girls, DirectorSarah Burgess, Kitchen ManagerEmma Carlson, Outdoor Classroom, Assistant DirectorJason Chandler, Semester School, Environmental IssuesMargaret Youngs Coleman, Farm & Woodlot Manager Betta Stothart Connor, Director of CommunicationsKeith Crowley, Traveling Natural History Programs, Assistant DirectorJane Cullina, Outreach/Outdoor ClassroomJeannette Eaton, Program Administrative AssistantDominique Edgerly, Outdoor Classroom Bill Edgerton, CookCharles Fear, Outdoor Classroom Lisa Ferrel, CookLynne Flaccus, Head NaturalistJenn Goldstein, Outdoor Classroom Rebecca Graham, IT ManagerJeffrey Hankins, Outdoor ClassroomLeah Kramer Heyman, Outreach EducatorBill Hinkley, Semester School, Interim Head of School, MathSara Hirsch, Outdoor Classroom Abby Holland, Semester School, SpanishLucy Hull, Director of DevelopmentAnna Hunt, Traveling Natural History Programs, DirectorLibby Irwin, Semester School, Director of AdmissionCarol James, HousekeepingAdam Janosko, Semester School, Teaching FellowAaron LaFlamme, Outdoor Equipment & Logistics Don Lamson, Director of OperationsAnne Leslie, Foundations CoordinatorAddie Liddic, Outdoor Classroom, Program AssistantRyan Linehan, Teen Wilderness Programs DirectorPrema Long, Lead Outreach EducatorTamothy Louten, Supervising RNHolly Lowe, Receptionist/Administrative AssistantDawn Mareckova, NurseDana Mark, Outdoor ClassroomRachel Marks, Outdoor ClassroomAbigail Marshall, Farm ApprenticeTrish McLeod, Business OfficeSarah Morati, Outdoor ClassroomNancy Percy, Human Resources ManagerScott Peterson, Waterfront & Boatshop ManagerMegan Phillips, Farm EducatorRuth Poland, Semester School, Sustainability Teaching FellowBen Redman, Semester School, MathChristina Roach, Outdoor ClassroomAmy Rogers, Semester School, EnglishGreg Shute, Wilderness Programs DirectorPeter Sniffen, Semester School, ScienceJamie Sonia, Business Office AssistantJeremy Tardif, Assistant Farm ManagerKelsie Tardif, Development AssistantEdward Tittmann, Chief Financial Officer Katie Tremblay, Outdoor Classroom, Program DirectorTom Twist, Sustainability AssistantMatt Weeks, Outdoor ClassroomSue West, Semester School, ArtMarjolaine Whittlesey, Semester School, FrenchPeg Willauer-Tobey, Assistant Director of DevelopmentAdam Williams, Outdoor Classroom/MaintenanceKen Wise, Carpenter

CHRONICLE STAFFElizabeth Pierson, EditorBetta Stothart Connor, Assistant EditorFall Design, Graphic Design

PROGRAMSSemester SchoolCamp for BoysCamp for GirlsWilderness Trips for TeensWilderness Vacations for Adults & FamiliesOutdoor Classroom for SchoolsTraveling Natural History ProgramsSustainability Office

Contents

3 President’s Notes

4 News from the Neck

8 Digital InterruptionAt Chewonki, the best connectivity platform is still community and nature.

11 Race to NowhereAn acclaimed documentary about education resonates with students and faculty.

12 Two New LeadersChewonki welcomes a new camp director and a new head of school.

15 Gordy HallA longtime friend has a deep history of helping Chewonki grow and prosper.

16 Zero WasteChewonki unveils the newest poster in its sustainability curriculum and sets an ambitious goal of its own.

18 Dick ThomasA Chewonki legend, admired and loved by generations, moves to South Korea.

21 People

30 Remembering Margaret Ellis

31 On My MindA semester student has an unforgettable experience with Chewonki’s owls.

31 Step It Up for SustainabilityThere’s “black gold” in your garbage!

Cover photo by Marjolaine Whittlesey.

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Printed on paper made with 55% recycled – 30% post consumer waste, elemental chlorine free. Printed with soy-based inks, and windpower.

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President’s NotesB

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It was with great sadness that we lost Margaret Ellis to a year-long illness inFebruary of this year. Although I am a relative newcomer to Chewonki,Margaret and Tim (former Chewonki president) have shaped my experience inimportant ways. In the summer of 2004 I spent a few weeks with them in theirold farmhouse in Woolwich, and I fondly remember the daily tea-time with

Margaret’s probing questions, infectious chuckle, and wry smile. She and Tim offeredsage advice then, and between their subsequent travels, but they always did so with aplainly take-it-or-leave-it attitude that empowered my leadership of Maine CoastSemester (now Chewonki Semester School).

It was in their home that my wife, Jenn, and I said good-bye to a peaceful andradiant Margaret in the week before she died. That home has hosted a steady streamof Chewonki visitors over the past months, many of whom joined us for a celebrationof Margaret’s life on April 9.

At that event we saw nearly the entire span of Chewonki history represented inthe generations and affiliation of attendants. The same is true for this issue of theChronicle. In addition to the wonderful remembrance of Margaret, we have profiles ofChewonki luminaries Gordy Hall and Dick Thomas. Gordy led Tim on a trip toBaxter State Park in 1950, and then Tim was mentor to Dick in the 1970s and 1980s,before Dick succeeded him as camp director in 1986. In their stories we feel the heartof Chewonki.

In this issue we also see the future in our new head of school, Ann Carson, andour new director of Camp for Girls, Abby Burbank. You will also read about ourunplugged environment today, which fosters deep connections in the same way theywere made by Margaret, Tim, Dick, and Gordy in the past. Finally, we share work tobring the Chewonki experience to others through the ELLMS funding collaborativeand Zero Waste Initiative, projects rooted in the era of Tim and Margaret’s leadership.

We look forward to sharing more about Tim and Margaret’s contributions in thefall Chronicle, and we hope you will share your stories too, especially in the context ofpreparing to celebrate our centennial in 2015. It is the heartfelt stories that can give usstrength and comfort through the joys and challenges of a well-lived life.

With warm regards,Willard

Stories Are at the Heart of Chewonki

News from the Neck

Four Maine nonprofits specializing inresidential environmental educationhave formed a unique collaboration to

make their programs more widely availableto schoolchildren. Chewonki, Ferry BeachEcology School in Saco, and two Universityof Maine 4-H Camp & Learning Centers—onein Bryant Pond and one in Lincolnville—havepartnered to create ELLMS: EnvironmentalLiving and Learning for Maine Students. Theprogram was formally announced on EarthDay, April 22.

ELLMS will provide students in all 16Maine counties with residential environ-mental education by establishing a financialaid fund for public schools. The program willbegin with the 2011–2012 school year andwill focus on upper-elementary and middle-school students.

Katie Tremblay, director of Chewonki’sOutdoor Classroom, is thrilled to be part ofthe effort. “Maine is famous for its naturalresources, yet many of our children todaybarely know the natural world outside theirhomes and classrooms,” she said.

As school budgets have shrunk in recentyears, all four ELLMS partners have seen asteady decline in public school visits.“Teachers and principals all over the statehave told us how sad and frustrated they areabout losing the unique educational oppor-tunities we offer,” said Katie. “ELLMS willhelp us reach more students in morecommunities and will also ensure thatunderserved children have the same accessto high-quality residential environmentaleducation that students from more affluentfamilies enjoy.”

The program is being established withgrants from private foundations andcorporations. Once it gains traction,ELLMS hopes to secure additional fundingfrom businesses, school and communitypartners, and individual donors.

Schools will apply online for financial aidto support tuition and/or bus transportationto the ELLMS program of their choice.Funding will be awarded on a first-come/first-served basis on a sliding scale between10 and 95 percent, based on whatpercentage of the school’s students areeligible for the National School Lunch

Program. Chewonki and the other threepartners will each provide 15 percent oftuition costs.

The project has already attracted stateand even national attention. “This isbreaking new ground and will serve as amodel for other like-minded nonprofits inMaine and across the country,” said Katie.

For more information, visitwww.ellms.org. If you are interested insupporting this innovative program, pleasecontact Chewonki’s director of development,Lucy Hull, at 207-882-7323 ext. 127 [email protected].

New Partnership to Provide Financial Aid for Public School Visits

Anew staff development fund at Chewonki is providing six members of the seasonal staff with “mini-grants” tosupport valuable training opportunities away from the Neck this year. The mini-grants program was launchedlast fall by the Camp and Wilderness Trips offices and is intended to promote the professional development

and training of Chewonki’s seasonal summer staff while also securing their employment for the coming summer.“The program will provide small grants of varying amounts—between $100 and $500,” said Summer Wilderness

Programs director Ryan Linehan. “Chewonki wants to continue to attract and retain high-quality staff. These grantsare one way we can say ’We value you, we want you to improve your awesome skills and come back next summer.’”

Applicants must meet several criteria: they must have been employed by Chewonki for the past two seasons;commit to returning the next season; be seeking an experience that enhances their work at Chewonki; provide a totalbudget for the experience; and give a presentation on their experience during trip-leader training in the spring.

This year’s grants will support tuition for a National Outdoor Leadership School training course; two Zoar Outdoorswiftwater rescue courses; an extended wilderness experience in northern Maine; and programs with the BoulderOutdoor Survival School and the Massachusetts-based Food Project Winter Institute.

To learn more about the mini-grant program, including how interested donors can help support it, contact RyanLinehan ([email protected]).

Mini-Grant Program Benefits Seasonal Staff

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Chewonki participants and staff have been keeping track of theweather around here for as long as anyone can remember—emptyingrain gauges, resetting max–min thermometers, refilling the ink in

data loggers. Now, those daily chores are history! With a new solar-powered,wireless weather station, Chewonki is firmly in the 21st century when itcomes to collecting weather data.

The new station—a Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2—is mounted in aclearing near the orchard and transmits to a monitor in the Farm Houseduring most of the year and to the Nature Museum when camp is in session.

“Anyone can look at the monitor and see what’s happened over thelast 24 hours,” says head naturalist Lynne Flaccus. The system measuresbarometric pressure, temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind speed anddirection, and UV radiation. It provides highs and lows, as well as totals andaverages, for virtually all variables for the past 24 days, months, or years.“We can even get our own local forecast,” says Lynne.

A New Weather Station!Data can be shown in graph form or in a text file, and it’s all stored

digitally. The major advantage of the system, however, is that it enablesChewonki to collect data consistently, meaning no more gaps whenprograms aren’t in session or staff are unavailable.

The new station has already proved especially helpful when Lynnedoes water-quality testing at Montsweag Brook, where Chewonki is over-seeing habitat restoration following the removal of Lower MontsweagDam. “I can go back to previous weather data and compare it with ourtesting results,” she says. Lynne is training staff and semester students onhow to use the new station and is developing ways to incorporate it intoall of Chewonki’s programs.

Funding for the new station came from the Portland-based AldermereFoundation, which focuses on civic and environmental interests in Maine.


American Camp AssociationBestows Accreditation andPrestigious Award

After a formal accreditation visit last August and an official vote at itsfall board meeting, the American Camp Association announced inearly January that Chewonki Camp for Girls has been ACA accredited.

“We’re thrilled,” said Chewonki president Willard Morgan. “Camp directorGenell Huston and her whole team achieved this remarkable benchmark afteronly three summers at our Fourth Debsconeag Lake campus.”

The first-time achievement means Chewonki Camp for Girls met orexceeded more than 300 standards for health, safety, and program quality—an impressive accomplishment for a camp that embarks on only its fourthsummer this year. Accreditation is entirely voluntary and in some casesrequires meeting standards that exceed state regulations. Chewonki Campfor Girls attained 100 percent compliance with ACA standards.

The 100-year-old ACA accredits more than 2,400 camps nationwide. “ACAaccreditation is the best evidence that a camp is committed to providing asafe and nurturing environment,” the organization states.

“The planning for our girls camp began in earnest in 2007, and manypeople have worked tirelessly to make it such a wonderful, magical place,”said Willard. “We’re very proud that it is ACA accredited, especially as wewelcome our new camp director, Abby Burbank.”

Shortly after celebrating the accreditation of Girls Camp, Chewonkireceived word that it would also receive the ACA’s prestigious EleanorP. Eells Award for Program Excellence. The award was received by

semester and camp staff alumnus Sean Bohac at the ACA’s nationalconference in San Diego on February 8.

Born in 1893, Eleanor P. Eells was a social worker and a leader and inspira-tion in the field of camp throughout her life. “Her greatest contribution washelping individuals and camps start new programs,” said the ACA. She died atthe age of 93, but her legacy lives on in the annual award that was created inher honor in 1977.

This year marks the second time Chewonki has received an Eells award.The first was in 1990, for the newly developed Boatbuilders Expedition, afive-week program that remains one of our most popular coed wildernessprograms for teens.

“Chewonki is thrilled to receive thisaward,” said director of communications BettaStothart Connor. “The Eells award recognizes campsthat develop creative responses to the needs of children and society,and we cannot imagine a more meaningful role for Chewonki toplay today.”

In addition to rewarding program excellence, the award alsorecognizes camps that stimulate the exchange of creative ideas andthat promote the positive contribution camp makes to the well-beingof individuals and society.

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News from the Neck

6 / Chewonki Chronicle

Chewonki Heads South to Isla Holbox

It has been said that hooking a tarpon isthe most exciting 10 seconds of fly-fishing, and Chewonki director ofoperations Don Lamson (shown here on

the left) agrees. That’s why he’s organizing aguided fishing trip this August to Mexico’s IslaHolbox, a 26-mile-long island about 6 milesoff the Yucatan Peninsula.

Spend six days fly-casting to one of themost formidable game fish anywhere, andhave the chance to see dolphins, sea turtles,and many species of rays and seabirds. Don,a lifelong fly fisherman, returned ecstaticfrom a scouting trip to the island in March,having secured first-rate accommodationsfor Chewonki’s guests. “I’m thrilled that wecan stay in a beautiful hotel and have theopportunity to fish with some of the bestlocal guides.”

Beyond the fishing, Isla Holbox is magical. The island boasts white sandbeaches, turquoise seas, and 150 species of birds. The village of Holbox ishome to about 1,500 year-round residents. There are no cars on the island,only bicycles, scooters, and golf carts. Except for the village itself, theisland is undeveloped, and most of it falls within a protected naturepreserve. Don traveled to Holbox with his wife, Dot, former director ofChewonki’s Center for Environmental Education. “She loved the island—the birding, the beaches, the ocean. It’s a great place to take a familyvacation,” Don said.

PLEASE Update Your AddressWe know you’re out there, because our records tell us you are.

Some of you are 40 years old and still getting mail from us at a

parent’s address. Some of you are getting mail from us at two

addresses; some at no address! PLEASE update your address and

email. The benefits?

• Staying connected with Chewonki the way that you want.

• Saving resources—something we all want!

It couldn’t be easier: just visit www.chewonki.org and click on

“Keep in Touch,” right under “Popular Pages.” You can also phone

us at 207-882-7323 or email assistant director of development

Peg Willauer-Tobey at [email protected].

The biggest tourism draw on the island is not tarpon but swimming withwhale sharks, which migrate along Isla Holbox each summer. Tour boats allowfor people to actually swim with the giant peaceful fish. There are also birdingtours, kayak rentals, and windsurfing. But the favorite pastime on Isla Holboxis “relaxation,” says Don. “It’s one of my favorite places on earth, and if you likewildlife and beaches, it falls into the category of sheer paradise.” Don enthusi-astically invites anyone in the Chewonki family to join him this summer. “I’vetraveled throughout Central America,” he says. “Isla Holbox has it all.”

Take Our Reader Survey It’s easy, fast, and just a click away. Please take afew moments to complete our reader survey!We’d love to hear what you like the most (andthe least) about the Chronicle. By sharing youropinions and suggestions, you can help usensure that these pages best serve you, ourreaders. The survey is anonymous, and it willbe most effective if many people participate.Go to www.chewonki.org and click on ReaderSurvey. We’ll share our findings with you in afuture Chronicle.

To learn more about our Isla Holbox trip and other wilderness vacations for adults and families, go to www.chewonki.org/vacations/vacations_flyfishing.asp.


Goodbye to Adeline. It was ahard decision looming. Our old friendAdeline, the 21-year-old Jersey cow thatthousands of Chewonki participants hadmilked over nearly two decades, was rapidlydeclining. When a morning arrived in Januarythat she could no longer get up to eat hergrain and simply lay on the barn floor,mooing short questions at the farm crew,they knew it was time.

That afternoon, just before chores,Addie’s long life at Saltmarsh Farm came toa close. She was buried near the Gatehouse,overlooking the fields that sustained her andnear the remains of our old draft horse Nel.“Adeline’s rich personality was a source ofcomfort and a symbol of stability for somany of us who spent time with her throughthe years,” said assistant farm managerJeremy Tardif. “She was a gentle creaturewho touched a lot of lives, in very significantways. We miss her.”

Bigger, Better Bins. Thanks to ourMaintenance and Wood Shop crews,Saltmarsh Farm has three brand-new,concrete compost bins. What, no moreturning the compost with a pitchfork? That’sright. Well, almost. Students still hand-turnthe new material that’s added to the pileeach day, but the farm crew regularlytractor-turns the compost now.

FROM THE FARM

It’s an honest case of bigger being better.“We outgrew our old system and werehaving trouble handling the food wastecreated by an ever-growing community,”explained farm manager Margaret Coleman.With the new system, the compost can bemixed and aerated much more efficientlyand effectively. Semester students, campers,and Outdoor Classroom participants remainas involved as ever in the rest of thecomposting process. “The bins, as they havealways been, are both an educational tooland a functional system,” said Margaret.

It’s difficult to get accurate figures, butassistant farm manager Jeremy Tardifestimates that Chewonki generates 18 to 24yards of compost annually.

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JOIN US FOR FAMILY CAMP!Our annual Family Camp will be held this year on August 18–21 on Chewonki Neck.We hope you’ll join us! Family Camp is an opportunity for couples and families—including children and grandchildren—to enjoy a fully outfitted Maine vacation inthe company of other friends and families. Come relax on the Neck and enjoy hiking,sailing, canoeing, kayaking, nature study, building bird boxes, birdwatching, fishing,and much more. For more information, visit our website or call us at 207-882-7323.

JOCK MONTGOMERY !2"


Leo Abbe-Schneider didn’t really look at treesbefore he came to Chewonki. It isn’t because helives in the desert or above tree line; Leo lives inLos Angeles, in a neighborhood full of trees.“It’s because I was too busy texting,” he says.

Leo sends hundreds of text messages a day when he’s at home.“I spend so much time looking at the palms of my hands that Idon’t see anything else. Here, I notice the trees and otherthings in my environment.”

Forty-one students, Leo among them, are at ChewonkiSemester School this spring. Their cell phones have beenlocked away since they arrived. For the first 10 days of thesemester, their laptops were also locked away. When thelaptops were returned, Leo said no thanks. When he needs acomputer to do school work, he uses one of the publiccomputers in the Farmhouse. He also emails and checksFacebook there, although not as often as he does at home.

Leo is 17 years old. Like the majority of his peers, includingmany at semester school, he defines himself as a heavy user ofdigital media and technology. He was not happy when helearned what he would be giving up at Chewonki: cell phone,digital internet devices, DVDs, Netflix subscription, TV,stereo. “My phone is my text-messaging machine. I couldn’timagine not having it,” he says. He canimagine it now. Not only that, it turns outthat giving up his gadgets—cell phoneincluded—was easier than he expected.

His classmates say the same thing. “Idon’t miss it at all. In fact, I kind of hateall that technology now,” says FarallonBroughton, who’s from New York City. “Idon’t need it. I have 40 friends right hereon campus.”

Sarah Gledhill of North Carolina sayslosing her phone has been “a positivething.” She recognizes now that she oftenused it to avoid awkward situations. “Ifthere was a pause in a conversation, orsomething felt uncomfortable, I’d starttexting to escape it. Here I really talk topeople. I feel more connected.”

“It’s liberating not to have a phone!”exclaims Ben Jaffe. “There are times I feel

phantom vibrations in my pocket, however.” The Seattlestudent calls his free time at Chewonki “more diverse” than itis at home. The one rule he still chafes at is that laptops aren’tallowed in the students’ cabins. But maybe that’s why he isreading more. And talking more with friends and teachers.“We’re always busy here,” he says, “but life is more relaxedthan it is at home. It’s simpler.”

“Simpler.” Clarence Allen would have loved tohear Ben say that word. Clarence was a youngschoolteacher when he founded Camp

Chewonki in 1915 as an antidote to the creep of urbanizationand mechanization. Ninety-six years later, in a society heavilydriven by media and technology, the antidote that becameChewonki is needed more urgently than ever.

Consider the findings of the California-based Kaiser FamilyFoundation, a nonprofit, private foundation that specializes inhealth policy and communications. In January 2010 Kaiserpublished the results of one of the most comprehensive studiesever conducted in the U.S. on media use among youth.“Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds”examines which media young people use, which they own, howmuch time they spend with each medium, which activities they

DIGITAL INTERRUPTION

At Chewonki, the best connectivity platform is still community and nature

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engage in, and how often they multitask. It explores a widearray of media, including TV, computers, video games, music,print, cell phones, and movies.

The results are astonishing. The average young person inthe U.S. now spends more than 7! hours a day using media—“almost the equivalent of a full work day, except that they areusing media seven days a week instead of five,” the reportstates. “Moreover, since young people spend so much of thattime using two or more media concurrently, they are actuallyexposed to more than 10 ! hours … of media content duringthat period.” Amazingly, this does not include time spent usinga computer for school work or texting or talking on a cell

phone. The dominant form of media consumption is watchingTV—increasingly on mobile devices.

Media equipment surrounds our children. It is in theirhomes, their bedrooms, their cars, their schools, theirbackpacks, their pockets. According to Kaiser, 29 percent of8- to 18-year-olds own their own laptop, 76 percent their owniPod or MP3, 66 percent their own cell phone. Cell phoneswere once just a way to talk with someone; now they’re also away to consume more media. “Eight- to eighteen-year-oldsspend more time with media than in any other activity besides(maybe) sleeping,” concludes Kaiser.

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“We offer young people something that has become increasingly rare: an opportunity to simplify their lives and focus instead on the people and

the surroundings that nurture them.”

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What remains unknown is the effect all of this exposure ishaving on personality and the brain, particularly in childrenwhose brains are still developing. Scientists are in the earlystages of investigating the subject, but already there is evidencethat people of all ages may be paying a hefty price for pluggingin too much.

In this world of unrelenting digital stimulation, aChewonki experience is even more relevant now than itwas in 1915, says Chewonki president Willard Morgan.

“In our summer programs, school programs, and semesterschool,” he says, “we offer young people something that hasbecome increasingly rare: an opportunity to simplify their livesand focus instead on the people and the surroundings thatnurture them.”

Willard recently created his own Facebook account andblog and is quick to acknowledge the value of digital media.“The challenge,” he says, “is to be sure we’re using the digitaltools, especially telecommunications and social media,thoughtfully and sparingly instead of reflexively and habitually.At Chewonki we hope that 7 !hours of media time each daybecomes outdoor play, conversation, hands-on work, or intel-lectual engagement.”

To that end, we unplug, to varying degrees. Semesterstudents, who spend half a school year on campus, are partiallyunplugged. Campers, trippers, and Outdoor Classroom partici-pants are completely unplugged; for the relatively short timethey are with us, they must leave their laptops, cell phones,iPods, video games, and even Pokémon-type game cards athome. Instead of emailing, they communicate by letters.

Asked if he gets much pushback on this policy from parentsor campers, Boys Camp director Garth Altenburg says, “No.For the most part it’s embraced. I think people appreciate ourpolicy. They recognize that they’re tied to technology at homeand value the opportunity to step away from it at Chewonki. Alot of parents ask me ’You’re totally unplugged, right?’ Theyreally want that for their kids.”

The staff can have cell phones and iPods, but theycan use them only when they’re off duty and not withcampers. During staff training week, even that is notallowed. “At the beginning of the summer, the entirecamp staff takes a cyber sabbatical,” explains Garth.“We put all of our phones and electronics away so wecan concentrate on getting to know one another andcoming together as a community.”

Garth believes campers benefit in many ways bybeing unplugged from electronics. “The biggestthing is allowing them to be present in thecommunity and in the world around them,” he says.“It’s a unique opportunity, something they reallycan’t do the rest of the year. I think many kids cometo recognize that they often use electronic devices toamuse themselves when they’re bored and don’t haveother options. In some urban environments, kidsdon’t have as many exciting things to do right outsidetheir back door. At camp, the entertainment, thefriendships, the adventures—they’re all right here!”

Abby Burbank, the new director of ChewonkiCamp for Girls, is excited about spending summers on FourthDebsconeag Lake, where everything is unplugged. The fact thatGirls Camp depends on a generator and renewable energy forall of its power means that every decision to employ moderntechnology is carefully weighed.

“There’s no ’sending out the laundry’ at FourthDebsconeag,” laughs Abby. “We do our laundry with an old-fashioned roller washboard and a tub sink!” In her position asthe athletic director at a girls boarding school, Abby had ampleopportunity to observe what a powerful force electronic mediacan be in the lives of teens. “We really had to wrestlesometimes with how to get kids out of their dorm rooms,” sherecalls. “They’re in front of a computer screen all day, and it’s aportal into another world.”

Chewonki offers young people a portal into another worldtoo—a world where nurturing respect for each other and thenatural world is at the core of everything we do. It’s a worldthat places a premium on direct interactions instead of onkeyboards and touch pads.

“Chewonki isn’t anti-technology,” says math teacher BillHinkley, interim head of semester school. He points to all thetechnology that is embraced and modeled on campus, fromsolar panels to geothermal, renewable hydrogen, biodiesel, andthe new wind turbine, not to mention fully networked mainbuildings with wireless internet hubs for staff and semesterstudents. “Rather, our goal is to encourage students to usetechnology thoughtfully. We hope their experience here willraise their awareness and inform future decisions they make.”Bill isn’t under any illusions that students will go home andthrow away their phones or drastically change their behavior—at least not anytime soon, he says.

But consider this. Leo has learned to look at trees. Ben hasdiscovered a love of reading. And Sarah has declared she willnever again text while talking. !

*The January 2010 Kaiser report is available online atwww.kff.org/entmedia/mh012010pkg.cfm.

“I think many kids come to recognize that they often use electronic devices toamuse themselves when they’re bored and don’t have other options,” saysBoys Camp director Garth Altenburg.

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If you have school-aged children, and especially if youlive in a city or suburb, you may already have seenRace to Nowhere. The acclaimed documentary,subtitled “The Dark Side of America’s AchievementCulture,” was inspired by a series of wake-up callsthat director Vicki Abeles said caused her “to look

closely at the relentless pressure to perform that childrenface today.”

As described on its website, the 85-minute film featuresthe stories of “young people across the country who havebeen pushed to the brink, educators who are burned out andworried that students aren’t developing the skills they need,and parents who are trying to do what’s best for their kids.”In hundreds of communities nationwide, people have beengathering to watch and discuss the movie and use it to raiseawareness and galvanize change.

In February, Chewonki partnered with Frontier Café &Cinema in Brunswick to present six screenings of the filmover three consecutive nights. A Chewonki staff memberwas present each evening to introduce the film and lead a30-minute discussionafterward.

At the showing thatWillard Morgan introduced,he said Chewonki partneredwith Frontier “because wewant to be part of thisnationwide discussion abouteducation here in midcoastMaine. In our semesterschool, Outdoor Classroom,and summer programs, wework with students of all agesand abilities and from acrossthe country. We see the stateof education. And the trendsaren’t all good.” At Chewonki,he noted, staff have observedchanges in children’s physicalhealth, mental health, amountof exposure to the naturalworld, and ability to engage infree play and to form friend-ships with peers and adults.

All 41 students from Semester 46, together with theiradvisors, attended the film. Asked afterward if any of themsaw themselves in it, all but two students raised their hands.“Almost everything that was said in this movie has been truefor me at my home school,” said one boy.

Interim head of school Bill Hinkley said the film resonatedwith faculty as well as students and led to many healthyconversations. “While our mission seeks to keep seriousacademics in balance with physical work and outdoor experi-ences, there are occasions where conflicts arise,” he admitted.“Based on themes brought up in the movie, students andteachers have been discussing our homework policies andconsidering making changes to our morning schedule toencourage a little extra sleep.”

The film is not without its critics. It’s heavy on anecdoteand light on data, and several viewers in Brunswick thought itreflected the experiences primarily of suburban and privilegedfamilies. Yet those same viewers clearly identified with VickiAbeles’s lament that “childhood has become indentured to testscores, performance, and competition.”

Frontier owner MichaelGilroy said the film “definitelyhad an impact on thecommunity, at least in termsof people continuing todiscuss it. In fact, we broughtit back for another eightshowings in March becauseof continued interest.”

Race to Nowhere is “a call tomobilize families, educators,and policy makers to challengecurrent assumptions on howto best prepare the youth ofAmerica to become healthy,bright, contributing andleading citizens,” says thefilm’s website.

“It’s thought provokingand well worth seeing,” saidWillard. You can learn more atwww.racetonowhere.com. !

Chewonki Joins NationwideDiscusson about Education


Abby Burbank, Girls Camp Director

Abby began work in the midst of a busy enrollmentseason and as hiring for summer counselors wasgetting underway. She joins Girls Camp at afortuitous time. In only its fourth year, the campremains a fledgling operation in some respects.

Yet much of the core work—construction, expanded dininghall, privy installation, program development—has beenaccomplished by a tireless and dedicated team of staff andsupporters. Abby’s tenure takes root as Girls Camp begins itsmaturation from infancy to young adulthood.

Tell us a little about your childhood—where you grew up and what influences led you to this moment.I grew up in coastal Maine, started going to day camp when Iwas five, and have continued ever since. Camp has been thestrongest influence on my life. It’s where I learned to ridehorses, to canoe safely, to sail a boat myself—as opposed tobeing just a passenger. Without camp, I would never havelearned to lead wilderness trips. Camp gave me experiencesthat have become a central part of my life.

Camp gave me connection and friendships. My best friendtoday is someone I met at age 12 in camp. Powerful connec-tions are made at camp that are different from those made inresidential academic settings like schools. In camp, you areactually given skills to help you learn to live with others,whereas at most boarding schools the focus is on the academicexperience and you basically get through the residential part.

I’m lucky to have attended high-quality camps, and this setsa high standard for what I expect. At age 25 I was trained by theAmerican Camp Association to perform accreditation visits,and I commonly visited four or five camps a year. I loved doingthis and got to visit camps in beautiful places around thecountry—like the Tetons of Wyoming and Colorado.Eventually I became a standards instructor.

What lessons have you learned working at a summer camp that apply to your new role?I learned that you’re never done learning—so that even though it may be the same site and many of thesame people each year, it will be different. Camp is intermittent; everyone comes back with nine monthsof experience behind them. It’s important to celebrate and use that!

Chewonki WelcomesTwo New Leaders

BETTA STOTHART CONNOR



Chewonki was delighted to announce the appointment of two new leaders earlier this year. On February 14 Abby Burbank became the second director of Chewonki Camp for Girls, and onMarch 10 Ann Carson was named head of Chewonki Semester School. I had the opportunity to talkwith both women shortly after their appointments. Below is some of what they shared with meabout their backgrounds, what inspires them, and what drew them to Chewonki. You can read moreabout Abby and Ann at www.chewonki.org/news.asp. —BETTA STOTHART CONNOR

Ann Carson, Head of Chewonki Semester School

Ann is currently dean of faculty at the FountainValley School, a four-year boarding school inColorado Springs, where she has taught since1997. Chewonki’s search committee was particu-larly impressed with Ann’s 24 years of independent

school teaching and leadership, her deep love for the outdoors,and her proven record leading sustainability initiatives andeducation. Ann and her husband, Steve Kerchner, will move toChewonki’s Wiscasset campus on August 1.

Tell us a little about your childhood—where you grew upand what influences led you to this moment.I grew up in Berkeley, California, in a home where campingand spending time outdoors were our primary means of“vacationing.” Our family regularly visited Yosemite NationalPark, camping and hiking in the high country, and spent many aweekend on wild beaches on the California coast. My parentswere lovers of wild nature, passing on this passion to my twobrothers and me. In addition, my parents were incredibly interested in wildlife. My mother is a lifelong birder, and myfather is a wildlife artist.

Why do you feel sustainability education is so important today?This generation has some tough decisions ahead of it, includingwhat to do about climate change and how to continue acomfortable way of life in an age of dwindling resources. To me,teaching about sustainability is the most important educationalgift I can give my students.

What do you like most about teaching science?Instilling a sense of wonder is what science education is all about. Whether I’m teaching chemistry, biology,or environmental science, having students understand how the natural world works and how fascinating itall is motivates me every day in the classroom.

What drew you to Chewonki?Chewonki’s mission of having students understand their place in the natural world is incredibly compellingto me. Working together as a community, learning about more sustainable ways to live, and understandingthe ecology of the place you’re in—these are exactly what I’m most interested in as an educator.


STEVE KERCHNER


What do you like about working with young people?Their enthusiasm, energy, sense of wonder, and ability to grow and change. All of these attributes make working with teenagersincredibly fulfilling.

Do you have any previous connection to Maine?Yes. When I was in graduate school, we spent two weeks near Lubec,in an environmental education seminar. I loved birding each morning,running in the woods, and paddling the tidal inlets. In addition, wespent a few weeks exploring Maine on our way to maritime Canada.I’m very excited about the North Woods, the rocky coastline, and thesmall-town flavor of this relatively unpopulated state.

If you wanted semester parents to know one thing about you, what would it be?That I understand the entirety of the high-school experience. I’vetaught juniors for many years, and I know that soon they will beconsidering college and have many important decisions ahead ofthem. Helping students navigate the intense experience of semesterschool while keeping an eye toward their senior year and the collegeprocess is something I feel very comfortable doing.

If you wanted students to know one thing about you, what would it be?Same as above, but also that I thoroughly enjoy spending time withteenagers, in the classroom, in the wilderness, and in work projects.

Do you think single-gender experiences are special? Yes. They allow for girls to feel empowered. At camp a girl learns howto build a fire, split wood, set up camp. The single-gender experienceallows her to have an immersion experience without distraction.

The important part of this is to have key female role models. Notall of the role models in camp need to be women—it’s important tohave both genders represented in the community—but key rolemodels should be women. I’ve seen girls camps where when it wastime to go on a wilderness trip, the men loaded the canoes and thendrove the trailers. This is not how I suggest teaching leadership towomen.

You’ve spent much of your career working with young women as a coach. What drew you to become a girls camp director?Both coaching and camping are forms of teaching, and both takeplace in an outdoor classroom. What I enjoy about camps is the residential setting. I look forward to the intimate size and setting ofDebsconeag—a setting that allows campers and staff to be with andlearn from each other. This kind of setting affords the time forpersonal growth for everyone, counselors included.

Abby Burbank, Girls Camp DirectorContinued from page 12

Ann Carson, Head of Chewonki Semester SchoolContinued from page 12

If you wanted camp parents to know one thing about you, what would it be?I believe in having fun with a purpose. Enjoy what you do, but learnwhile you’re doing it.

If you wanted campers to know one thing about you, what would it be?That I like all facets of camp, especially the activities. They can expectto see me in the costume box, in the water, in a boat, and in the dishroom with them.

Where were you when you got the news that you had been selected to be the next Girls Camp director?I was in Vermont, skiing with a bunch of camp friends who knew I hadapplied for the job. A message came in from Willard, saying he wastrying to reach me. So I called Willard back, and we had a wonderfulconversation, and then I put on my skis and skied for the whole day. I told my friends the news that evening, and we celebrated.

What was your reaction to the news?I was deeply honored and happy. What excites me most aboutChewonki is the caliber of the people who work here. This is just anamazing place. !

What lessons have you learned in working at boarding schools that apply to this new role?As dean of faculty at Fountain Valley School, I’ve learned important lessonsabout listening to many different points of view and considering ways tosupport faculty. As a teacher for over 20 years, I’ve learned best practicesfor the classroom and ways to motivate students through real educationalexperiences. I’ve taught widely in the field, using wild nature as the mostpowerful teaching tool. Lastly, living in a boarding school setting, I under-stand the concept of community and how important this is for everythingthat happens. Without a strong sense of belonging and a commitment tothe values of the community, everything else is for naught.

What is your favorite mode of wilderness travel?This is a difficult question! As a former river guide, anything involvingwater is wonderful for me. My family does extended whitewater river tripseach summer throughout the West, enjoying the beauty of diverse canyonsand the rhythm of wild rivers. I also love the simplicity and self-sufficiencyof backpacking.

You have spent a good part of your career as a science teacher. What drew you to become a head of school?I enjoy seeing the entirety of things. After teaching science for so manyyears, I found myself branching out and serving on a wide variety ofcommittees and thinking more broadly about how schools function. Thissoon led to my role as dean of faculty. Considering strategic directions,pondering the most effective ways to get there, and finding way to motivateand support faculty have all been rewarding. Doing all of this in the small,intentional, and highly focused environment of Chewonki is ideal.

Will your role at Chewonki include teaching?Yes! I wouldn’t accept a position that didn’t involve teaching. !


For campers and semester school students,the name “Gordy Hall” means the newestcabin in Osprey Circle: the one with solarpanels and an exercise bike for powergeneration. When the real Gordy Hall

stops by campus, students and campers are alwayseager to meet the man who provided the funding forthis cabin.

Gordon “Gordy” Hall III of Marblehead, Massa-chusetts, has a long and deep history with Chewonki.Over the course of 61 years he has been a campcounselor, trip leader, board member, and generoussupporter.

Gordy has been exploring Maine since he wasthree years old, when his father brought him toGreenville and their fishing camp on Wilson Pond. “Iabsolutely loved it and never stopped loving it,” hesays. His father died when Gordy was 15, and eversince he has clung to the “smells, sights, and soundsof the Maine woods as the embodiment of the man Idesperately missed.”

At age 16 Gordy and a friend ran the Allagash. In1946 there were no roads and few people north ofMoosehead Lake. They canoed all the way to St.Francis without seeing or hearing another person.

In 1950, with his Allagash credentials under hisbelt, Gordy was hired as the woodcraft counselor byClarence Allen, who had been Gordy’s headmaster atRivers School. “We worked hard—had a ball. Wecounselors would laugh that Chewonki was more funfor the staff than for the boys,” Gordy remembers.His first year, he led a group of eight boys, includinga young Tim Ellis, on a week-long hiking trip all overBaxter State Park. It was a big success and helpedinspire the Chewonki trips that continue today.Gordy led trips for Chewonki for the next four years,while at Amherst College and then after his first yearat the Yale School of Forestry.

Gordy is pleased every time he remembers hisfirst trip, and delighted that it was Tim who guidedChewonki as it became a nonprofit. “My appreciationand admiration for Tim’s work have been enormousever since,” he says. “The bedrock of the warm andbinding ethos of Chewonki is Tim’s doing to a verylarge extent.”

Gordy’s deep connection to Maine and Chewonkihas only grown over time. Along with family andfriends, he continues to enjoy paddling Maine’s riversand is a passionate Down East sailor. He has been aChewonki trustee since 1972, served as board chairfrom 1997 to 2004, and has been a loyal supporterand friend to a vast swath of Chewonki constituents.

For more information on theOsprey Society, contact Lucy Hullat [email protected] or 207-882-7323 x 127.

In 2006 Gordy helped Chewonkipurchase and protect four Maineislands, thereby securing permanentaccess for Chewonki’s coastal programs.Later that year, when Chewonkiundertook its Pathway to the Futurecampaign, Gordy stepped up again, thistime with a stunning lead gift of $1million. He also co-chaired thecampaign, with trustees Fay Shutzerand Josh Marvil. This was the thirdChewonki capital campaign in whichGordy played a substantial role; the firstwas to build the Allen Center, thesecond to build the Center for Environ-mental Education.

Among his other contributions havebeen helping with the purchase of BigEddy Campground and being a mainstayfor the annual fund, both financially andby encouraging the support of others.Gordy remembers making calls forChewonki back when the database wasa 2-inch-thick pack of 3x5 cards in anelastic band! He is also a stalwartsupporter and board member of the ConservationLaw Foundation and the Forest Society of Maine.

Gordy is one of the founding members of theOsprey Society, which comprises those who includeChewonki in their estate plans. The group currentlyincludes more than 90 individuals. Planned gifts—whether from a trust, a bequest, or a retirementplan—help build a solid and dependable future forChewonki, strengthening our efforts to provideeducational opportunities in all of our programs.

Charles B. Gordy, Chewonki’s first developmentdirector, former planned giving director at Yale andTufts universities, and current director of plannedgiving at Harvard Law School, has devoted a career toestate planning. “A well thought out planned gift isone of the most important gifts someone can make,”he says. “It’s the ultimate statement of whatsomeone cares about and believes in.” Charles, who isalso an advisory board member for Chewonki, addsthat educational institutions like Chewonki absolutelydepend on bequests to ensure their long-termstability.

Thanks to Gordy Hall’s membership in the OspreySociety, Chewonki will continue to benefit from hisgenerosity both now and in the future. !

Lucy Hull is director of development at Chewonki.

GORDYHALLA Helping Hand, Now and in the Future

LUCY HULL


Chewonki unveiled ZeroWaste, the fourth in itsposter/online curriculumseries, on April 5 atMemorial Middle School

in South Portland. The poster was two yearsin development, and its unveiling included apress conference and a statewide rolloutand contest.

“Chewonki’s poster series grew out of asolid-waste curriculum we developedalmost 20 years ago. With so muchattention today on water and energy, wedecided to really emphasize the release ofthe Zero Waste poster and curriculum,” saidChewonki president Willard Morgan. “Manyof us at Chewonki have read the ground-breaking book Cradle to Cradle by WilliamMcDonough and Michael Braungart. Theauthors’ idea of moving toward a ZeroWaste world through ecologically intelli-gent design and sound waste-managementstrategies is a concept we want to promoteand embrace.”

Willard was quick to admit, however,that Zero Waste is an ambitious goal andthat Chewonki has some work to do beforeit can make any claims of its own aboutbeing a Zero Waste campus.

Sustainability coordinator Peter Arnoldconcurred. “Chewonki is working hard to beall that it can be in terms of sustainabilityinitiatives, energy use, and carbonreduction. But claiming ’Zero Waste’ is not adeclaration we can make with a straightface yet,” he said. “Like many, we havesome work to do, and we will do it publiclyto show the challenges and opportunities ofstriving for Zero Waste in our operations.”

Recognizing that reducing its waste hadto involve students and staff workingtogether, Chewonki engaged Semester 46to undertake a campus-wide evaluation of

CHEWONKIGOES FOR

ZEROWASTE

BETTA STOTHART CONNOR

Chewonki’s waste stream and make a formalrecommendation for how the organizationcould move toward a Zero Waste campus.

“We asked the students to becomegarbologists, to do dumpster dives and getto know our waste stream with intimacy, sothey could help us reduce the amount ofwaste that ends up in the landfill or thewaste-to-energy plant,” said Peter.

Once the process was underway, thingsgot really interesting, said Willard. Trashcollection at Chewonki began to change:trash bins were reduced in number, madesmaller than the recycling bins, and labeled“Landfill” instead of “Trash” to drive homethe point. Within weeks the frequency ofdumpster pick-ups was reduced by half.“Reaction to the poster draft was reallypositive,” Willard added. “Knowing that wehad hit on something big, we felt thecurriculum and the challenge deservedstatewide attention.”

The two-year effort to create a ZeroWaste curriculum project began as a part-nership with the Maine State PlanningOffice, which provides independent analysisto the governor and legislature on the devel-opment of the state’s economy andconservation of its natural resources. Theconcept was vetted with teachers andstudents throughout Maine, as well asexperts in the field of waste management.Then it took on a corporate sponsor.

“When our communications directorbrought the project before Poland SpringCEO Kim Jeffrey, he immediately liked it,”Willard explained. Poland Spring signed onto a significant sponsorship and alsoproposed a statewide Zero Waste competi-tion for middle schools. The “Zero WasteChallenge” was announced at the April 5rollout, with students and principals fromseveral middle schools pledging to enter.


This coming fall, any Maine middle school(or sixth-, seventh-, or eighth-grade class)can enter the contest, which involvescompleting a campus waste assessment;working steps 1–6 on the Zero Waste poster;evaluating the school’s progress; proposinghow the school can move to Zero Waste; andwriting a plan.

Entries are due in January 2012. An inde-pendent panel of judges will review theentries, and winners will be announced inFebruary. First prize will be $3,000, secondprize $2,000, and third prize $1,000. Thefunds can be used to implement a ZeroWaste strategy on the campus of the winningschools, or they can be used toward a ZeroWaste Outdoor Classroom program atChewonki.

“The Zero Waste poster project hascatalyzed triple bottom line thinking atChewonki, and we hope it does throughoutMaine,” concludes Willard. “Zero waste hasenvironmental, financial, and social benefits:we can reduce solid waste, save money, andengage students in meaningful education.”

For more information about the contest,and to see the online version of Zero Waste,go to www.chewonki.org/zerowaste. !

The Sustainability Office is the hub ofChewonki’s leading-edge conservation andenergy curriculum. This unique and vibrantoffice helps develop materials, lessons, anddemonstration projects on a wide range oftopics, from solid-waste management to theuse of renewable fuels, such as solar, wind,hydro, biofuels, and hydrogen. Learn more atour website.


“It seemed pretty far-fetched at the time,”recalls Dick. For most of his friends, it stillseems far-fetched. As anyone who knowsDick could have guessed, however, he waswilling to at least listen. In fact, when a rareopportunity arose late last fall, Dick did

more than listen. He got on a plane and with his wife, Karen,flew halfway around the world to check it out.

A few weeks later, Dick accepted the position of dean ofstudent life at the brand-new Korea International School (KIS)on Jeju Island in South Korea. When the school opens this fall,Dick will be in charge of the dorms, extracurricular activities,sports, and schedules for 350 boarding students in grades fourthrough eight. “Kind of like the camp director of the school!”he said.

It was a remarkable, and remarkably quick, turn of events.Only a few weeks earlier, a difficult decision driven by financialchallenges had been made at Chewonki to eliminate theposition of director of alumni relations, which Dick had heldsince 2005. When word got out, a longtime Chewonki friendtold Dick about the position at KIS. The head of the schoolturned out to be a Mainer, and he and Dick quickly hit it off.

By early this year, Dick was already at work in his newposition, hiring staff and developing schedules and activities.He moved to South Korea in late March and is happilyensconced in his new position there. “I’m only going forward,”he said recently, with characteristic optimism.

FOND FAREWELL:DICK THOMASA Chewonki legend embarks on a new career in South Korea

ELIZABETH PIERSON

Few people have worn as many hats at Chewonki as Dickor had as much experience with participants. Between hisarrival in 1970 as a quiet, tow-headed 12-year-old and his

departure last December, he was a camper, wilderness tripper,counselor, head counselor, program director, assistant campdirector, development director, camp director (1986–2005), chiefof staff, and director of alumni relations (2005–2010). He served30 years on the year-round staff, beginning in 1980 when hegraduated from the University of Maine.

For many in the Chewonki family, Dick’s greatest legacy willbe his many years as camp director. As former president DonHudson noted, “For 19 years of campers and their families, DickThomas is Chewonki. There’s a lot of love out there for Dick.”When he was appointed to the position in 1986, he was only thefourth director in Camp Chewonki’s 71-year history—and thecamp served only boys.

Summer offerings expanded enormously under Dick’s tenure.Chewonki added a fledgling girls program, guides program forcounselors in training, cabin trips, coed wilderness expeditions,Saltmarsh Farm program, and one-week environmentaleducation camps. The total number of campers nearly doubled,and the percentage of returning campers grew from 40 to 62percent. Dick also oversaw much of the transition from an all-male to a coed summer staff—and earned high marks forassigning women to significant leadership roles.

“Dick was ever upbeat, always carried a smile, and was atrooper at every occasion,” remembers trustee Kate Wilkinson,who worked on the camp staff for five summers.

Dick was also active in the larger community of youthcamping at the state, regional, and national levels. In 2002 hebecame the youngest recipient ever to receive the prestigiousHalsey Gulick Award, given by the Maine Youth Camping Asso-ciation for distinguished service to organized camping. It was arare moment in the spotlight for a man who eschewed it. HisChewonki colleagues were honored and delighted to see himreceive the recognition he so richly deserved.

Given Dick’s background, it is hard to imagine anyonebetter prepared for his new position at KIS. The coed,international school for day students and boarders—

which already has two campuses in mainland South Korea—hasan American curriculum, and instruction is in English. The Jejucampus will eventually serve grades K–12. In addition to over-

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For many in the Chewonki family, Dick’s greatest legacy will be hismany years as camp director (1986 –2005).

LUCY HULL


seeing dormitory life, Dick will coordinate a wide array ofextracurricular activities: everything from sports and field tripsto drama, orchestra, rock climbing, arts and crafts, cooking,student government, several clubs, and more.

Jeju Island is situated in the Korea Strait and is Korea’slargest island (and smallest province). With a landscape ofvolcanic rock and beaches, frequent rains, and a mild climate, itis similar to the Hawaiian islands. Not surprisingly, it is apopular vacation spot, especially for Koreans, Japanese, andChinese. The island is well known for its natural beauty, muchof which remains unspoiled. Its capital, also called Jeju, is abustling modern city with a population of about 400,000.

From the moment he arrived, Dick has enjoyed exploringhis new home and learning about all it has to offer. “The job,the culture, the experiences—it’s all exciting. It’s alsobeautiful!” Dick exclaimed, and quickly added, “We have a bigapartment at the school and look forward to having visitors.”

Karen, a social worker with a law degree, will be a boardingspecialist at KIS and hopes to teach ESL. Six-year-old Sadiewill enter first grade at KIS this fall and, to her great delight,has already met her new teacher. Sadie and Karen visited Jejuin the spring and look forward to moving in a few months. Bigbrother Colton remains in the States, where he is a first-year

student at Eckerd College in Florida. He’s excited aboutvisiting his family in their new home this summer.

Amazingly, the Thomases won’t be the only Chewonkitransplants on Jeju Island. Dick has hired former camp staff—and camp parents—Dean and Cathy Paquette (Camp Staff ’91,’92, ’94, ’95 and parents of Stephen and Jason) to teach musicat KIS. The Paquettes have been music teachers in Ellsworthsince they graduated from the University of Maine with Dickin 1980. “I’m thrilled that they’ve been granted a year-longleave of absence to go to Korea,” Dick said.

To say that Dick is missed at Chewonki would be anunderstatement of the highest order. “I’m grateful forthe many years we worked together as colleagues,”

said wilderness trips director Greg Shute. “I have never met amore kind and gentle person than Dick Thomas.”

Kate Wilkinson called Dick “the epitome of a person whogave Chewonki his all over many years. Chewonki hasbenefited from his good humor, his institutional knowledge, hiskind spirit, ever-present smile, and most of all his willingness toalways be a helpful steward of our mission.”

Chewonki advisor Scott Beebe is a former camper,counselor, and current camp parent. “Dick will be terriblymissed by all the staff, participants, and the many alumni whoselives he has touched,” he said recently. “His warmth and infec-tious good humor endeared him to generations at Chewonki,many of whom have stayed in regular contact with him. Dickhas helped shape Chewonki into the multi-dimensional institu-tion it is today—a very different place than the organization hejoined in 1970. In my mind, Dick embodies all that Chewonkistands for and more.”

Boys Camp director Garth Altenburg was a camper andcounselor under Dick and succeeded him as camp director in2005. “I learned so much from Dick through the years and amso grateful for his friendship, support, and guidance,” he said.“He has been one of the most significant figures in my life, andhis influence remains strong in what we do at camp today.”Garth speaks for scores of Chewonki alumni when he says“there are many leaders out there who had their first leadershipexperience at Chewonki because Dick believed in them andgave them an opportunity to lead.”

Garth is already planning a trip to Jeju to visit his mentorand recruit for camp. Meanwhile, he is convening a group ofalumni and staff to develop ways to honor Dick’s legacy atChewonki. “We wanted to have an alumni campfire thissummer to honor Dick, but his new position at a start-upschool is keeping him busy already!” said Garth. “Dick has adeep appreciation for Chewonki history, and we hope tocelebrate his tenure now and in the lead-up to our centennial.”

In his many years at Chewonki, Dick’s dedication toenriching the lives of children—and their families—wasmanifest in everything he did. Year-round, no matter what hisjob title was, he devoted himself to young people. Over andover again, he proved himself loyal, steadfast, caring, and amodel of absolute integrity.

“I think of you all often, and wish you the best,” he emailedthe Chewonki staff in January. “I look forward to keeping intouch.” You can contact Dick directly at [email protected]; and you can learn more about KoreaInternational School at www.kis.ac/english. !

Dick Thomas DayNo one seems to remember exactly which summer it happened, buteveryone in camp at the time remembers what it involved. Looking for anopportunity to thank Dick for a great summer, his staff quietly organized“Dick Thomas Day.” With everyone but Dick “in the know,” campers andcounselors planned a full day of activities organized entirely around a DickThomas theme. Posters of Dick would hang all over campus. Readings beforemeals would be Dick Thomas quotes. There would be Dick Thomas games,poems, and even a treasure hunt.

When the appointed day arrived, it went off without a hitch—except thatDick wasn’t there! The industrious planners had apparently forgotten that itwas Dick’s day off. He never saw Dick Thomas Day, though he certainly heardabout it in the days that followed. Later, his staff agreed it may have been theperfect celebration for a modest guy who always shunned the spotlight.

“Former campers and staff still joke about Dick Thomas Day,” saysdirector of communications Betta Stothart Connor. “It’s part of the Chewonkilore, and always told with great affection for Dick, who inadvertentlyoutfoxed his fans.”

Dick was back on campus in late February for the dedication ofRodman Hall in the Wallace Center. Rodman Hall is named inmemory of Dick’s childhood friend and former camper, sta# member,and trustee Matthew Rodman and in honor of Matt’s parents, Oliverand Cynthia Rodman, shown here.

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People

1950sRupert Scofield (boys camp ’58-’63; camp staff ’65-’67),cofounder of FINCA Interna-tional, a charitable organizationproviding microfinancial servicesto low-income entrepreneursworldwide, saw his bookpublished this spring: The SocialEntrepreneur’s Handbook: How toStart, Build, and Run a BusinessThat Improves the World.

1960sJeffrey Eberle (boys camp ’62-’63; camp parent ’94-’95; MCS 29parent; trustee) and his wife,Molly, hosted a wonderfulChewonki event at their home inConcord, MA, in February.Among the attendees wasCharles Gordy (boys camp ’69-’70, ’72-’75; staff ’88-’92;foundation advisor).

1970sBen Hobbins (camp staff ’79) was recognized by the WisconsinDepartment of Natural Resourcesin November ’10 for his work torestore Lake Delton after a natural disaster. The effortinvolved private and publicbusiness partners and individualsnetworked together. “I have beenadvising Governor Culver in Iowaon restoration of Lake Delphi,which involves a watershed andrecreational area about 40 timesthe size of the one around LakeDelton,” Ben writes.

John McGhie (boys camp ’72-’75;Mariners ’76; camp parent ’07)reports that his sons are nearlygrown but he’s staying young bytele-skiing and doing backcountrytrips. He’d like to get in touchwith Anthony Frederick Hodge(aka Monkey), if anyone knows his whereabouts.

1990sMarie Farneth (North WoodsCanoe ’97, Mistassini) wasrecently working with teachers inMali as part of her master’sprogram with the School for

International Training (SIT) inVermont.

Nick Morrison (boys camp ’93-’95; boys camp staff ’00-’01, ’03,’05, ’07) attended the Chewonkigathering at the Eberles’ inFebruary.

Richard Mumby (boys camp ’93-’95) is “still living in New YorkCity, working for an eCommercecompany called Bonobos. I’ve beencompeting in triathlons quite a bit,which ensures that I get outsidewhile living in a city. Hope to visitChewonki sometime soon—espe-cially with my nieces and nephews(soon to be campers, hopefully!).”

Christina (Burnham) Sudler(North Woods Canoe ’95,Voyageurs ’96, Umbagog ’97,Women’s Leadership Expedition’98; camp staff ’00-’01, ’05, ’07-’08; OC staff ’06-’09) met herfuture husband, Brian Sudler, on aNOLS trip in East Africa. Theymarried on New Year’s Eve ’10.Chrissie fundraises for Jifundishe,an NGO promoting literacy,education, and communityempowerment.

2000sVictor Gan (boys camp ’09-’10)won a five-star school spellingbee and was headed toward abig-time, multi-school event inMarch. He plans to attend aleadership forum in Washingtonthis summer and then work onhis tennis in Florida.

Jeremy Nellis (boys camp staff’00; EE ’01), his wife, AllieBurke (boys camp staff ’93-’95,’99-’00; MCS 9), and their son,Parker, celebrated the arrival ofEliza Brooke Nellis on 10-26-10.

John Parker (boys camp ’01-’06;camp staff ’07-’08) writes, “I am proud to say that I aminterning…with the EU agencyEurofound (European Founda-tion for the Improvement ofLiving and Working Conditions)in Dublin! I work in a unit calledthe European MonitoringCentre on Change, and one ofthe projects…is analyzing andhelping to manage the growth ofgreen jobs in the EU.”

Dear Chewonki alumni,Thank you for your wonderful news! We love hearing from you, whether byregular mail or email. If the latter, we’re just a click away, atwww.chewonki.org/alumni.You can also update your contact information here; please see our pleaabout this on page 6!

We do our best to ensure that theinformation here is accurate, but with somany of you communicating with us in avariety of ways, mistakes sometimesfind their way into print. Please acceptour apologies, and let us know how tocorrect any errors. Also, if you do notwant us to share your news in theChronicle, please be sure to tell us. Wereserve the right to edit the informationwe receive, for clarity or to make it fit.

We have organized your news by thefirst decade in which you came toChewonki—unless you are an MCS orsemester school alum, in which caseyour news is under your semester.

Thank you for staying in touch andfor doing so many great things for theworld! We look forward to your updates.

—Elizabeth Pierson, Editor

Gearing up for our centennial: can you help us identify people in this photo? Chewonki turns 100 yearsold in 2015, and we are exploring our archives—seeking photos and documents that tell the vibrant andremarkable story of Chewonki. Tim Ellis surmises that this photo of the barn is from the earliest days—1920 or so. He writes: “This photo was taken before the first dining room was attached, so the camperswere still eating in the wing of the Farm House, which became the library. The building to the left wasused as a tool shed, and the bell (same one we still use) was attached to the left-hand side of that toolshed (just off the picture).” Tim could not identify any of the people in the photo. Can you?


People

MCS 1Fall 1988Class Agent: Torrey McMillan,[email protected]

Kate McElderry’s photo (above)shows her with an armful ofchildren! Daughter Mary is now 1 !, and son Seamus is 4. Nodoubt they help Kate run hermixed-age playgroup. She’ll soonbegin part-time tutoring, “a nicesegue back into the professionalworld,” she writes. Her husband,David, works at the AudubonSociety and Johns HopkinsUniversity. He is immersed in amajor survey of salt marshes onMaryland’s Eastern Shore.

MCS 2Spring 1989Class Agent: Critter Thompson,[email protected]

MCS 3Fall 1989Class Agents: Teal Krech Paynter,[email protected]; & WillRedfield, [email protected]

Kristina Hartell taught scienceat the Mountain School for 7years before her twins arrived.Now she and her husband arebuilding a house for their familyin Weston, VT.

MCS 4 Spring 1990Class Agent: Mitch Levesque, [email protected]

MCS 5Fall 1990Class Agent: Laura Howard Leduc,[email protected]

MCS 6Spring 1991Class Agent: Andy Wilbur,[email protected]

Will Willis, sustainability coordinator and director of international programs atMercersburg Academy in NJ,organized a 10/10/10 event there.

MCS 7Fall 1991Class Agent: Brooke Peelle Guthrie,[email protected]

Jeremy Delinsky (formertrustee) and his wife, Sherrie,welcomed their second child,Maxwell Benjamin, in 2010.Jeremy is chief technology officerat Athena Health, a Boston-basedcompany with about 300employees in midcoast Maine.Kate Gibson is married and hastwo daughters (2 1/2 years and 5 months old). She lives innorthwest London and works forInterContinental Hotels on theirGlobal Strategy Team. Brooke(Peelle) Guthrie has three red-headed daughters and is countingthe days till they can go to girlscamp!

MCS 8Spring 1992Class Agents: Jenn Parfet Gudebski,[email protected]; & Sarai Hinkley,[email protected]

Tanya Witman lives in Tucson,where she’s a massage therapistand teaches massage and yoga.Her CD of yoga and massagemusic is perfect for meditativehiking! “In our MCS yearbook,my fellow Wonskters predictedI’d be a singing massagetherapist,” she writes. “How’s that for weird?”

MCS 9Fall 1992Class Agent: Katie McClelland Dyer,[email protected]

Allie Burke (boys camp staff ’93-’95, ’99-’00) and her husband,

Jeremy Nellis (boys camp staff’00; EE ’01), have a daughter!Eliza Brooke Nellis joined bigbrother Parker on 10-26-10.

MCS 10Spring 1993Class Agent: Betsy StubblefieldLoucks, [email protected]

Amy Morris reports that a smallreunion took place “in Brooklynat Bessie Oster’s house inJanuary…prompted when Iposted a picture on Facebook ofthe view out of my office windowand Erica Holahan queried if Iwas in Paris. Ralphie quicklyspotted that the photo showed theChrysler Building. About 5people responded that they workor study close by and suddenlyplans for a NYC reunion took offat warp speed! We had a fantastictime and hope to reconvene alarger crowd sometime thisspring.” The photo shows, left toright, Katie Sigelman, RaphaelRodriguez, Bessie Oster, JaneSpencer, and Amy Morris. BenRosenblum was also there butmissed the photo op! Betsy Stubblefield Loucks (boys campstaff ’94-’96, ’98) couldn’t getthere, having her hands full withtwin daughters (see photo on next page).

MCS 11Fall 1993Class Agent: Jessica MontgomeryGreen, [email protected]

Jess Green reported from Pitts-burgh: “We added a dog to our

family, just to keep life inter-esting. Abi (almost 6) and James(3) are thrilled. Last fall we hadour first family overnight in atent.”

MCS 12Spring 1994Class Agents: Becky Palmer Dickson,[email protected]; & Lara Fox, [email protected]

India Bayley is “now a scienceteacher in NY, which I absolutelyadore! Much better thanmedicine; I’ll take ecosystems andelodea over gastric tubes andgentamicin any day!” India andRyan welcomed a daughter, IlariaShackleton Bayley, in January ’11.Rebecca (Alex) McMackin ishead gardener for WashingtonSquare Park in NYC and runsMantis Plant Works, a gardendesign business. She’s alsohalfway through a landscapedesign degree at Columbia. “I’mvery thankful to Chewonki forteaching me about plant commu-nities,” she says. “I live inBrooklyn and ride my bicycle ALOT. Like, I can’t stop really!” JoPrince (boys camp staff ’96-’97,’99) wrote, “Just settling in toenjoy the winter season in thewestern foothills of Maine withmy husband and our daughter,Amelia. We look forward toplaying in the snow and doinglots of skiing. I am still teachingat the University of Maine-Farm-ington in the ElementaryEducation Program and workingon my doctoral degree at theUniversity of Maine.”

CLASS NOTES

Kate McElderry, MCS 1.

Katie Sigelman, Raphael Rodriguez, Bessie Oster, Jane Spencer, and Amy Morris, MCS 10.


MCS 13Fall 1994Class Agents: Erin Quinn,[email protected]; &Besenia Rodriguez,[email protected]

Stephanie Elson lives in JamaicaPlain, MA, with her husband,Emile, Roo the dog, and 60,000honey bees. She works for Massachusetts Audubon, “afantastic organization, and wouldlove to get together with otherMCSers in the Boston area for ahike or bird walk in the spring!”Lydia Peelle (boys camp staff’02) had her first book, a storycollection, Reasons for and Advan-tages of Breathing, published in2009 to high praise. She is now atwork on the next one, “a novel,set in Nashville (where I’m living)during the First World War.”Erin Quinn (math fellow, MCS25 and 26) is glad to be back inher hometown of Atlanta, whereshe now works in mortgagevaluation for the Federal HomeLoan Bank of Atlanta. She is stillan avid knitter! Sarah Scally andher husband, Anthony Stevenson,welcomed a son, Manuel AntonioStevenson, on 1-19-10. JimboSchley was last seen “in the Everglades working with theNorth Carolina Outward BoundSchool trying to get kids fromMiami to love the river of grass.”Ben Thompson and his wife,Courtney Urfer (see photo),enjoyed their honeymoon inSouth Africa and Zambia andrecently moved to NYC. “I’m stillworking as a producer for CNBC,and Courtney just completed hermaster’s program in psychology.”

MCS 14Spring 1995Class Agents: Erika Brown,[email protected]; & Colby McGavin, [email protected]

Hoppy Hopcroft is enjoying lifein Portland, OR, where she is aconsultant for a company thatspecializes in energy-efficiencyprograms and sustainability/carbon management consulting.She crosses paths with a variety ofChewonki alums, includingJonathan Barrett (MCS 16) andBailey McCallum (MCS 16).Jess LeClair and her husband,Matt, bought a house in Bangor,and she’s working toward herMFA in “intermedia” at theUniversity of Maine in Orono.“Intermedia,” she explains, is “thespaces in between traditionaldisciplines within the very broadlydefined field of art. My practicefalls somewhere between photog-raphy, book making, and storytelling.” Cynthia Macleod livesin Berkeley, CA, and is the chiefprogram officer of CatholicCharities of the East Bay.Arianne Zwartjes is “still livingin Tucson and teaching English atthe University of Arizona, as wellas for NOLS and the WildernessMedicine Institute.” Her first full-length poetry book, The Surfacingof Excess, received Eastern Wash-ington University’s poetry prize.

MCS 15Fall 1995Class Agents: Fitz Cahall, [email protected]; Emily Dellas, [email protected]; & Glynnis Roberts,[email protected]

MCS 16Spring 1996Class Agent: Bailey McCallum,[email protected]

Jonathan Barrett lives inPortland, OR, with his wife,Carissa, and their baby son, Liam.Kyle Durrie has been operating aletterpress printing business forthe past two years in Portland,OR. She’s decided to combine herlove for printing and road trips byhitting the road! “I’ve built a fullyfunctional print shop into theback of a bread truck. Starting inJune, I’ll be spending the next 8+months traveling around the US

and Canada, teaching workshopsand generally sharing the goodword about printing the old-fashioned way!” To find out ifKyle is coming to a town nearyou, go to www.powerandlight-press.com. Bailey McCallumworks in the renewables industryin Portland, OR. Lee Panich(boys camp staff ’90, ’94, ’96-’97;Umbagog) and his wife, LucyDiekmann, welcomed a baby girl,Tessa, in August ’10. Lucy isfinishing her PhD in environ-mental management/policy at UC Berkeley, while Lee teachesanthropology/archaeology atSanta Clara University. HilaryWilliams organized a 10/10/10event in Des Moines!

MCS 17Fall 1996Class Agent: Page McClean, [email protected]

Page McClean (former staff) hasbeen teaching at a bilingualschool in Argentina. She justfinished a mountaineering courseand is “looking forward toclimbing some more mountainsand glaciers soon!” Congratula-tions to Stewart Peery, who tiedthe knot last July! Billy Wailandis practicing law and enjoying lifein Alaska with his wife, Heidi.

MCS 18Spring 1997Class Agent: Sarah Klain,[email protected]

Amanda Aikman and herhusband, Stephen (a formerChewonki camper), live in Washington, D.C., where bothare government lawyers. Amandais a prosecutor at the Departmentof Justice but “will be movingsometime this summer to Geneva,Switzerland, as Stephen has got athree-year job there. Not yet sure what I’ll be doing…havingfantasies of writing novels in some cafe near the lake.” SierraCurtis-McLane was scheduled to defend her PhD in late Marchat the University of BritishColumbia. She’s heading toAlaska, where her husband will bethe geologist for Denali NationalPark. Lauren Downey teachesLatin at Needham High School in MA, where she lives with herhusband and two parrots.“Samantha Friedman was a

bridesmaid at my wedding,” saysLauren, “and one of the highlightsof the night was dancing withRobert Hosea.” Sam is a clinicalsocial worker in private practice inMichigan and is working on herdoctoral dissertation in clinicalpsychology. Forrest Fleischman(boys camp ’92, ’94, ’96; boyscamp staff ’01, ’03-’04) is doingfieldwork for his PhD in publicpolicy at Indiana University. Hisresearch focuses on the implemen-tation of forest policy reforms inthe teak forests of Central India.He goes “back and forth betweenIndia and Indiana” but hopes to bein Indiana long enough to have afull garden. For more on hisadventures, see http://forrestfleis-chman.blogspot.com. Sarah Klain(boys camp staff ’97-’99) sawForrest in India when she attendedthe International Association forSustaining the Commons confer-ence there in January. “He canreally sport a kurta (the traditionalIndian man’s tunic) now and he’sfantastic at bargaining forautorickshaw rides,” she says.Sarah recently got her master’s atthe University of British Columbiain resource management and envi-ronmental studies and has begun aPhD, focusing on marine conser-vation. Tim Healey, who lives inBaltimore, reports that in therecent past he has “interned withSenator Kennedy, gotten married,welcomed my daughter Isabelleinto the world, and finishedstudies for my master’s degree.”He hopes to move back to NewEngland sometime, because “whowould want to raise their child asan Orioles fan?” KristinHolcomb lives in Winston-Salem,

Betsy Stubblefield Loucks,MCS 10 and boys camp sta#.

Ben Thompson, MCS 13, andCourtney Urfer.


People

NC, with her husband, Ben, andtheir golden retriever, Piper.They made a good trip toChewonki’s camp on FourthDebsconeag Lake. “If you havean opportunity, definitely takeadvantage of it,” she writes.Kristin works at Pricewaterhouse-Coopers in the risk assurancegroup. Ami Mehta and herhusband, Nihar, live in Houston,where she works from home foran architecture firm. The arrivalof a son, Sorin, has turned her life“upside down…but it’s been 100percent blissful...in a bleary-eyedsort of way.” She is “still knitting(sort of), still vegetarian (since thechicken incident—sorry again,Dan!), still enjoying the occa-sional hoedown.” Julia Niles andSean Easton live in Squamish,British Columbia, and welcomeda son, Kodiak Niles Easton, on8-7-10. “I have set aside myprofessional climbing and guidingfor the moment as I am occupiedbeing a mom,” writes Julia. Sheand Sean will marry this summerin Idaho. Chartey Quarcoo(foundation adviser) sent a photoof joyful MCS 18ers celebratinghis wedding to Ashley McCantsin ’09. Left to right: Ami Mehta,Amanda Aikman, Chartey, andAshley. Belated congratulations!

MCS 19Fall 1997Class Agent: Josie Rodberg,[email protected]

Michaela Andrews will leave herteaching job in June to move to

Germany to join her boyfriend,Jan. He works at the Max PlanckInstitute, and Michaela is lookingforward “to experiencing themany adventures and inevitablechallenges that come with livingabroad. I’m currently learningGerman and looking for work asan English teacher in Münster.”Elliott Peery works for a nationalhomebuilder in Charleston, SC.Jess Rochester does socialresearch for the University ofWashington in Seattle.

MCS 20Spring 1998Class Agents: Marley Aloe,[email protected]; & KerryQuinn Granfield,[email protected]

Jenny Herring (boys camp staff’98) writes, “Jason and Iwelcomed our daughter,Charlotte Wilhelmina, in June’09. We’re still living on theGeorgia coast but hoping to moveback to New England within thenext few years.”

MCS 21Fall 1998Class Agent: Malia Haddock, [email protected]

Rachel Cotton has a job, detailsunknown. Eliza Davenport (boyscamp staff ’99) is living inPortland, OR, and applying tograduate school. AndrewGustafson (boys camp’95-’98;North Woods Canoe) andSpencer Taylor (boys camp ’95-

’98; Umbagog) want everyone toknow that the next time they skiSuicide 6 and relax like old menin a hot tub, there’s always roomfor one more. Spencer and hiswife, Serena, are embarking on across-country adventure in theirVW Westfalia, squeezing in asmuch skiing as possible. Andrewoccasionally breaks from disserta-tion research (explorations ofcultural procrastination, focusingon the past 20 years of New Yorkerfiction writing) to write a blog forUrban Oyster. He enjoys chillingin NYC with Margie Graham(boys camp staff ’99) and MollyAeck, who are studying there.Malia Haddock (boys camp staff’99) lives in Portland, ME, whereshe’s building a printing press.“Stop by the studio anytime tosee some art and meet my dogs,”she says. Emily Meuser is livingin Vancouver, finishing hermaster’s in conservation biology,and getting married this July inOntario! Ella Moench isteaching at a progressive, inde-pendent school in Los Angeles.She loves her middle-school kids,coaches soccer, and spreads theword about Chewonki. Ella isplanning some outdoor adven-tures; anyone daring enough tojoin her is invited to tag along.Kate Petersen (boys camp staff’99-’00) continues to adventurearound the country, spendingtime with living creatures, greatand small, wherever she lands.Raisa Rexer (boys camp staff ’99,’01) is living in France. Her babyis due in September and she’saccepting suggestions for babynames. Ben Svenson issometimes seen making his wayto NYC with his five teacuppoodles.

MCS 22Spring 1999Class Agent: Louisa Pitt,[email protected]

Clare Gupta is in her fifth yearof a PhD program in environ-mental studies at UC Berkeley,studying the influence of conservation policy on humanlivelihoods near Chobe NationalPark, Botswana. Louisa Pittteaches third grade at SolomonSchechter Day School inNewton, MA, lives in Arlington,still sings, and plays lots ofUltimate Frisbee.

MCS 23Fall 1999Class Agent: Ariane Lotti,[email protected]

Marselle Alexander-Ozinskaslives in Cambridge, MA, and is agrant writer for Ceres, a Bostonnonprofit that, according to itswebsite, is “integrating sustain-ability into capital markets for thehealth of the planet and itspeople.” She writes, “My job isincredible and I feel very lucky towork for such an amazing organi-zation!” She recently had amini-reunion in NYC withLindsey Horton and CarolineSchley. Rosie Dent started aPhD in the history and sociologyof science at the University ofPennsylvania last September. She’shappy to be back in Philly afterfour years in Quito, Ecuador. MiaFarber is pursuing her MBA atUNC’s Kenan-Flagler BusinessSchool with a concentration insustainable enterprise. She alsorecently joined the SJF Institute inDurham, NC, as an associate.Ellie Shepard Forrest and herKiwi husband, Iain, were marriedlast summer in Fiji. They live inQueenstown, New Zealand,where Ellie is the program coordi-nator for the Queenstown branchof the Special Olympics. RebeccaGarfield spent a year in Barcelonastudying for a master’s in interna-tional relations—“a fun change ofpace from teaching Spanish inrural New Hampshire,” shewrites. Afterward she and herfiancé went backpacking throughPeru, Bolivia, and Brazil, goingdown the Amazon by riverboat.She’s teaching at the Fay Schooland says, “Come fall I will beteaching at Hackley School inTarrytown, NY. Paul and I hopeto marry this spring and areawaiting his fiancé visa.” EmilyIzenstein writes, “All is well inthe Midwest. I’m in my third yearof a doctoral program in Englishand American literature at North-western, so most days find mereading, writing, and lessonplanning…. I’m still enjoying thesame old things—lots of running(a race a month in 2011!), knitting(my very first cardigan!), andgarden-planning (carrots andbeets and beans, oh my!). Mypartner, Meg, and I are alsohaving lots of fun with our two-year-old pup, Pico, who keeps us

MCS 18ers Ami Mehta, Amanda Aikman, and Chartey Quarcoowith Ashley McCants.


busy on the (so very flat) trailsaround Wisconsin and thesurrounds.” Amanda Joyce andhusband Matt live in Cumberland,ME, “with an open door forvisitors!” Enyi Koene left heradmissions job at the Taft School,moved to Paris, and finished hermaster’s in French. She’s now “anEnglish assistant of sorts at engi-neering school…I am loving mytime in Paris.” Tyler Lewis, livingin Boston, recently celebrated hisfifth year at Fidelity Investments.“I work on the trading floor doingfixed-income sales and trading forlarge money managers and institu-tional investors. I really enjoy thefast pace of my job and generaltrading-floor camaraderie andbravado.” He has started a three-year executive MBA program atBabson at night and still findstime to get to the gym, run, box,and sea kayak. Ariane Lotti (boyscamp staff ’01) lives in Wash-ington, D.C., where she is thepolicy director for the nonprofitOrganic Farming Research Foun-dation. In the summer shebecomes a home canner,producing all sorts of deliciouspickles, jams, and chutneys.Megan Nuttall is a midwifeworking with rural women andtheir families. She writes, “I’vebeen catching babies at home andin hospital for the past 4 years as astudent, and it feels great to finallybe striking out on my own! I stillhave my flock of sheep (that I milkand keep for wool), and Brian andI hope to relocate to our own farmand contribute to our local CSA inthe next two years.” Julia O’Hernwrites from Texas that she is“hopefully in the last year of myPhD. I am surveying marinemammals in Ecuador in relationto oceanographic variability,working with their Navy andsome other students in thecountry.” Liz Tunick graduatedfrom Williams in June ’10 with amaster’s in art history and nowworks in the French paintingsdepartment at the NationalGallery of Art. She’s enjoying lifein D.C., noting that the onlyother time she’d been there “wasduring my 10th-grade Americanhistory trip, during which I foundout I’d been accepted to MCS!”Marissa Vahlsing is in her finalyear at Harvard Law School,where she’s been working on casesseeking corporate accountability

for human rights violations andenvironmental harm. Her long-term goal is to start her ownNGO to focus on transnationalcommunity “lawyering” toachieve social justice andcorporate accountability at homefor abuses by U.S. corporations inLatin America. A freelance writerand editor in San Francisco, E.J.Winter recently spent threemonths traveling aroundSoutheast Asia with her partner,John. “It was truly a magical expe-rience to be traveling again—therhythm of life on the road isunlike anything else. The naturallandscape, vibrant cultures, deepconnection to spirituality, andfood—I instantly fell in love withthat part of the world.” E.J. willenter Bastyr University’s naturo-pathic medicine program inSeattle this summer; she hopes“to fuse two lifelong passions—complementary and alternativehealing and writing—and amenvisioning a future of authoringarticles and books on topicsrelated to health, in addition toseeing patients in a clinic thatfuses western and alternativemedicine.”

MCS 24Spring 2000Class Agent: Nora Gouge,[email protected]

Caleb Merrill (boys camp staff’03) lives in Salt Lake City and isa ski patroller at SolitudeMountain Resort in the winterand fights wildland fires with theBonneville Hotshots in thesummer. Allie Silverman is hardat work at Vermont Law School!Leah Titcomb (girls camp staff’07-’09; OC staff) is studying for a master’s in creative writing atGoddard College while alsoteaching English at CoastalStudies for Girls, a new semesterschool in Freeport, ME. Leahleads Chewonki wilderness tripsin the summer.

MCS 25Fall 2000Class Agent: M.A. Moutoussis,[email protected];& Chris White,[email protected]

M.A. Moutoussis managesalumnae affairs at BarnardCollege and serves on the New

York board of The MissionContinues, a nonprofit supportingwounded and disabled veteranswho want to continue theirservice to the nation ascommunity leaders. M.A. missesher fellow MCSers and hopes fora 10-year reunion this summer.

MCS 26Spring 2001Class Agent: Andrea LaRosa,[email protected]

Amy Aloe recently moved toNorthampton, MA, and started ajob as a genetic counselor withBaystate Medical Center. “I amexcited to be back in NewEngland and have been takingadvantage of the snow, but amlooking forward to great hiking inthe summer,” she says. AnnaBondarenko left NYC after threeyears at an investment bank andmoved to Paris to pursue amaster’s in international economicpolicy. She also volunteers as amarketing and communicationscoordinator at Cents Ability, anonprofit dedicated to teachingfinancial skills to high-schoolstudents. Eric Hanson and hiswife, Lindsay Hamlin, attendedthe Maine EnvironmentalEducation Association conferenceat Chewonki in April. They team-teach a science course atWindham [ME] High School,Eric focusing on wildlife ecologyand Lindsay on marine biology.

MCS 27Fall 2001Class Agent: Chris Clark,[email protected]

Alden Alexander is working for aprivate equity firm in Chicago—quite a change from several yearsof sailing yachts around the globe, which she enjoyed aftergraduating from UNC. ChrisClark recently moved to LasVegas to take a job with StageTechnologies as an automationengineer. The company designs,manufacturers, and installswinches, motors, and controls for

theatrical automation; its clientsinclude universities, churches, andCirque du Soleil. Emily Orzech isin China for a year on a Fulbrightto study lithography at the CentralAcademy of Fine Art in Beijing.Annalee Sweet (boys camp staff’02-’04, ’07) got married in ’09 andis finishing grad school at BostonCollege, doing a clinical internshipat MIT’s mental health service.She’s planning to move to NYCthis summer. Emily Wellington isin Montana, helping the NationalPark Service with the formation ofthe Great Northern LandscapeConservation Cooperative at theNorthern Rocky MountainScience Center in Bozeman. “Mybest project right now,” she says,“is to co-author a chapter on thestatus of Whitebark Pine in a bookabout Yellowstone in transition.”She’s also in grad school part-time,concentrating on community andlandscape ecology of the RockyMountain region. She’s puttingher skis and mountain bike togood use.

MCS 28Spring 2002Class Agent: Ellie Stewart,[email protected]

MCS 28 takes on the Smithsonian!Mary Crauderueff finished acontract at the Smithsonian in2010 and has since been enjoyingsmaller contracts along withvolunteer work as she searches forpermanent work as an archivist.Keats Webb started her ownphotography business last summer,mostly doing event photographyand scientific imaging, for whichshe’s currently on contract withthe Smithsonian.

MCS 29Fall 2002Class Agents: Nellie Black,[email protected]; CaraBrody, [email protected]; &Greg Daggett, [email protected]

Greg Daggett is on the beautifulisland of St. Kitts, where he’sattending Ross University School

Note: There will be a 10-year reunion for MCS 25 & 26and a 5-year reunion for MCS 35 & 36 at Chewonki Neck on June 10–12. We hope you can come!


Peopleof Veterinary Medicine, fulfillinga lifelong dream. “It’s a strangejuxtaposition to have the fast paceof school and slow pace ofCaribbean culture, but so far ithas been a lot of fun,” he writes.Greg graduated from BostonUniversity and got a master’s inlab animal science at DrexelUniversity. His “dream positionwould be to conduct fieldresearch with large cats in Africa,but one step at a time...I oftenreflect on the time I spent [atChewonki]…. It made me abetter writer, a better observer,and more appreciative of thefleeting moments that I get to justlook at my surroundings. Evennow I find myself identifyingbirds habitually, and rereadingessays by fellow alums that I’veread dozens of times already.”Emily Guerin (boys camp staff’04) spent most of last yearbetween Maine and Boston,teaching environmental educationand doing an internship with“Living on Earth,” an NPR showabout science and the environ-ment. She started doing freelancejournalism in Portland over thesummer “but decided I wanted a‘real job,’ so now I work as areporter for the Forecaster, aweekly paper in midcoast Maine.”Hannah Larkin teaches Englishat a charter high school in Bostonand is “truly enjoying it.” She’salso prepping to take the GMATs.

MCS 30Spring 2003Class Agents: Will Davidson,[email protected]; KiiraHeyman, [email protected]; & Olivia Sideman,[email protected]

Dylan Atchley wrote fromValparaiso, Chile, where he washelping some college friends withan NGO they started to teachlocal kids surfing, English, andenvironmental stewardship. After

graduating from Bates, he workedat the Natural Resources DefenseCouncil in Washington for twoyears but says “the wholedesk/computer thing eventuallywore me down and…I cut townto go do some research and learnSpanish in Mexico. Now Iam…tooling around the southernhalf of the Americas visitingfriends, seeing the sites, andworking on my Spanish.” VeraChang has started her secondyear working for Bon AppetitManagement Company, a sustain-able foodservice company. “As theWest Coast fellow, I travel tofarms and colleges from SoCal upto Washington and I love it!Learning the stories of farmersand speaking with collegestudents about food issues is adream for me.” MichaelCrowley and his girlfriend live inConnecticut, right next to theConnecticut River—handy forcanoeing and riverside biking.Mike works for LincolnFinancial, a life and annuitycompany. Will Davidson,thriving on the West Coast, istaking a course in wilderness andprimitive survival skills withTrackers Earth. “I’ve spent thelast two summers working on anorganic farm and totally fell inlove with farming, in part thanksto the Chewonki farm andfarmers,” he reports. SaraFarnum is finishing law school inBoston, where she’s also been anintern at the District Attorney’soffice. “I think I have found mycalling in the courtroom. Ifanyone knows any lawyers inBoston that might want to hireme next August after the bar, letme know! I live with the sameboyfriend I had right afterChewonki, Brent (does anyoneremember the guy that sent me apackage and I went aroundshowing his senior picture??).”Craig Hanson and his girlfriendare living in Shenzhen, China,

where both teach at an AmericanInternational School. Craigwrites, “I have 13 kids in my7th/8th-grade classroom, rangingfrom an 11 year old who speaksfluent English to a 16 year oldwho can say ‘goo mo-ning’ and‘sank you’ and that’s about it.Mackenzie and I are having somegreat experiences in and aroundChina and most of them arechronicled on our blog, lobster-sandpandas.wordpress.com.”Rachel Hiles is managing editorof the Buddhist magazine Tricycle.For her job, she is obligated to goon a 10-day Alaska kayakingmeditation retreat in June. AnnaIsaacson (boys camp staff ’08)taught English in Taiwan for ayear and now works for theMassachusetts Department ofTransportation, “promotingwalking and biking to and fromMassachusetts schools throughthe national Safe Routes toSchool program,” she writes. Shelives in Jamaica Plain and enjoys“running up and down the hills ofthe nearby Arboretum…[and]trying to learn how to dance.”Barbara Johnson lives inBrooklyn and works as theeducation coordinator at theCathedral of St. John the Divine.“I get to teach students and adultsof all ages about architecture,ecology, medieval history,religion, etc., and work specifi-cally with visitors withdisabilities.” Allison Klein is acartographic technician at Yellowstone, doing lots ofGIS/GPS/cartography work. Shecalls the job “a nice mixture ofmaking maps and then getting togo backpacking to do field work.”After graduating with a BA inarchitecture, Nick Kruse taughtart at the Island School in theBahamas, where he discoveredthat he is “decent at free diving(SCUBA with no gear).” Afterworking for a year at theMountain School in Vermont as

the sustainability coordinator, henow lives in Silver Spring, MD,and works as a building analystfor a green building group,“driving around in my two-doorHonda Insight (avg 60 mpg)handing out CFLs and shower-heads and recommending atticinsulation…it feels good.” KateLetourneau is “super happy tobe nesting” in Ann Arbor, MI,with her boyfriend. She works ata public health lab at the Univer-sity of Michigan for a pediatricianwho studies children’s eatingbehavior in low-income popula-tions. “I’m starting to look intogoing back to school to be a nursepractitioner,” she says, “as I thinkit’s the closest I can get to being awitch while keeping mainstreamenough to help all sorts.” JasonLilley has been teaching soilconservation techniques for thePeace Corps in Paraguay,working in schools on environ-mental education and gardening,and building brick stoves. He’splanning to hit Patagonia whenhis two-year assignment ends,then work his way up throughSouth America “until the fundsdry up and I end up back inMaine to play in the soil andwork on grad school apps.”Kristen McLean is in a publichealth program at Emory inAtlanta, studying behavioralsciences and health education. “Iam concentrating in globalmental health...hoping to jumpon board a research project inLiberia this summer to help scaleup psychiatric services…. Want towork with the kiddies eventually.Tessa Solomon-Lane and Iactually lived up the street fromeach other for about a yearwithout knowing it. Now we getto hang out.” Sara Miller lives inChicago with her fiancé and is“studying like crazy—going tomedical school at Loyola’s StritchSchool of Medicine. I sometimes(like everyday) wish I had a classin which I had to go to a spot (Ithink I’d choose a big treesomewhere on the Neck) andwrite about it for an hour.” NoraPaul-Shultz is an environmentaleducator for Nature’s Classroom.She plays “in the woods with kidsand tries to remember everythingBill taught us and impart thatinformation to them…. I amapplying to grad school tobecome a high school physics

Coming Soon! Our Annual ReportTo save resources and provide more room for content

in the Chronicle, we will publish a stand-alone Annual Report

electronically. Please look for it online in May.


teacher so hopefully that will bethe next step.” Evan Schnidman(boys camp ’98-’99) lives inCambridge, MA, and is in thethird year of a PhD program inpolitical economy. Now that he’sdone with coursework, he says hespends most of his time teachingundergrads and master’s students,developing his dissertationprospectus, working part-time ineconomic development, andcommuning with his dog. BessieSchwarz put in a stint as aresearcher of stakeholder percep-tions of ecosystem services butthen “took a turn for thepolitical,” she says. She’s beenworking as an environmentalorganizer, first for Green Corps,now in D.C., “where I do lessorganizing and more strategydesign and management. It’s coolexcept that the environmentusually loses.” Jesse Shapell(boys camp staff ’95-’99, ’02-’05;Maine Coast Kayak, NorthWoods Canoe) now lives inBrooklyn. “Even though myLatin degree hasn’t landed me apertinent job, I’ve been workingas a host at a swank spot on theUpper West Side. Aside fromthat, I’ve been working on twobook-length works: a short-piececollection about Portland and thesurrounding suburbs and a lit critstudy on the comic The Adven-tures of Tintin by Herge.” Also inBrooklyn is Olivia Sideman, whograduated from Oberlin andworks at the Vera Institute ofJustice to improve processingtimes for child neglect/abusecases in the NYC Family Courtsystem. She brews beer andkombucha in her small apartment,sings in a choir, and playsUltimate Frisbee. SethSilverman (former foundationadvisor) is in western Kenyaworking for One Acre Fund,which will serve about 60,000farm families in Kenya andRwanda “by the upcoming 2011long rains,” he says. “We providesmallholder farmers with accessto and credit for inputs like goodseeds and fertilizer and training insound agricultural practices….We are increasingly providingother services like solar lanterns,child health services, and the like.(We are growing fast so ifanybody is interested in this typeof work, be sure to check out

www.oneacrefund.org/get_involved/careers).” After Vassar Collegeand “the nomadic outdoor sciencelife for a while,” Tessa Solomon-Lane is in a neuroscience PhDprogram in Atlanta, studyingsocial behavior in fish. She spendsthe academic year in the city andthe summer field season onCatalina Island, CA. “I live in agreat neighborhood and havestarted up martial arts andjuggling again, and I get to seeKristen McLean every once in awhile!” she says. Casey Whittieris “anxiously awaiting a visit fromthe lovely Tommy Otey...becauseI am exactly a year from my MFAshow in ceramics at the Universityof Colorado, Boulder, and justfound out that he is at ColoradoState University in Fort Collins.”Casey is teaching freshmen, takinga full load of courses, has two off-campus jobs, and one of herceramics pieces is in a show inKansas City. “I’m eating as manypomegranates a week as I canafford,” she writes. Liz Yates is“living in New York and enjoyinglife after investment banking; nowworking in private equity origina-tion.” She recently enjoyedtraveling in India after attending awedding there.

MCS 31Fall 2003Class Agents: Sarah Kirk,[email protected]; & Ben McGee,[email protected]

Annie Brett majored in environ-mental science and public policyat Harvard and until recently was the environmental advisor for Infinity Expeditions, an organization dedicated tocommunity-focused research onclimate change in the PacificIslands.

MCS 32Spring 2004Class Agents: Julian Holland,[email protected]; & MollyMartin, [email protected]

MCS 33Fall 2004Class Agents: Bryce Koukopoulos,[email protected]; & JasmineSmith, [email protected]

Jane Koopman (camp staff ’08,’10) enjoyed teaching kayaking at

Chewonki last summer and spentthe winter in Jackson Hole,working at the mountain andskiing in tons of snow! MattiasLanas spent part of the yearstudying in Australia, spending1- to 2-week intervals in differentecosystems, including the GreatBarrier Reef. Art also continuesto play an important role in hislife. Mattias will graduate in Juneand hopes to stay an extra year atStanford to pursue a master’s inearth systems. Matt Larkin ismajoring in sculpture atWesleyan. He’s been going all-out to design his final projects fora senior thesis exhibition.Margaret Mansfield graduatedfrom UVA with a double major inart history and French. She nowworks for Bloomberg in NYCand has enjoyed reconnectingwith Chewonki friends in the city.

MCS 34Spring 2005Class Agents: Alex Beecher,[email protected]; & LizFranchot, [email protected]

Kate Bell-Hart lives with hercat, Pocket, in Los Angeles andworks in the film industry. NoahIsaacson, wielding a paddle withfellow Bowdoin grad DavidWells (MCS 33), ran intoWillard Morgan at Big Eddy lastsummer. Doug Ray graduatedfrom Bates, where he was a radiohost, wrote for the studentnewspaper, and co-founded TheMonkey Blog, now a well-knownmusic blog. Doug is a journalismstudent at Stanford, primarilyinterested in the arts and interna-tional reporting.

MCS 35Fall 2005Class Agent: Cameron McKnight,[email protected]

Alex Brett spent a month lastwinter aboard the sailing shipInfinity with Infinity Expeditions,a group that does environmentalresearch in the Pacific Islands (seeAnnie Brett under MCS 31).Alex is now working on his seniorproject at College of the Atlantic,setting up several sites aroundFrenchman Bay to monitor majorbenthic algae and invertebratecommunities and interviewinglocal people about changes they

have observed in marine life overtheir lifetimes. Jamie Watson is a senior at Davidson, where he is a political science majorresearching FEMA’s communitypreparedness programs. Hevolunteers for the Davidson FireDepartment—good training forhis upcoming studies in theJohns Hopkins post-baccalau-reate premedical program, wherehe’ll prepare for a career inemergency medicine.

MCS 36Spring 2006Class Agents: Teddy Newmyer,[email protected]; & ChelseaPompadur, [email protected]

Marian Messing is finishing her undergraduate studies atPrinceton, majoring in theWoodrow Wilson School ofPublic and International Affairsand focusing on human rights,authoritarianism, the rule of law,and political and economicdevelopment in the Middle East,in addition to studying Arabic.She is a recipient of the Scholarsin the Nation’s Service Initiative(SINSI) at Princeton and willbegin a master’s in public affairsat the Woodrow Wilson Schoolnext fall. She still enjoys theusual stuff—soccer, clarinet, andcivic engagement on humanrights issues. Teddy Newmyerwill travel to Tanzania this fallwith SIT to study ecology andcultural issues. ChelseaPompadur is in the homestretch at the University of St.Andrews in Scotland, where she’sstudied psychology and interna-tional relations and been a tourguide, rower, and Senior Student(similar to school president).“I’ve loved the experience ofbeing in Europe for so long andbeing able to travel, and St.Andrews is a wonderful place.”Stephanie Rendall is on a leaveof absence from HampshireCollege, working on web designand fish identification andexploring what it means to “buylocal” on the Caribbean island ofBonaire. Stephanie and NinaSubhas enjoyed a performanceby Guillermo Gómez-Peña inNYC last spring, and lastsummer Nina shared a picnic atChewonki with Meredith Ruhl.


People

MCS 37Fall 2006Class Agent: Lizzy Tarr,[email protected]

Karl Berger is studying art atLewis and Clark College. TararaDeane-Krantz works in theNYC mayor’s office each summerand is busy at Bowdoin College,managing a cafe and volunteeringfor a Maine state representativealong with studying.

MCS 38Spring 2007Class Agent: Franklin Jacoby,[email protected]; & Maddy Schwartz,[email protected]

Casey Cummings showed offher culinary skills in Chewonki’skitchen last summer beforereturning to Syracuse Universityfor her junior year. Matt Darcyvisited Chewonki a year ago whenhis brother, Ben Darcy, attendedSemester 44. Franklin Jacoby isin his third year at College of theAtlantic and recently finished aninternship surveying a Maineisland. When he’s not canoeing or rock climbing, he has “beenstudying a variety of subjects—human ecology, biology,philosophy—and am in themiddle of trying to integratethem into a senior project.”Willard Morgan enjoyed lunchwith Ethan Nonomura atBowdoin College last spring.

MCS 39Fall 2007Class Agents: Dana Golden,[email protected]; & MaddyWoodle, [email protected]

Wells Andres is majoring inpsychology and neuroscience atYale, taking pre-med classes, and“filling up any other moments ofthe day with music.” He works ina neuroscience lab focused on thebehavioral and cellular pathwaysinvolved in learning and memory,is principal second violin in theYale Symphony Orchestra, andalso plays chamber music. LexiBarab has two majors at Scripps:psychology and a self-designedmajor called Gender, Health, andGlobal Development. Climbing isher way to relax after studying.

Cammie Taylor is an environ-mental studies major, with aconcentration in sustainable agriculture, at Warren WilsonCollege. “I have been working at the college farm since myfreshman year and have specialized in work with ourpasture-raised pork, chicken, and egg operations. I’m about to embark on my seniorthesis…grafting tomato plantsthat have been bred for resistanceto blight. This could be anorganic answer that growers arelooking for.” Cammie dreams ofowning a farm. Richard VanDeusen Joyce served onChewonki’s search committee forthe new head of semester schoollast winter. Madeleine Woodlespent last summer in Ghana,where she stocked up on kentecloth, learned some new Africandance moves, and picked up alittle Twi. She is studying Arabicand plans on majoring in politics.Last fall she led her first wilder-ness trip in the Berkshires, as part of Princeton’s freshmanorientation program.

MCS 40Spring 2008Class Agents: Rachel Madding,[email protected]; & NickMcLeod, [email protected]

Lisa Beneman is enjoying hersophomore year at WhitmanCollege. “I love living in andlearning about the AmericanWest and am an environmentalstudies and politics major.”Mateus Costa was on the Necklast summer as a counselor atboys camp. Willard Morganspotted Samantha Hersombehind the counter at NorthCottage Coffee in Damariscotta,ME, last summer! RachelMadding played a key role in the Middlebury women’s soccerteam’s dramatic 4-3 defeat ofAmherst last fall. Down 0-3 with10 minutes to go, Middleburyrallied to score 4 goals. Rachelscored one of them and alsodelivered a stirring pre-gamespeech that inspired others.Malcolm Richardson (Boat-builders ’08) reports: “Savingmoney to buy a truck. Spendingmoney to enjoy good food.”

MCS 41 Fall 2008Class Agents: Kevin Coleman,[email protected]; & AliConnolly, [email protected]

Kevin Coleman saw WillardMorgan last September whenWillard was visiting California.Kevin was taking an EMT course and getting ready to startColorado College. Fiona Haslettattended a Chewonki gathering inConcord, MA, in February. Shehad just completed a WhereThere Be Dragons program inNepal and was headed to Spannocchia in Italy for thespring. Hazel Jacoby (boys campstaff ’10; Explorers, George River,North Woods Canoe ’06-’08)served as the farm activity leaderat boys camp last summer.

MCS 42Spring 2009Class Agents: Carly Blumenfeld,[email protected]; & EmilyBusam, [email protected] All is attending MontanaState University, “doing great, butmissing Chewonki.” Lyla Aminicompleted her senior project forSt. Paul Academy by working atthe Chewonki farm last May. AlexMacmillan also worked at thefarm, to kick off his gap year andbefore heading to Chile, and wasecstatic about attending severalPhish concerts! GenevieveOxman is enjoying the College ofWooster in Ohio. Jack Phinneycame to Chewonki to lend a handon our 10/10/10 projects,including the 35-Mile Meal.

Semester 43Fall 2009Class Agent: Sara Clark,[email protected]

Jacqui Colt came by Chewonkilast summer to say hello. KieranHanrahan joined other friends,including Emily Hollyday andCorey Thaxton, at a Chewonkicelebration at Flatbread inPortland, ME, last September.Kieran started the “Do Stuff”Club at Waynflete School. ElizaMargolin came to Chewonki for10/10/10 and shared the delicious35-Mile Meal. Katherine Shorsaw Willard Morgan at aChewonki gathering in Charlotte,

NC, in January. Ben Surfaceworked at Saltmarsh Farm lastsummer, as did Mia Ritter, andwas at Chewonki for 10/10/10.Tavo True-Alcala had a summerinternship at the Hotchkiss School,working on investigating the feasibility of using solar energy.“Hotchkiss is committed tobecoming carbon neutral by 2020,”reported Tavo, “so I was investi-gating the possibility of installingphotovoltaics on the gym and themain building, as well as solarthermal possibilities on facultyhousing not connected to thecentral heating plant…. Unfortunately, due to the smallincentives, the payback time isaround the same as the expectedlife of the systems, so until thatgets better, it is likely nothing willget done.”

Semester 44Spring 2010Class Agents: Charlotte Allyn, [email protected]; & HannahPerkins, [email protected]

Leah Cooper came back toChewonki during a family trip toMaine last summer. Delger Erdenesanaa took a break from acollege trip to stop by last October.Soren Hope, in her tap-dancingdebut, performed in the DancersResponding to AIDS benefit at herschool, Friends Seminary. MaxsonJarecki has been playing regularlyaround NYC with his five-pieceband, CrabCorps, which he startedalongside fellow 44er JohnnySteines. Julian McGinn (boyscamp ’04-’06; North WoodsCanoe ’07; Maine AppalachianLong Trail ’08) joined theChewonki festivities at Flatbreadin Portland, ME, last September.Jessica Nichols, HannahPerkins, and Suhas Vijaykumarattended a Chewonki gathering inConcord, MA, in February.

Semester 45Fall 2010Class Agents: Noah Stone,[email protected]; & KatherineRush, [email protected]

Francesca Gentile, NicholasLuther, and Maggie St. Jeanattended the Chewonki party atMolly and Jeff Eberles’ home inConcord, MA, in February.


Former FacultyAlexandra Harris (boys campstaff ’06; MCS 33-37 faculty), anRN and graduate of SimmonsCollege, married Clark Woolleyin New Hampshire last summer.She and Clark live in Wash-ington, D.C., where she is atGeorgetown in her first year ofthe Nurse Midwifery/Women’sHealth Nurse PractitionerProgram and Clark works for theU.S. Forest Service. MelinaShannon-DiPietro (semesterschool fellow), one of thefounding directors of the YaleSustainable Food Project, leftNew Haven last fall to becomedirector of food projects for theHigh Line, a new public park onan old elevated rail line in lowerManhattan. According to HighLine’s website, “Food is one ofour everyday connections tocommunity and to the environ-ment, and through food, Friendsof the High Line hopes toconnect people to one anotherand the land.”

NEW BABIES ON THE NECK!Bienvenu, petit Louie! KelsieTardif, development assistant,and her husband, Jeremy Tardif,assistant farm manager, cele-brated the arrival of Louie MarcTardif on 3-31-11. Little Louie isalready the apple of older brotherClaude’s eye!

IN MEMORIAMChewonki lost a devoted friend and supporterwhen David Demeré died after a seven-yearbattle with bone marrow cancer on November 1,2010, in Belfast, ME. He was 51 years old andleft behind an immense circle of cherishedfriends and family.

Possessed of boundless enthusiasm and adeep love for the natural world, David thrived onoutdoor adventures and on sharing the wondersof nature with others. He loved sailing, workedas a sailing instructor and boat builder, andfounded a youth rowing program. He also lovedcarpentry and crafted a low-impact, self-suffi-cient lifestyle for himself and his family. A man ofmany talents, he was a loving and involved father,a soccer coach and musician, a lifelong peaceactivist and community volunteer—among manyother things.

At Chewonki, we knew David especially wellthough his work as chair of the Debley Founda-tion, a family charitable foundation working toimprove the lives of disadvantaged women andgirls around the world. The Debley Foundationgenerously supported Chewonki’s Canoe Expedi-tion for Maine Girls and continues to provideenthusiastic support for Chewonki Camp forGirls. “David was an extraordinary person, whotaught all around him by example. We are enor-mously grateful to him and his family for theirsupport,” said director of development LucyHull.

David is survived by his parents, Margaretand Charles; wife Tara and stepson Cameron;children Lucretia, Seth, and Tyler; three grand-children; and three siblings.

Werner J. Rothbacher (Camp Staff ’73–’77,’80) died on February 2, 2011, at the age of 83 inBeverly Farms, MA, after a long illness. He had a

deep affection for Chewonki, where he was thewaterfront director and where his wife, Betsy, was alongtime bookkeeper and secretary.

“Werner was a wonderful, steady presence and afine role model for campers and counselors alike,”remembers former executive director Tim Ellis.“His whole family was immersed in Chewonki:Heidi, Rainer [Camp’73–’75; Camp Staff ’76–’77],Rick [Camp ’73–’77], and Liesl [Camp ’74–’76], andof course Betsy.”

Under Werner’s caring eye, many a Chewonkicamper became a better swimmer. “I had beenswimming all my life, but Werner taught me how toreally swim. I still think about how he coached meon my stroke,” said Bart Chapin, who was acounselor during Werner’s time. And as formerdirector of Alumni Relations Dick Thomas fondlynoted, “Pohhhhhhhlar beahrs in an Austrian accentstill permeates the Lower Field.”

Werner developed his love of the outdoors andof physical exercise as a youngster in his nativeAustria. After graduating from the University ofGraz, he came to the U.S. on a Fulbright Scholar-ship, returned to Austria to earn his PhD, andmoved to the U.S. permanently in 1957. Over thenext 50 years he immersed himself in teaching andcoaching. He directed the Sugarloaf and Lost Valleyski schools in Maine, taught German and P.E. atBrunswick High School, and coached the Colby andBowdoin ski teams and the Brunswick High swimteam. After “retiring,” he worked in the AthleticDepartment at Bowdoin College.

Werner is survived by his wife and children, 11grandchildren, and a sister and 2 brothers inAustria. Among his grandchildren are WillDavidson (MCS 30) and Ben Hawley (Camp ’07–’10). Gifts in Werner’s memory can be made toChewonki (for camp scholarships) or to theBrunswick Area Student Aid Fund in Brunswick,Maine.

NOTABLE VISITORS TO THE NECKCarl Wilson, chief lobster biologist for Maine’s Department of Marine Resources, spoke with thesemester school’s Environmental Issues class in September and February, describing his experimentsmanipulating trap density in lobster fisheries in midcoast Maine. Paul Kando and Topher Belknap of theMidcoast Green Collaborative visited last fall and winter to do energy audits of four buildings. They alsotaught semester students the basics of building physics and showed them the equipment used inauditing. Their audits will help guide Chewonki’s effort to reduce its carbon footprint. Bailey McCallum(MCS 16; foundation advisor) spoke with semester school students in November about his work as anindustrial wind energy developer. NYC documentary filmmaker Jauretsi Saizarbitoria visited semesterschool Spanish classes last winter to talk about her movie East of Havana, which portrays Cuban hip-hopculture. Roger Richmond, professor of architecture at the University of Maine, Augusta, presented histhree-dimensional macro nature photography slideshow to semester students and faculty on February 4.Wes Jackson, a plant geneticist-agronomist, founder of The Land Institute, and MacArthur fellow, visitedon April 11. Dr. Jackson has done pioneering research in natural systems agriculture, including perennialgrains, perennial polycultures, and intercropping, for more than 30 years. He took a farm tour and sharedlunch with students and staff.

Jeremy, Claude, and Louie Marc Tardif.


Remembering Margaret EllisAPRIL 12, 1939–FEBRUARY 26, 2011

Margaret was equally passionate about her family. She andTim spent much of the last five years in the West and made asecond home in Missoula, Montana, closer to their children andgrandchildren.

On January 2, in the online journal that she and Tim kept forfamily and friends during her illness, Margaret said she was“inspired by all the love and caring” she had received from somany. She closed by saying “Our intention for one and all is tofind satisfaction and happiness in the small things of each day, tofind joy in family and friendship, and to show kindness and lovein as many ways as we can.” In that heartfelt sentence is theessence of Margaret Ellis.

Margaret is survived by her husband, Tim; daughter, Jenny,her husband, Seth Wilson, and their children, Zoë, Simon, andReid; and son, Ben, his wife, Shannon Shuptrine, and their son,Flynn. She is also survived by her “adopted” siblings Simon,Benjamin, and Rupert Wood, Jo Grimshaw, Pennie Heyworth,and Rosie Dorey.

A celebration of Margaret’s life took place on April 9 atChewonki. Gifts in Margaret’s honor can be made to the GardenFund at Chewonki. Through this fund, the perennial gardens sheestablished here many years ago will always flourish, and willremind us of Margaret and all that she gave us. !

Countless people—family, friends, andcolleagues—lost a dear friend when MargaretEllis died on February 26. The cause was arare form of lymphoma. Margaret diedpeacefully and surrounded by loved ones, inher beloved old farmhouse just across

Montsweag Brook from Chewonki.Over almost 50 years, Margaret was nurse, gardener,

community builder, and so much more at Chewonki. Shearrived here in 1965. Her husband, Tim Ellis, had practicallygrown up at Camp Chewonki and worked there in thesummers. When Chewonki founder Clarence Allen retired in1966, Tim took over as director. In 1970 he also became thefirst president of the fledgling nonprofit Chewonki Founda-tion. It was Tim’s vision and leadership that transformedChewonki from a small boys camp to a year-round place oflearning.

From 1966 until 1991, Margaret served as director ofhealthcare and safety and played a vital role in helpingChewonki grow into its new role. Even after she left, shewas a frequent visitor on campus and stayed in touch withhundreds of Chewonki friends around the globe.

Margaret Petrie was born on April 12, 1939, inLondon. At age 15 she moved to the ChannelIslands where she took a job helping Peter and

Jenny Wood with their six children. She embraced the Woods,and they her, and came to consider them her true family.During this time Margaret also grew to love the natural worldand discovered her gifts for gardening and nurturing, whichdeveloped into lifelong vocations. She became a nurse in 1960and a midwife in 1963.

A nursing job at the Leysin American School in Switzerlandbrought Margaret together with the young teacher Tim Ellis.They married in 1964 and the next year moved to Maine.Margaret settled into her new life and sank her roots deepinto Maine soil. She and Tim devoted themselves to two all-important tasks: Chewonki and their family. Their son Benwas born in 1966 and their daughter Jenny in 1968.

Margaret never lacked for energy or passion. Whileworking at Chewonki, she also earned her certification as anurse practitioner and her B.S. in nursing. After leavingChewonki, she worked in medical practices in the Brunswickarea. She received an M.S. in nursing from Simmons Collegein 1996 and served as an adjunct faculty preceptor there and atthe University of Southern Maine.

After a long career of caring for others, Margaret mighthave relaxed into retirement. Instead, she set out to practiceamong Native Americans in Arizona and coastal Alaska, andin the Dominican Republic. She threw herself into this newendeavor, and once again garnered a devoted following ofpatients and friends.

As the Chronicle went to press, plans were being finalized to hold a Margaret Ellis Day later this spring. The day will be devoted to working in Chewonki’s gardens, many of which Margaret planned and planted with the help of campers and semester students years ago.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TIM ELLIS.

On My MindArt and OwlsALEXANDRA KAHN

I love art. I love drawing, painting, sculpture—you name it. So,sensibly, I have been taking art class for years at home. In allmy years of school art class, however, I have never had an expe-rience like the one that occurred during my second week of thesemester school class Art and the Natural World. Our teacher,Sue West, asked Kate Braemer from the Traveling NaturalHistory Programs to bring in two owls.

Otis the Eastern Screech-Owl and Byron the Barred Owlgraced us with their magnificent presence to create an unfor-gettable experience. Both birds are incapable of surviving ontheir own; Byron is missing a wing, and Otis suffers frompartial blindness and brain damage.

The Traveling Natural History Programs staff takes inanimals that, for various reasons, are unsuited for the wild.Some lucky semester students help care for these animals. Thestaff uses the animals to teach both children and adults aboutour fantastic natural world.

Owls are not the only resident animals at Chewonki. Thereare also hawks, eagles, a small falcon, turtles, an alligator,snakes, a blind Virginia opossum, and others.

The two gorgeous owls sat for us during one period of artclass. Their stunning eyes, ear tufts, wings, and feather patternsmade them excellent subjects. Sue suggested that we try toportray the owls in as few strokes as possible and that we usemostly black ink and charcoal. I opted for ink and had anabsolute ball using the extreme darkness of the ink along withlighter washes to portray the birds’ expressions and colors. The

FOR SUSTAINABILITY

Gold in Your GarbageRUTH POLAND, SCIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY FELLOW

If you view the world with a “cup-half-full” mentality, you’ll realize that waste can be anopportunity. Food scraps and yard litter constitute roughly 30 percent of the waste streamin the U.S. Trucking and processing this waste produces CO2 emissions, is an expense fortowns and cities, and overloads our landfills. Creating compost instead is one of the mostelegant ways to not only reuse but upgrade this waste. In short, food and yard wasteshould be seen as an opportunity rather than a necessary waste product.

Composting is the natural process whereby bacteria, fungi, and insects break downorganic matter. Gardeners call compost “black gold,” and studies show that soil mixedwith compost produces plants up to 75 percent larger than those grown without it.Composting, like gardening, is a great way to make your daily life more sustainable.

A good compost pile contains a 30:1 ratio of carbon to nitrogen; it is moist to the touchbut doesn’t wring out any water when squeezed. As a general rule, materials with a highcarbon content are dry and brownish, like fallen leaves and paper. Materials with a highnitrogen content are colorful and wet, like food scraps and grass clippings.

Simple bins consist of two or three 3- x 3- x 3-foot boxes made from chicken wire orpallets. These bins keep the piles neat, are the most efficient size for composting by hand,and allow airflow around them. Using a number of bins allows you to have piles at variousstages in the composting process and still have a fresh one to add to. A great website toconsult for further advice is www.howtocompost.org.

“ B L A C K G O L D ”

sheer awesomeness of sitting two feet awayfrom an owl was shocking. It was unforget-table, and the type of experience unique toChewonki.

The incredible integration of academics,outdoors, and art makes this place phenom-enal, and that art class was quite the adventure.

Alexandra Kahn is a current semester student from the FieldstonSchool in New York City. That’s her drawing of Otis the EasternScreech-Owl above.

Debunking the myths:1. Doesn’t compost smell bad? If it does, your carbon tonitrogen, or water to air, ratios are off. You can ameliorate thesmell by adjusting these ratios.

2. Won’t weeds and diseases persist in compost? If mixedproperly, your pile should heat up to about 160° F, killing weedseeds, fungi, and harmful bacteria. Letting your compost pilecure and freeze over the winter can also help ensure that nopathogens survive.

3. I don’t want to shovel it! Lasagna gardening is a method oflayering compost ingredients directly on your garden and lettingit cook in place. Check out the book Lasagna Gardening by theinventor, Patricia Lanza, for more information.

4. Can’t I just put food wastes down my garbage disposal?Well, it’s better than sending it to a landfill, as some waste-waterplants do separate solids to make compost. But this compost isof lower quality and far from your garden. Instead of using agarbage disposal and then buying soil mix for your garden, it’sbetter to create a closed-loop system right at home.

The bottom line: Composting is an easy and fun way to turn alarge portion of your garbage into “black gold.”

SUE W

EST

485 Chewonki Neck RoadWiscasset, Maine 04578-4822(207) 882-7323

Are your name and address above up to date? If not, please see our note on page 6 and set us straight. Thank you!

On Saturday, June 4, NationalTrails Day will bring togetheroutdoor enthusiasts across thecountry for the 19th annualcelebration of our nation’smagnificent trail system andthe great outdoors. More than2,000 events will take placeacross the country. Chewonkiwill be involved, and we hopeyou will too!

Get out on your favorite localtrail and help spruce it up forthe summer months. You canjoin a local organization’sproject or create your own.“Think of it as a day of servicefor the land,” says Chewonkipresident Willard Morgan.“Many hands make light work, and there is nothing more satisfying than volunteering your time to make adifference and connect with other Chewonki alumni and friends.”

You can search for events in every state and Puerto Rico and register your own event at www.americanhiking.org.Learn more about Chewonki’s efforts at www.chewonki.org/alumni/events.

National Trails Day is organized by the American Hiking Society. Founded in 1976, the AHS is a nationalrecreation-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting and protecting America’s hiking trails, their surroundingnatural areas, and the hiking experience.

JOIN US ON NATIONAL TRAILS DAY: JUNE 4

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDLewiston, MEPermit No. 82

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