What do you do at Camp Kawartha?
I’m one of the educators here! I work with the kiddos daily, teaching programs from ropes to quest for fire on main site, and am involved at the EC (Camp Kawartha Environment Centre) in summer camps and homeschool programs. My specialty, however, seems to have become campfires over the last few years, taking on the role of the resident KOEC (Kawartha Outdoor Education Centre – Birchview Road) storyteller.
How long have you worked for Camp Kawartha?
I’ve been here 3 years as of May 2019. I’ll be heading into my 4th year of summer camp this July! (Oh how the time flies)
What’s your favourite part of your job?
The relationships I get to build with amazing kids from all different backgrounds makes this job so rewarding. Nothing beats making a connection with a kid over something little, and knowing it made their (and your!) experience that day. Being able to inspire a child to care about the earth, and drive them to protect it, lights a fire in my heart.
A close second to the kids is the incredible family of staff I get to work with every single day from all divisions of the camp.
What’s your favourite Spring program?
Without a question… WETLANDS! Nothing beats a good old fashioned pond study for me. Getting the waders on and catching snakes, frogs and insects with kids all afternoon is basically what describes my perfect day at work (or just a perfect day….).
What were your favourite experiences in nature as a child?
Camping with my family in Temagami. I learned everything from fishing to tree identification there, and the time spent with my northern family in Finlayson Point Provincial Park sparked my love for nature that I have carried all my life. Nothing in the world beats a Temagami sunset.
What do you love about Spring?
Every day there seems to be something new blooming or growing. The trees light up with green and the sun comes out more and more each day, it gives me an unnatural amount of renewed energy.
What skill would you like to master?
There’s too many to choose from!! I’m so lucky to be surrounded by master naturalists, musicians and leaders at work every day in the form of my colleagues, who all inspire me to purse mastery of a skill. However, if I could choose one skill, it would be the art of making kids laugh. That laughter, whether it’s from a story I tell or how I pick the hopper at meal time, that laughter, and that wonder, is what fuels me to be the best educator I can be every single day.
What would you rate 10/10?
When a whole group of kids take a risk, get outside their comfort zones, learn things about our beautiful world and laugh the entire experience. In a wetland up to our necks in water would just be a bonus to that picture.
