Organic Roots Summer 2026

SUMMER 2026

A Publication of North Country School & Camp Treetops

Editorial Director Stanzi Bliss Editor Ken Aaron

BOARD LEADERSHIP Barkley Stuart, Chair CTT 69–72, parent 03–07, NCS parent 09–11

Layout & Design Kelly Hofschneider

Mara Frankel Wallace, Vice-Chair CTT 77–80, parent 14–15

Illustrations Nip Rogers

Peter Brest, Secretary CTT 56–62, parent 93–06

Contributors Ken Aaron Chris Andrews Stanzi Bliss Reiley Burwell Reed Curry Elizabeth Davis Hannah Edwards Emily Eisman Amy Ludlow Rebecca Northrup Todd Ormiston Melissa Orzechowski

Matthew Tuck, Treasurer NCS 75–78

Photographers Katy Allen Erika Bailey Nancie Battaglia Stanzi Bliss Reiley Burwell Josh Flanagan Becca Miller Rebecca Northrup Elizabeth Ormiston Nimbe Medina Osorio Layla Wolfberg Masthead Gail Brill Designs Printing Print Management Pittsburgh, PA

TRUSTEES Lisa Beck CTT 70–73, parent 03–16, staff 08–present Thatcher Brown CTT 77–80, parent 10, 12, 14–16, 18 Ahrielle Cook CTT 92–98, staff 04, NCS 95–99 Sarah Davidson CTT 96–99 Nick Hewitt NCS 65–70, CTT 64 Dorsey Barnett Horowitz CTT 82–84, parent 14–16, 21, NCS parent 18–19 Tori Hunt CTT 76–79, staff 84–85, 09–12, parent 01–11, 13 Greg Marchildon CTT 74–79, parent 08–12, 14–15, staff 83–86, 10–13, NCS 75–80, parent 12–13, staff 12–13 Stefan Nowicki CTT 87–91, 93, staff 97–03, 06, 11 Diana Oehrli CTT 83–84, parent 15–18

Contact: communications@ncstreetops.org northcountryschool.org camptreetops.org

Robert Parker CTT parent 92–04

Pamela Rosenthal NCS parent 07–09 Allyson Shames CTT 82–85, staff 90–93, parent 13–21 David Stewart NCS 94, CTT 95–96 Bill Waddington NCS 77–79, parent 10–13, CTT 80, parent 09–12 Tim Wennrich NCS 84, parent 20–21 Will Whitney CTT 90–94, staff 98–99, 02 Adam Yarinsky CTT parent 08–14 TRUSTEES EMERITI J. Matthew Davidson CTT 62–67, parent 96–06 David Kenney NCS parent 83–84, CTT parent 81–97 Rose Kean Lansbury CTT parent 73–78, grandparent 99–01, 05–07, 10–18, 23–present, NCS parent 73–82 Sandra Gray Nowicki NCS 52–57, staff 67–12, parent 83–84, CTT parent 79–93, staff 96–14 Sumner Parker CTT 37–40, parent 73–79, grandparent 92–04, 10–12, 15–16, 18–19, 21–22, NCS 40–41, parent 77–82

SUMMER 2026

LEADING THOUGHTS

NCS & TREETOPS TODAY

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12 Leading with Curiosity,

From Todd Ormiston Executive Director

Courage, and Care Graduation 2026

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From Hannah Edwards Camp Treetops Director

18 This Week at NCS

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The Return of Treetops Expeditions

FEATURES

CAMPUS INITIATIVES 21 Growing Evergreen Updates 28 Headwaters Everyday Moments, Evergreen Impact

10 Seven Weeks to Self-Reliance From A Parent's Perspective

16 Lessons from Snow Melissa Orzechowski

OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY 36 Alta Friends’ Weekend Remembering Mimi Muray Levitt

38 Balanced Rocks Circle 39 News & Notes

FRONT AND BACK COVERS: In this issue, we debut Headwaters, a concept that brings to life the enduring, compounding influence of the North Country School & Camp Treetops experience. Its origins lie in the words of former Camp Co-Director Doug Haskell, who once observed that the brook on our campus, fed by a spring on Pitchoff Mountain, flows into the Ausable River, then Lake Champlain, through the mighty St. Lawrence, and finally the Atlantic, "joining the immense waters that circle our whole globe." For Haskell, it served as a metaphor for how deeply this place connects children to the "source of things," but also how far those influences travel beyond our campus. Brought to life by Lake Placid illustrator Nip Rogers, the alumni stories beginning on page 28 are our own living headwaters—proof that what begins here travels far, long after campers and students leave.

Rugged.

Resourceful.

Resilient.

THE QUALITIES THAT DEFINE LIFE AT CAMP AND SCHOOL North Country School Co-Founder Walter Clark is well known in our community for introducing what he called the modern three Rs—ruggedness, resourcefulness, and resilience.

BY TODD ORMISTON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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In an NCS graduation address, he once said, “We teachers in this school think we have to try just as hard to develop these modern three Rs as we do the usual three Rs—reading, writing, and arithmetic.” In gauging whether that year’s graduating class possessed those qualities, he said he asked these simple questions:

“Are they resourceful? Do they know what to do when something breaks, or when they are faced with a new situation? And are they resilient? After they have been knocked down and defeated, can they jump up and bounce back, smiling and determined?”

When we ask these questions of our students, campers, and alumni today, we can still answer “yes.”

Over half a century ago, Walter articulated that character built through challenge, independence, and real-world experience is foundational to a meaningful and successful life. We’ve known that for generations. Today, though, a growing body of research is affirming that far beyond our campus.

We see it reflected in books like Dr. Angela Duckworth’s Grit, which explores the deeper connection of happiness, challenge, and success in a character growth-based environment, and Dr. David Yeader’s 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People, which focuses on the ways we can help nurture well-adjusted, independent, and accomplished young people in today’s world.

While these and a host of other works approach it from their own unique lens, all reinforce what we’ve long understood here at NCS and Treetops: that in the middle years and beyond, these characteristics open the door to a lifetime of discovery and fulfillment.

But how do these qualities take shape? We see that answer unfold every day on our campus, often in places you might not expect.

Last spring, with my office window open after a long Adirondack winter, I heard bursts of laughter outside. I stood to look and saw a group of students racing toward a tree just beyond my window.

They were coming from their Edible Schoolyard class in the

Teaching and Learning Kitchen (TLK). On their way to the next class, they ran ahead of their teacher to take part in a favorite school pastime: climbing a tree.

Each child approached the challenge differently. One student scampered up quickly, settling high in the branches.

Another climbed more cautiously, moving slowly, choosing a lower limb. A few hesitated at the trunk, watching, deciding how to begin.

Within minutes, the tree was full.

What stood out was not just the climbing, but how each student approached it. The children high above showed independence, courage, and a willingness to take risks, while those on lower branches recognized their limits and still chose to participate. Most moving were the moments of empathy—students already in the tree reaching down to offer a hand or a boost, helping a peer find their first foothold.

Rugged, resourceful, and resilient were not being taught as a lesson. They were being lived in real time.

What happened next struck me just as deeply. Just as their tendencies had shaped the climb, they shaped the descent, too. One came down quickly, others carefully. Those who struggled received help again, guided safely to the ground.

What I marveled at was not just their adventurousness, but the balance with which they approached the situation— freedom paired with responsibility, independence alongside awareness of others.

In that small, unscripted moment, Walter’s words felt as relevant as ever.

In this issue, you’ll see these same qualities reflected in alumni, told through the lens of ”Headwaters“ (page 28)—a way of understanding how the experiences shaped here continue to flow outward, influencing families, communities, and the wider world.

In “Lessons From Snow” (page 16), former NCS faculty member Melissa Orzechowski shares a powerful personal story— one that quite literally tested the limits of resilience—and how that experience inspired her to teach our students about the wonders and risks inherent in winter adventures.

And in our special Growing Evergreen section, we look ahead, sharing plans for programmatic and campus enhancements that will ensure our tradition of character- and placebased learning continues to evolve and endure.

The modern three Rs: Rugged. Resourceful. Resilient. We’ve always known their value. The world is just beginning to catch up.

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Leading Thoughts

Planted

Treetops

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How the Seeds We Sow at Camp Grow into Lifelong Passions, Callings, and Careers

BY HANNAH EDWARDS CAMP DIRECTOR

This past winter I was cross-country skiing in Dexter pasture with a Camp Treetops alum, a friend I met in my first year as a Camp counselor over twenty years ago. It was a beautiful sunny day and the snow was luminous. We’d both been lamenting how tough the dark, cold winters can be, and remarking how fresh air, movement, and the pure beauty of the winter snowscape are a balm to the mind, body, and soul.

Around this same time, I was deep in the hiring season and interviewing former campers applying to be on staff. Over and over I heard a common theme when I asked why they wanted to return to Treetops: they longed for time in nature, time spent hiking, swimming, digging in the gardens, and stargazing at night.

Every day during a camper’s time at Treetops, we provide countless daily opportunities for them to feel at home in nature. It’s without agenda and low stakes— merely our way of life. As someone so familiar with Camp life and the myriad experiences we provide our campers, I’d come to take this immersion in nature for granted. In fact, it’s unique. Even life-changing.

Once children disconnect from devices and connect to nature, the noise of social media and the stress of our digital world melts away. They have hours each day to truly connect with the earth, water, animals, and even the weather in a way that is difficult to replicate once back in their home habitats surrounded by various creature comforts.

What I see and hear from my former campers and new counselors is the desire to return to the nostalgia of their Camp days and the simplicity of life lived in the great outdoors. So impactful are the seven weeks of Treetops that I often learn of adventures, projects, studies, research, and even careers that former campers have chosen based on their Treetops experience.

I learn of campers who are training as guides or forest rangers. Some have taken their love of gardening, learned at Treetops, to other states and even other countries. Others have taken lessons from the kitchen to their communities, launching programs to reduce food waste and convert it to rich, fertile compost. I’ve learned of campers who have gone into environmental education, animal husbandry, veterinary science, butchery, wilderness therapy, sustainability, geology; the list goes on.

Over these seven weeks of Camp, we are not only providing connections to nature. We are also planting the seeds of future passions, careers, and callings.

Treetops instills so many important values in our children. It provides a transformative and long-lasting experience for our campers. Campers learn that nature can nurture us, soothe us, bring us together, and be a balm to our bodies, minds, and souls. Campers also find that nature inspires them, and that our community built around the celebration, respect, and protection of the natural world is life-changing.

The lessons, love, and passion our campers learn at Treetops guide their paths again and again, leading them to become changemakers in ways big and small across their communities and around the world.

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The Return of Treetops Expeditions A Legacy of Child-Centered Growth in the Outdoors Continues

BY STANZI BLISS AND REBECCA NORTHRUP It’s the summer of 1979 on the slopes of Mount Rainier, and a group of teenagers and their trip leaders on an expedition with Treetops West (TTW) are settling into Camp Muir in the early evening. They’ll rest there until midnight for their summit push.

The climb is the group's sixth and final of a seven-week trip spent scaling peaks across the West Coast. To say they are acclimated is an understatement.

Nearby, a group of young men—also summiting the next day—is vying for attention from the girls in the TTW group. “What are you girls doing tomorrow?” they ask. Without missing a beat, one of the girls responds: “Oh, we’re just here to wash the boys' socks while they go climb.”

When the ascent begins in the middle of the night, the TTW group sits in the middle of the pack. Soon, they start passing everyone. By 6 am, they’re the first standing on the summit.

Later, the group of young men return, well after the

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TTW group. Almost apologetically, they say, “Boy, you guys were really fast. We didn’t know you could be that fast.”

Reflecting half a century later, longtime community member and one of that trip’s leaders, Bill Localio, says it’s one of many examples that articulate the power of Treetops Expeditions (TTX). ”They didn't know if they could do this,” he said.

“And they did it. And they could.” Physical confidence, he added, spilled over into mental confidence—a quiet reminder for life of all they were capable of.

This summer, a new generation of recent North Country School & Camp Treetops alumni will get to realize just how much they’re capable of, with the return of TTX.

Gawee Beginnings Rooted in a deep reverence for nature and outdoor adventure, the origins of TTX date back to the 1950s,

From the Sierras to the Rockies, TTX left its mark. Clockwise from top: Hiking the Sierras, 1977. Wyoming summit, 1985. Mount Rainier, 1977. Canadian Rockies, 2003.

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when Treetops began to operate post-Camp trips for former campers. In the 1960s, that tradition grew thanks to Roger Loud, Harry Eldridge, and Betty Clark Eldridge, the daughter of NCS Co-Founders Walter and Leonora (Leo) Clark.

Childhood friends from their time at Treetops, Harry and Roger both went on to become experienced hikers, sharing their passion with every camper and student they could.

In 1963, Harry and Betty purchased South Meadow Farm directly across Route 73 from campus. With Roger’s help, a year later they began Camp Gawee, a summer mountaineering program for children who had aged out of Camp and School.

Trips at Gawee instilled confidence in participants not just through technical skill-building, but the trust that was placed in them. Roger and Harry let campers lead hikes. On trips that entailed bushwhacking, for example, campers might navigate off-trail solely via compass. Should a camper veer off course, Harry and Roger wouldn't correct them—they would simply keep going the right direction while the campers headed astray.

“They were really saying, ‘We’re going to let you mess up,’” Bill reflected.

The kids figured it out. They always did.

Trust became a central piece of everything that

Above: TTX participants on the water in Hawaii, 2008. Left: Roger Loud— one of the program's earliest and most devoted champions—on the trail in the Palisades, California Sierras, 1977.

West (TTW)—was born, with Roger and John leading the first trip to Wyoming in 1974.

But what set it apart from any of the emerging outdoor programs at the time? Past participants share similar responses.

“There are many programs for teens that travel to ex-

“There are many programs for teens that travel to exotic locations. The difference is that our trips drew from students and campers who had experience with two critical features: working together as a group, and putting group needs ahead of personal needs.” —BILL LOCALIO followed. After a fire destroyed South Meadow and Gawee’s home base along with it, the program was paused. But not for long.

Treetops West In 1973, Roger and NCS faculty member John Leach took what Gawee had started to Camp Co-Directors Colin Tait and Dick Wilde who formalized it in a proposal that April. In it, they wrote that participants might gain “an even greater appreciation for our country’s vanishing wilderness, to understand better their own talents and capabilities, to feel that they can pinpoint a time when they moved a bit closer to adulthood and the responsibility it entails."

The first iteration of Treetops Expeditions—Treetops

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otic locations," Bill said. “The difference is that our trips drew from students and campers who had experience with two critical features: working together as a group, and putting group needs ahead of personal needs.”

Former camper and staff member Chuck Schwerin, who co-led some of the first TTW expeditions to the Canadian Rockies, Sierras, and Rainier, agreed. “It didn’t really matter if you were School or Camp. Everyone was coming out of the same tradition.”

Participants arrived already knowing their trip leaders, too—trusted adults who taught, mentored, and guided them for years.

“It takes time to teach unselfishness,” Bill said. “Every program can get good leaders. But that’s not what made the difference.”

TTW Evolves When David “Hock” Hochschartner arrived on campus in fall of 1982, with a résumé including a guiding permit for Wyoming’s Wind River Range, Roger knew he’d found someone who could carry the program’s legacy forward. Two years later, Hock led his first trip to Wyoming alongside longtime trip leader Sue Young.

“We made sure that everybody got special time to do things that interested them,” said Hock, who eventually became executive director of Camp and School.

On that TTW trip, he took a small group to tackle a technical peak in the Tetons, while Sue and others foraged in Yellowstone.

At the end came what Hock called the “final exam”—the most challenging moment of the summer, and a tradition that he would carry forward into all TTW trips that followed. In 1984, it came in the form of a 12,800-foot summit up Middle Teton. Hock’s report penned for the 1984 autumn issue of Organic Roots recounted the end of the trip: “Up at 2 am, they climbed 6,500 vertical feet, negotiated loose and potentially dangerous rock, hiked 20 miles and were back for supper,” he wrote. “At 6:30 pm we were all chowing down at the all-you-can-eat chuckwagon in Moose, Wyoming. Though stuffing themselves with food, the children would occasionally stop, gaze at Middle Teton, and break into huge grins.”

They didn't know if they could do it. But they did.

TTW eventually became TTX, evolving to add a wider range of activities and destinations. From the 1980s to 2000s, Hock and longtime Camp Treetops Director Karen Culpepper introduced canoeing, rock climbing, cultural, and service-learning trips close to home and as far afield as Ecuador, Scotland, Vanuatu, Hawaii, and more. Input from students and campers shaped the program as it grew.

“These were small groups, and we just wanted to know what kids were interested in so we could plan

trips that would get them excited,” Karen said. "It was along the same philosophy as Camp and School— kid-centered decisions."

The Next Generation This summer, trip leaders Frances Starn and Marcos Fernandez will lead the first TTX trip in over a decade.

Frances first came to Camp through her stepmother, Katya, a longtime TTX trip leader. She spent seven summers at Treetops, slowly building her life in this community and eventually meeting her partner here.

“It truly feels full circle,” Frances said.

Marcos grew up in New York City and found his footing in the outdoors during his time at NCS. He’s deepened that connection since then, studying geology at Northland College, serving as a mentor with Access Wild Places, and returning as staff for both Camp and School.

This year's trip begins on campus before traveling east to New Hampshire for camping and hiking in the White Mountains, and then returning to the Adirondacks to paddle the Nine Carries, climb with Access Wild Places campers, and complete a service-learning experience at John Brown Farm State Historic Site in Lake Placid. Campers will also earn Wilderness First Aid (WFA) certification and backcountry skills along the way.

But according to Bill, what they’ll carry with them in the long run has nothing to do with those things.

"Kids would come off the trip and say, ‘I climbed Mount Rainier,’" Bill said. "But then later, as they reflect, they realize they gained a lot more than some physical achievement. It's not immediate—but it's what they remember."

Like those that came before them, this year’s group of TTX participants won’t know if they can do it. But they will. And they’ll remember it for the rest of their lives. To learn more about TTX, reach out to ttx@ncstreetops.org.

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Seven weeks, and no looking back. The Lynch family on campus during Visitors' Weekend.

Seven Weeks to Self-Reliance ONE FAMILY ON WHY THEY CHOOSE TO SEND THEIR CHILD TO CAMP TREETOPS

BY REBECCA NORTHRUP Midway through winter 2021, Margaret and Kevin Lynch (CTT parents 23–present) became acutely aware of the toll the COVID-19 pandemic was exacting on their daughter Millie.

They worried that spending so much time inside and attending class online was robbing her of the chance to be part of a community and become more self-reliant.

So when the Lynches learned about Treetops from an alum who talked about her transformative summers there, they were intrigued. Margaret says that Camp offered exactly what their daughter, then nine, was missing: a place where kids could be

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kids in the most ambitious and free ways. Here, Margaret saw how her daughter would be “challenged without being driven by competition, spend most of her time outside, build new and diverse friendships, and simply have fun.”

“It felt like the most magical and natural fit,” Margaret said.

Below is an excerpt from an interview with Margaret about her family’s experience with Camp Treetops, and why their daughter can’t wait for summer to start.

What felt hardest about sending Millie away, and what gave you confidence to do it?

The hardest thing was the length of time. She was nervous, but

We all want the good life for our children. We wish youngsters to progress steadily toward independence, maturity, and confident responsibility, with a chance for unhurried, individual growth, good health, and happiness along the way.

—HELEN HASKELL, CO-DIRECTOR OF CAMP TREETOPS, 1929–70 much less than we anticipated, and being able to visit during Visitors’ Weekend was wonderful. But anything about Camp that felt hard was overshadowed by what we knew she was gaining. The opportunity to be a kid, be outside, be messy and vulnerable, and try new things—to care for animals and vegetables and herself—all of these things felt like a gift we could give only by sending her to Camp. Treetops is priceless to us in what and who it allows our daughter to be.

How did Millie grow or change over the course of the summer?

Our daughter has always been a strong person, but has had few opportunities to be truly independent in safe and developmentally appropriate ways. At Treetops, we saw her self-confidence blossom, and when she came home, she was more self-reliant and confident. She was also more resourceful with her time. It is amazing to watch her plan her days, start new projects entirely on her own, and use what she’s learned about cooking, food,

er Millie in h t a t n e elem arvest garden h ging and swin nd. ie fr with a

ceramics, crafts, and more. She is also more willing to try new things without worrying whether she’ll like them or will be successful. All of this has influenced her relationship with school as well. She is more likely to ask for help, contribute in class, and seek out resources and opportunities.

What would you say to a parent who’s unsure about sending their child to Treetops for seven weeks?

You will notice the time more than they will! Once your child gets settled into the community, they won’t even notice the weeks pass. They will be so supported, surrounded by community and friends, so excited to try new activities, have time with the animals, and develop their own patterns and habits—their favorite reading spots, their favorite games and rest-hour activities, their favorite meals and hikes. Camp Treetops is a truly magical place where a child can be a child without anything more demanded of them. You are giving them a gift.

What do you hope Millie carries with her from her summers at Treetops?

We are confident that the self-reliance and acceptance she developed will stay with her. We hope she will always carry with her the experience and understanding of building a strong community and being a responsible member of that community. We hope she will remember and embrace how it feels to be deeply connected to nature, and how important nature is to her health and wellbeing. And we hope that she will always have strong memories of the joy of childhood, and what it is to be at peace with herself.

If you know a child who would thrive at Camp Treetops, help connect us with them. Email hannah@camptreetops.org for more information on how to refer a family to Camp.

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Leading with Curiosity, Courage, and Care

Graduation weekend at North Country School is always momentous.

However, this year may be one of the most memorable in our history.

As we prepared to welcome families, friends, and guests to campus, a power outage required us to demonstrate how rugged, resourceful, and resilient we could be—qualities that NCS co-founder Walter Clark called the “three Rs.” Plans shifted quickly as the community welcomed families and put on a headlamp-lit performance of Twelfth Night with battery-powered microphones and student technicians running manual spotlights. Amid the challenges, beloved traditions endured and the strength and spirit of our community shone bright.

In all, it was a fitting prelude for this year’s graduation speaker, Greg Marchildon (Trustee 16–present, CTT 74–79, parent 08–12, 14–15, staff 83–86, 10–13, NCS 75–80, parent 12–13, staff 12–13). Greg, now state director for AARP Vermont, spoke about the enduring power of the NCS community; excerpts from his remarks begin on page 14.

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CONGRATULATIONS, NCS CLASS OF 2026 Clara (CC) Bohmfalk Charles (Charlie) Campbell Zehan (Dennis) Chen Mary Coff Junwen (Bobby) Deng Zicheng (Mary) Gao Shayli Geis Maximilian (Max) Graham Hao-Heng (Howard) Hsu Cody Lambert

August (Gus) McAndrew Ziggy Moore Mirabelle Penman Hudson Roman Myles Siega Zihan (Hanna) Tian Keira Tracy-Deuss Abel Williams Chenxuan (Matthew) Yan

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This year’s graduates will continue their studies at these secondary schools: Ayanot Agricultural Youth Village, Tel Aviv Cranbrook School Emma Willard School Episcopal High School The George School New Hampton School Northwood School Portsmouth Abbey School Saranac Lake High School St. Peter’s School, New Zealand Vermont Academy Western Reserve Academy Jamieson-Roseliep Work Award Charlie Campbell (pictured right with Director of School Ashley Waldorf)

My connection to North Country School is woven was cold—very cold. We passed around cups of hot red into my family's history. I grew up here—literally, in JELL-O and ate peanut butter-and-sardine Triscuits like Bramwell House—the child of counselors who met at it was a feast. That night, we packed in close, shoulder Camp Treetops in 1964 and never really left. I sat where to shoulder in our sleeping bags, to hold onto warmth. you are today as a member of the Class of 1980. My Looking back years later, I realize that trip taught me brother Matthew graduated in 1984; my son Oliver in two things I still lean on: That I can do hard things, and 2016. When people ask where home is, I always say that I can lean on other people to make it through.

North Country School. North Country School gave NCS was, and still is, a community of people who lean me a kind of practiced confidence that I could meet on one another. discomfort, uncertainty, and Acting in the School plays challenge, and not meet it was an experience that has 2026 graduation speaker alone. In fifth grade, I set played an outsized role in my Greg Marchildon out on an overnight winlife. My professional career has ter camping trip up Mount included a lot of public speaking.

Colden in the High Peaks.

When I look back, I can see how We reached our lean-to the confidence I gained here, late in the day, only to find surrounded by classmates and another group already setadults who believed in me, gave tled in. Our trip leader, the me a foundation I could build on late Harry Eldridge, didn’t for decades. That’s what companic; he was prepared. We munity does at its best: It helps moved on, found another you discover a voice, and then it spot, and quickly dug a long gives you the courage—and the snow gully we could cover people—to use it. with a tarp. We carved out a NCS is a place where traditions little kitchen and eating area are honored and passed down. from hard-packed snow. It I have a deep connection to this

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Left to right: Board Chair Barkley Stuart, Director of School Ashley Waldorf, Executive Director Todd Ormiston, and Former Executive Director David “Hock” Hochschartner

year’s graduates—I know how bone-shockingly cold it can be when you’re walking to barn chores on an early February morning, what it’s like to see the view of campus from Balanced Rocks for the first time, to play a rousing game of sit-down ball in the Quonset with your friends, and what it’s like to boil sap late into the evening and taste maple syrup on snow for the first time. I have been a part of many Chicken Harvests over the years. These rituals and many others fostered a sense of belonging and taught me the importance of stewardship, respect, and collaboration. The relationships formed here between students, teachers, and staff are built on trust and encouragement, creating a strong foundation for lifelong learning.

This school has always embraced change while staying true to its roots. As technology continues to transform the world around us, NCS prepares students not only to master new tools but also to cultivate essential non-technological skills like empathy, resilience, and creativity. The ability to balance innovation with tradition is a hallmark of progressive education, teaching us to adapt thoughtfully and maintain perspective. In a world where screens and devices often dominate, the lessons learned in nature, in our classrooms, at the Performing Arts Center, and in our houses are ones that I trust you’ll carry with you.

The world needs more North Country Schools, not

less. The world needs more NCS graduates, helping others understand the value of community, accountability, and acceptance.

To the graduates: As you step forward into new adventures, remember to embrace each day’s moments. Carry with you the values instilled here—kindness, curiosity, community.

Let the memories you’ve made guide you, and trust in your ability to connect meaningfully with others.

Whether you are navigating technology or working with your hands, your North Country School experience will serve as a compass.

Wherever life takes you, lead with curiosity, courage, and care.

Congratulations, Class of 2026! May you carry the spirit of this place wherever you go, and may your lives be enriched by the lessons, friendships, and memories you have gathered here.

—Remarks have been edited and condensed

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Lessons from Snow

BY MELISSA ORZECHOWSKI

“Snow scientists! You need to put on your outdoor layers, cross-country ski boots, and then meet in the Circle Ski Haus,” I announced at Lunch Council on a bright mid-February day.

For that afternoon’s Snow Science class, we would be learning to use inclinometers, an instrument used to measure slope angle. Where better to do it than at the base of the NCS Ski Hill?

This was just one of the hands-on activities tackled over winter term by the class, which I introduced as an outdoor elective this year. From December to late February we measured snowfall and sent the data to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which used it to gauge the accuracy of their forecasts and make improvements for the future.

We also investigated how different weather conditions can turn fresh, fluffy snow into a dense wind-blown slab or slick ice crust. We even learned how to test the stability of those different layers and practiced avalanche rescue techniques.

Since I learned to ice climb and ski, I have been fascinated by snow, and snow science; you could spend your whole life studying it, and there would still be more to learn.

And I know firsthand the joy, strength, self-confidence, and peace that time in the mountains offers us. But I also know how risky mountainous environments can be, especially in the snow. Any committed mountaineer likely has stories of friends or partners lost to one of the many hazards we need to navigate when exploring remote peaks.

I’m one of them.

In April 2024, while I was taking a break from teaching at North Country School to pursue becoming an expeditionary outdoor educator and guide, I got in a serious mountaineering accident in Alaska while climbing Mount Johnson's southeast face. My climbing partner and I fell over 1,000 feet; the fall took the life of my friend, Robbi Mecus, a beloved Adirondack community member and talented climber.

After more than a month in the hospital and six months recovering at my parents’ house, NCS asked if I wanted to continue my recovery while teaching. Three days after my last surgery, to repair my ACL and MCL, I was crutching across campus. I eagerly accepted the offer because I knew the NCS community would give me the support I needed as I got better.

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Thanks to a snowy winter, Snow Science students explored the campus snowpack and learned how scientists study changing winter conditions, recording their observations and submitting data to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

With guidance from teacher Melissa Orzechowski, students including Jasper (left) and Ryan (below left) used specialized tools like a smart probe to better understand the snowpack.

It’s been fifteen months since I came back to campus. In that time, as I’ve healed from my accident, I’m often asked: “Will you ever climb again?”

I never doubted that I would return to adventuring in the mountains. It is essential to who I am and the life I’ve cultivated. I have been backpacking since I was the same age as most of my students, if not younger. Exploring the mountains is how I connect to the natural world, myself, and much of my community. At this point, it is also a key aspect of my career and keeps me healthy, both mentally and physically.

I don’t want my fall to prevent people from adventuring. Instead I’d like people to recognize that when accidents happen in the mountains, we can learn from them. I want my students to understand the importance of taking the time to learn and practice the skills that keep us as safe as possible and allow us to mitigate the risks.

That’s why I took my students to the NCS Ski Hill that February afternoon, teaching them how to determine the angle of the slope. Earlier in the term they learned that even when unstable conditions increase the likelihood of avalanche, they can still find low-risk fun on low-angle slopes like the NCS Ski Hill. That day, the students got firsthand practice measuring the slope angle to recognize terrain that is safe and engaging to ski or ride even when conditions are dangerous elsewhere.

Every year I cheer on students as they take their first ski or snowboard turns. Some, inspired by those first breathless runs, hear the call of other mountains and challenges. This winter, students told me they dreamed of backcountry skiing on some of our neighboring peaks.

My first backcountry turns were in these same hills. Since then, I have skied in Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Washington, Nevada, and Alaska. I took professional Level 1 avalanche training from the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) three years ago, and this winter earned certification to teach those classes. I plan to explore many more mountains on snow, and I will do everything possible to minimize risk when I do.

To share the benefits of recreating in the natural world with students is a joy. It’s an honor to start students on their lifelong learning about snow, its layers, and how they interact. Sharing how to approach these passions, with an introduction to mitigating the hazards, makes me feel I am setting them on the right path.

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THIS WEEK AT NCS Each school day begins and ends the same way: with a trek to the barn to clean stalls, care for animals, and collect eggs. In between those rituals is an ever-changing story. Our weekly blog, excerpted here, is an invitation to enter our world and stay awhile. A new section, “Community in Action,” highlights all the ways we come together to celebrate and grow—from the special traditions and meals fueled by students’ diverse cultures and holidays to the annual traditions threaded through each generation of students’ time at school. Welcome to This Week at NCS!

Artful Extremes | Dec. 12, 2025 Art and movement came together in Larry Robjent’s Extreme Art class. Students began by designing and building unconventional painting tools using pendulums, spinning mechanisms, and a trapeze to explore how gravity and motion can create completely unexpected and unique works of art. Inspired by the work of Montreal-based abstract artist Callen Schaub, the class encouraged students to experiment with centrifugal force and gravity to make abstract works of art. Larry and his students constructed devices that hold buckets of multi-colored paint, allowing them to drip, swing, and spin above a canvas. Using found and recycled materials, including an old bike frame and scrap wood, students built small-scale versions of painting mechanisms. After testing and refining these designs, they moved on to create larger mechanisms for full-scale canvases.

Eggciting Responsibilities | Jan. 9, 2026 Emily Elder’s fourth-grade science class studied egg incubation and the conditions necessary for life to develop before trekking to the barn to collect eggs. Students incubated the eggs in their classroom, carefully monitoring temperature, humidity, and development in the hopes that they had selected a fertilized egg that would hatch into a chick in twenty-one days. This is always a favorite lesson of fourth graders, one that blends scientific inquiry with responsibility, patience, and care for living things. The excitement— and gravity—of these new responsibilities was summed up perfectly by the students themselves: “I’m ready to be a dad,” Andrick confidently proclaimed.

“I’ve got too much classwork,” Simba replied.

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Community in Action | March 2, 2026 Skimeister is one of many NCS traditions rooted in whimsy, fun, and a lighthearted competitive spirit. This year’s event was held on campus and featured time-honored events like ice hockey and alpine racing, as well as new favorites such as bean-bag biathlon and ski mountaineering, or skimo. It's a day for the faculty, staff, and students to come together and cheer everyone on, compete for the coveted cookie medal prizes, and enjoy being together in community. We moved from the Upper Field to Bramwell Terrain Park, the ice rink to the Ski Hill, cheering, dancing, and singing as we went. It was joyous. It was fun. It was very NCS.

Carbon Calculations | April 10, 2026 In Joshua Vetter’s sixth-grade environmental science class, students learned about carbon sequestration by heading to the sugarbush to measure the diameter and circumference of several tapped maple trees. Trees naturally absorb carbon from the atmosphere and convert it into glucose to fuel their growth, releasing oxygen back into the air in the process. By measuring the trees, students are beginning to quantify this process on our own campus.

“Our goal is to measure 40 of the 400 trees tapped to capture 10 percent of the total carbon of trees tapped,” Joshua said. The data they collected will help them calculate how much carbon these trees are storing, giving our student-scientists insight into the relationship between maple sugaring and the long-term health of the sugarbush.

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You know NCS & Treetops.

Chances are you know a family who should, too.

You know North Country School & Camp Treetops because you, your child, or someone close to you found something lasting here: Confidence, belonging, resilience, wonder. Do you know a child who would thrive at North Country School or Camp Treetops? We’d love your help connecting with them.

Here are three simple ways to do that: 1. Refer a family. Already had the conversation? Introduce us.

2. Share materials. We’ll send viewbooks or a link for you to pass along.

3. Host a gathering. Invite a few families to your home or a favorite local spot.

We’ll provide materials and support.

SCAN TO CHOOSE WHAT FEELS RIGHT. We’ll take it from there.

OR REACH OUT DIRECTLY: Camp Treetops Director Hannah Edwards, hannah@camptreetops.org NCS Director of Admissions Catherine Bemis, cbemis@northcountryschool.org 20 ORGANIC ROOTS I SUMMER 2026

“ It was a joy to host families from our school community and share what Camp Treetops has meant to our family. Treetops is such a rare place for kids to explore who they are and truly thrive at being children. Our daughter even spoke about why she loves Camp and how connected she feels to the community—it was a wonderful leadership moment for her. We’d host again in a heartbeat.”

—Margaret Lynch, CTT parent 23–present, Woodside, CA

WHAT WE DO

HOW WE DO IT

WHY IT MATTERS

Program

People

Purpose

We create transformational and enduring experiences through our programs.

We invest in our people and empower them to guide and support our children.

We commit to fulfilling our purpose by expanding our reach and increasing our impact.

Growing Evergreen, our strategic plan, serves as the foundation for the next chapter of North Country School & Camp Treetops.

Born from the voices and ideas of our faculty and staff, trustees, families, alumni, campers, students, and other trusted advisors, it addresses ways we can meet the needs of today while aspiring toward a vision for the future.

The Camp and School experience is dynamic and evolving, much like the world we live in. The challenges facing our children are constantly changing and shifting—from the impacts of climate change to the need for leaders who promote community and connection in our world.

Growing Evergreen also informs our campus master plan, which is a blueprint for the thoughtful enhancement and growth of our campus land and spaces to ensure they support our mission for years to come. It is a plan that embodies change with reverence—for who we have always been, who we are now, and who we will be in the future.

In the pages that follow and in future issues of Organic Roots, discover the ways in which Growing Evergreen is taking root—and how you can get involved.

Visit growingevergreen.org to learn more, stay engaged, and get involved.

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A New Home for Woods House Woods House has always been more than a residential space—for generations, it has been a home. First called the Little House when it was built in 1942, the Little Bigger House when an extension was added in 1949, and finally Woods House in 1960, it has played host to countless North Country School students and faculty, Camp counselors, and, for a time, the youngest junior campers at Treetops. But as the smallest residential house, it has always remained just that: little—literally lacking enough seats for everyone at the table during NCS Homenight, and relying on a single live-in primary houseparent for nearly a dozen students at a time.

The work of our strategic plan, Growing Evergreen, is changing that. This April, after days of preparation, Woods House was lifted, moved, and slowly eased onto a new foundation 200 feet away. By relocating Woods rather than building new, we avoided roughly 35 years of upfront carbon debt, kept 102 metric tons of waste out of landfills—equivalent to the annual trash of 10 US homes—and prevented 194 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, the equivalent of taking 42 cars off the road for a full year.* Interior renovations are now underway and construction will soon begin on two new faculty apartments, expanding on-campus housing for the people who care for our children. We’re also building a new central living space that will ensure every member of Woods truly has a seat at the table, for Homenight and everything that defines life in this house. Woods’s new location next to Clark House transforms what was once a busy dropoff area between the two isolated houses into a natural outdoor gathering space for our community.

This marks a key milestone for Growing Evergreen. The original Woods site will become a new home for three programs central to life at Camp and School: a unified Hike House, Environmental Learning, and Visual Arts center—expanding the ways campers and students can explore, learn, create, and grow. Follow our progress at growingevergreen.org. *Figures are estimates based on national averages from the EPA and peer-reviewed industry research, and are reported in metric tons consistent with standard emissions accounting. Actual results will vary based on site conditions, materials, and waste management practices.

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“Woods Saw Me Grow Up” NEARLY ONE YEAR BEFORE THE MOVE, Camp and School alum María Viniegra photographed Woods House every hour from 7 am to 9 pm over the course of a single day. For María’s first and last year at NCS, Woods was home; her project documented how the house shifted with light and time, and with the people who moved through it. She shot from the spot where Woods House would eventually be moved: a deliberate choice, looking toward the future from a place that didn't yet exist.

“The image is not perfect—nor is Woods,” she said. “Its small imperfections are part of what makes it feel like home. The essence of Woods House is defined by the people who got the privilege of calling it their home and leaving their mark in it,” she added. For María, that was deeply personal. “Woods saw me grow up—from the first summer where I would see it every single day and wonder what was inside, to becoming the place I called home.”

—Photograph andCAMPTREETOPS.ORG artist statement by María Viniegra (CTT 21–24, NCS 25) I NORTHCOUNTRYSCHOOL.ORG

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From Evaluation to Enhancement:

Strengthening Our Core Programs

BY ELIZABETH DAVIS Our Growing Evergreen strategic plan asks a big question: How do we ensure the North Country School & Camp Treetops experience keeps growing stronger, offering children endless opportunities for inspiration, growth, and success, while fostering responsibility for their communities, the environment, and themselves?

The answer begins with evaluating our programs.

We are taking a close look at some of our core programs to determine where improvements can strengthen the transformational experiences for children at Camp and School.

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As you may have read in Organic Roots last winter, a thorough evaluation of the Farm, Food, and Garden program is already underway. This work is centered on refining and strengthening the program by taking a close, thoughtful look at how it operates today and identifying opportunities for continued improvement and growth.

We’ll keep you updated as this evolves.

Todd Ormiston, executive director for Camp and School, said a similar process is unfolding in a new round of evaluations. “We’re examining what we do and how we do it, while listening closely to the adults and children in our community and consulting outside experts to identify opportunities for improvement,” Todd said. “In the future, this could mean new professional development opportunities for our staff, changes to how we develop our curriculum, or enhancements to facilities—all to honor our legacy of creating child-centric learning spaces and experiences.”

Past program evaluations have shown how valuable this process can be.

Reviews of our Edible Schoolyard and performing arts programs found that while the programs themselves were strong, their growth was limited in part by the spaces where they took place.

Those evaluations ultimately led to myriad program investments, including the development of purpose-built spaces like the Performing Arts Center (PAC) and the Teaching and Learning Kitchen (TLK).

As we begin a new round of program evaluations, we are following a similar process. We’re beginning by listening closely to those most directly involved: educators, counselors, and children.

We are also listening carefully to alumni. Again and again, they say that outdoor experiences, environmental learning, and visual arts were especially valuable parts of their time here.

These three areas are next on our list for evaluation: • Outdoor experiences: Hiking, skiing, canoeing, rock and ice climbing, backcountry travel—these experiences are at the heart of life at Camp and School. Since 2024, we’ve been taking a close look at how we can strengthen them from beginning to end. To help, we brought in Willard Morgan (CTT 84–90, parent 23), whose background is centered in outdoor education, including a decade spent as president of the Chewonki Foundation, an environmental education organization in Maine. His conversations with faculty, staff, students, campers, and counselors helped surface key opportunities for growth, including the return of Treetops Expeditions (TTX) this summer (see page 6). His findings also highlighted the need to better support the full arc of the outdoor experience—from gear storage and trip planning to meaningful post-trip reflection—and will inform future evaluations aimed at strengthening the outdoor experience for campers and students.

• Environmental learning: Connection to the natural world has always been at the heart of life at Camp and School. Former Camp Co-Director and architect Doug Haskell, a contemporary of Frank Lloyd Wright, designed our Main Building and several other campus spaces with that philosophy in mind, always striving to bring the outside in. Now, we’re exploring how environmental learning spans and connects all of our programs, acting as a throughline that forms the foundation of the NCS and Treetops experience. With help from our counselors and faculty, we’re considering both our remarkable location within the six-million-acre Adirondack Park and our indoor spaces—expanding the possibilities for

intentional environmental learning experiences that help children develop knowledge, foster a sense of responsibility, and form a lasting, reciprocal connection with the natural world.

• Visual arts: Opportunities for creative expression through clay work and ceramics, fiber arts, film photography, drawing, and other artistic forms provide an important balance within the rhythm of a child’s experience at Camp and School. Artistic inspiration moves with a child on our campus—from the garden to the studio, the forest to the darkroom—as it is woven naturally into daily life rather than living apart from it. As we evaluate the visual arts at Camp and School, we’re exploring how equipment, instruction, and both indoor and outdoor creative spaces can continue to support the artistic growth of every child and the sense of wonder that makes it all possible.

Our campers and students adventure and explore outside.

They return with observations and questions about the natural world and their place within it. They use art to capture the sense of wonder they experience there. Outdoor experiences, environmental learning, and visual arts move together here—and it's our responsibility to understand how, so we can continue to deepen that connection to the land and plant the seed for a lifetime of stewardship and wonder. To learn more or get involved, visit growingevergreen.org.

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Designed for Care, Built for Community A New Senior Camp Facility for Year-Round Use

BY REBECCA NORTHRUP When it came time to consider the needs of the Senior Camp Nurses’ Station as part of our strategic plan, Growing Evergreen, we asked the people who know it best: our nurses and mental health support team.

What did our community want most of all? A clean, hygienic facility with more beds to care for senior campers when they get sick, and an accessible, private space where mental health staff can have confidential conversations with campers in the heart of Senior Camp.

“Tucking behind Garden Rock to have a private conversation isn’t ideal, and neither is having a senior camper come to the Main Building in Junior Above: Campers gather on the newly completed outdoor deck at the Camper Kitchen. It’s one Camp,” said Abby Swint (NCS faculty of several Growing Evergreen efforts taking shape at Senior Camp, where construction of a new Nurses' Station will begin in the near future—updating care facilities for the summer and providing 23–present, CTT staff 23–present), faculty housing during the school year. a mental health counselor for Camp and School whose office is in the Main Building.

Based on input from Abby and other Camp nursing are currently located in the same building. If multiple senior and mental health staff, as well as others from across our campers required overnight care from nursing staff, they community, plans for a new multi-use space between the exwould have to trek to the Main Building in Junior Camp for isting Hike House and the Camper Kitchen are underway, a bed. A new Nurses’ Station will remedy this by doubling with construction set to begin in the coming year. the number of beds available in Senior Camp, streamlining Limited space has always been an issue for the existing Senursing services for an increased level of care for all. nior Camp Nurses’ Station and the Camper Kitchen, which “Campers often experience physical symptoms of home-

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“ This new design will allow

campers to spend less time waiting to be seen, while ensuring the nurses can be more present since they won’t be moving between buildings to get necessary items or do the day-to-day things they need to provide safe care.”

—Brigit Loud (CTT 90–96, staff 11–14, 17, NCS 91–96) sickness and anxiety, and they go to the nurses first,” Abby said. “It will be transformational to have a private wellbeing space to meet with campers in while also ensuring a seamless, confidential flow of information between counselors and nurses.”

With an eye to serving both Camp and School, the new Senior Camp Nurses’ Station building will be built between the existing Hike House and Camper Kitchen and as a year-round campus space that will serve both campers and faculty. When Camp ends each August, the new building will easily transition into a two-bedroom home for faculty to use during the school year. Enhancing our capacity to offer

The New Senior Camp Nurse’s Station will: • Provide a new, hygienic infirmary space • Double the number of beds for overnight stays • Provide a private space for mental health support during Camp • Create a new Senior Camp laundry room • Transition into a two-bedroom house for faculty use during the school year

on-campus housing is crucial for retaining faculty teaching and supporting students during the rest of the year.

The plans for the new Nurses' Station come on the heels of renovations to the Camper Kitchen, where a deck was added earlier this year, creating a new outdoor workspace to enhance our farm and garden program at Camp even further.

While the new building is being constructed, the existing Senior Camp Nurses’ Station, located on the other side of the Camper Kitchen, will also be renovated to become a larger Senior Camp staff room.

“We will be able to offer a more holistic approach, ensuring we are meeting the needs of all in a more comfortable and private setting,” said Senior Camp Nurse Gina Carroll (CTT staff 24–present, parent 24–present).

For Brigit Loud (CTT 90–96, staff 11–14, 17, NCS 91–96)—a member of our Place Committee, a group of volunteers that represents our broader Camp and School community—these changes represent a significant improvement for both the flow of information and the workflow for the nursing team.

“This new design will allow campers to spend less time waiting to be seen, while ensuring the nurses can be more present since they won’t be moving between buildings to get necessary items or do the day-to-day things they need to provide safe care,” Brigit said.

The intentionality with which Growing Evergreen has approached these updates, Brigit added, is exciting.

“The fact that current and former nurses and other key staff members have had an opportunity to give input into this project is really thoughtful,” she said. “Seeing the plans for this building makes me want to come back to enjoy it.”

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Everyday Moments, Evergreen Impact

BY ELIZABETH DAVIS AND REBECCA NORTHRUP At North Country School & Camp Treetops, the lessons that shape a life begin in small, steady ways and grow over time. They influence how campers and students go on to live, lead, parent, create, and serve long after they leave our campus.

Think of those lessons as the headwaters of a mighty river, starting as a trickle and multiplying exponentially. It flows outward through the people shaped by this community. This is how we scale impact. Not by reaching everyone directly, but by shaping lives that carry these lessons into the wider world.

In fact, that’s what we’re calling these alumni stories that reflect the enduring impact of the Camp and School experience: Headwaters.

Former Camp Treetops Co-Director Doug Haskell said the vision that shaped this place “was to bring children close to the source of things. Close to the earth, close to work, close to language and community, so they could see life being born, shaped, and lived in and through care and attention.”

The stories that follow offer a glimpse into these living headwaters and remind us that the truest measure of North Country School & Camp Treetops is carried forward and multiplied in every life we touch. What takes root here does not fade. It deepens. It travels. It shapes not only the present lives of campers and students, but the lives they will go on to influence.

Contact alumni@ncstreetops.org to share your own story.

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Self-Reliance, Shared Purpose Phil Brest (CTT 95–02) has never avoided a challenge.

As president of the American Constitution Society in Washington, DC, he faces them every day. It’s hard work leading a national legal nonprofit at any time, but especially during one of the most polarizing periods in recent history.

If you ask Phil where he first learned to take on hard things, he does not begin with law school, the Senate, or the White House.

He begins in the Adirondacks.

Phil attended Camp Treetops for six summers, starting at age seven. He remembers the miles first. An eighteen-mile round-trip hike as a junior camper. The physical strain. The uncertainty. The decision to keep going.

“The ability at such a young age to understand how challenging this was, but also to believe that I could overcome that challenge, was transformative,” he recalls.

At Treetops, challenge was never about outperforming others. It was personal. Could you do the hard thing in front of you? Could you try again after falling short?

He worked to pass his Clothesliners swim test, required for a canoe trip he desperately wanted to take. He did not pass at first. He practiced. He tried again. He passed.

“I never viewed failure as the end,” Phil says. “It was just another stop on the way toward success.”

That mindset followed him. After law school came years working for senators Dianne Feinstein and Dick Durbin, and then a senior legal role in the White House.

Today, as president of the American Constitution Society, he leads a nationwide network of law students, scholars, practitioners, and judges committed to strengthening democratic institutions.

Phil does not draw a neat line from swim dock to constitutional advocacy. But the throughline is clear.

“Hard work is a value,” he says. “It’s instilled at Treetops.

Not just hard work for outcomes, but because working hard matters.”

As a camper, he rose early for barn chores, volunteering

“ There is no world in which

those early experiences do not impact me every day.”

—Phil Brest, CTT 95–02, on the foundational role of Camp Treetops in his life for compost or Honeywagon to earn first choice caring for a horse the following week. Responsibility was tangible.

You fed the animals. You showed up for the group.

Equally formative was the balance between independence and shared purpose. On the trail, each camper carried personal gear along with food and tents for everyone.

Strength was individual and collective.

“Self-reliance and community go hand in hand,” Phil reflects. “Treetops showed how those mesh.”

That lesson was reinforced at home. His father, Peter Brest (Trustee 06–present, CTT 56–62, parent 93–06, Balanced Rocks Circle member), has spent his professional career in government and the nonprofit sector, developing low-income housing and managing programs that assist homeless people and other underserved communities. Conversations at the dinner table centered on fairness and civic responsibility. On birthdays, Phil and his brothers gave away half their gifts to a local shelter. Service was expected.

Today, through his leadership, thousands of young lawyers are shaped by principles of fairness, inclusion, and constitutional integrity. They will clerk, litigate, teach, and serve in communities all across the country.

The lessons Phil absorbed as a camper were simple.

Carry your weight. Keep going. Contribute to something larger than yourself. Decades later, those same principles guide how he leads and whom he prepares to lead next.

What began on the trails of the Adirondacks now influences the institutions that shape public life. ”There is no world in which those early experiences do not impact me every day.”

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Science, Stewardship, and the Trail Ahead ferent states and countries. They were expected to attempt, Before beginning her career fail, and try again. in biotech, Jenny Smith-Yuen “If you failed, that was fine,” Jenny says. “You tried.”

(NCS 80–84, CTT 86, parent She carried that mindset into her career.

12–18) learned something last“I tended to strive to do the things that everyone else ing at North Country School & thought I couldn’t do,” she explains. “Because I was taught Camp Treetops. you can do what you set your mind to.”

Saying “I can’t” isn’t Other lessons—like living in close community with othan option. ers—prepared her for aspects of professional life. Sharing She credits her beloved space with eight peers required communication, flexibility, NCS teacher Hock with and negotiation long before she would need those skills in sparking her love of science. That boardrooms. early encouragement led to a major in biology That sense of community remained a big part of her life. and a minor in chemistry. Today, she applies her passion Her eighth-grade NCS classmates still maintain an active to a role on the business side of biotech at Just Evotec Biologgroup chat. Her mother, Chris LeFevre (NCS parent 80–84, ics, a company focused on expanding global access to essenstaff 84–13, CTT parent 86, grandparent 12–18), served as tial biotherapeutics. Just Evotec Biologics works with comNCS Director of Admissions after Jenny graduated. Both of mercial clients and is funded in part through grants her sons, Han Yuen (CTT 12–18, staff 22– from sources such as the Gates Foundation.

24) and Kai Yuen (CTT 12–16, staff At NCS, she remembers, she pre19–23, 25–present), attended ferred sitting by the radiator Camp and later returned to venturing into the cold. as counselors.

Teachers pushed her The commitment to beyond her comfort zone. stewardship she learned She didn’t think she had here also endures. Jenny the nerve to travel to and her sons volunteer Ecuador with Treetops with the Washington Expeditions. Teachers Trails Association, clearconvinced her she could. ing brush and maintainIt became something she ing trails near Seattle so was proud of. others can experience the “They just didn’t let me outdoors. Caring for shared say no,” Jenny says. “It was spaces is not extracurricular. It like, you’re going to do it. You’ll is a responsibility. figure it out.”

“I can’t imagine the kind of At North Country School, perperson I would be today without it,” severance was lived daily. Students Upper left: Jenny as a student at NCS with Jiminy she says of North Country School. ventured into the woods for overthe horse. Above: Jenny on a hut-to-hut hiking trip “I think I would be much more night winter trips. They shared in Slovenia last September with her family—husband close-minded.” close quarters with peers from difAnson and sons Kai (far left) and Han (far right).

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The Language of Gratitude: How Three Generations Put Service Before Self Elizabeth “Lisette” Prince arrived at North Country School in 1958 as a seventh grader fluent in French and Spanish, speaking very little English. She didn’t know it then, but she was embarking on one of the most consequential adventures of her life—one that would provide a foundation for how she continues to live today.

“Two short years of my adolescence profoundly influenced the rest of my life,” Lisette said.

For three generations, the Prince-Oehrli-de Ramel family has lived by the values they learned at North Country School & Camp Treetops. What began in 1958 became a multigenerational legacy of gratitude and service spanning 70 years.

Gratitude Began in the Barn

Lisette (Trustee 84–97, NCS 58–60, parent 86–89, CTT parent 83–86, grandparent 15–17, 22) learned the language of horses before she could speak English. Her time as a student taught her to care for animals before herself, grow food from the earth, and steward the natural world.

"The barn and its denizens taught me the resilience, ruggedness, and resourcefulness that have carried me to accomplish whatever I put my mind to," Lisette said of NCS co-founder Walter Clark’s “three Rs”—a North Star for her and generations of campers and students.

The relationships she built as a student—in music lessons with Don Rand, who remained a lifelong connection, and Walter, who first helped her understand her own capability and tenacity—have stayed with Lisette. She became a celebrated photographer, newspaper owner, and generous philanthropist, supporting causes inspired by all that she gained at NCS. But it was becoming a mother that brought her experiences full circle.

“I had left this place, but it never really left me,” she said.

Lisette wanted her children to experience the character-building impact of North Country School & Camp Treetops. As they arrived at Treetops—first her daughter Diana Oehrli, then her sons Régis and Guillaume de Ramel—the principles Lisette cultivated at NCS were already woven into their lives.

“Connection with nature, that’s mom’s religion,” said Guillaume (Trustee 07–21, NCS 86–89, CTT 85–86, parent 15–17). “She impressed upon me how important School and Camp were in shaping her thoughts on nature, animals, and food.”

For Diana (Trustee 25–present, CTT 83–84, parent 15–18), one of the most remarkable things about Camp and School is how little its core ethos has changed across generations.

“This place gives you enough structure to feel secure and enough time to be curious and notice what’s going on in your world,” Diana said.

The traditions and access to nature that shaped her mother proved equally foundational for Diana and her brothers.

Giving Back: Gratitude in Action

Camp and School remained a guiding force in Lisette’s life, eventually calling her back to serve on the Board of Trustees. Over thirteen years of board service, she championed Camp and School through thoughtful leadership and stewardship.

Lisette was renowned for her institutional memory, helping her fellow trustees balance preservation and progress.

She led by example, and her leadership inspired a legacy of generosity, dedication, and philanthropy, one that her children continue to follow.

Over the years, Lisette helped guide projects that touch nearly every corner of campus—from the construction of the Don Rand Theater and strengthening our arts program to advancing the farm and garden curriculum

Lisette as a student at NCS.

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with the addition of the Teaching and Learning Kitchen.

Paying it Forward to the Next Generation Guillaume also served on the board for fourteen years, The family tradition is one that Diana’s son, Oliver Kiker giving generously of his time, expertise, and resources to (CTT 15–18), says he won’t hesitate to carry on. support increased faculty salaries and key infrastructure “I would, without a doubt, send my kids to Treetops,” improvements, including joint efforts between mother and he said. son. Their most quietly radical contribution may have been He and several of his cousins have attended Camp or burying the power lines on campus—proof that sometimes School, walking the same paths and enjoying the same the best improvements are the ones you can’t see. freedoms our mountain campus offered their parents and Guillaume’s commitment to service has extended into grandmother before them. civic life and philanthropic endeavors. When he ran for Ensuring more children can experience School and Rhode Island secretary of state in 2007 and 2014, his camCamp is deeply meaningful to Lisette and her family. paign slogan echoed one of his mother’s guiding beliefs, Thanks to Lisette’s support of Star Kids, a Rhode Isthat “to whom much is given, much is expected.” land-based scholarship program for children facing sysThat same spirit of resourcefulness lives on in temic barriers to opportunity, three families have experiGuillaume’s pursuits beyond enced the joy of a summer at public service. He built his own Treetops.

Carbon Cub seaplane by hand, “If our mother could sponthe kind of undertaking Walter sor every child in the country Clark would have recognized to come to Camp or School, as deeply rooted in NCS values. she would,” said Guillaume, As the sole trustee of whose own children attendthe de Ramel Foundation, ed Camp.

Guillaume has prioritized For Lisette and her famifunding educational organily, our Adirondack campus zations and neuroscience reisn't just a place they passed search. He has served on the through; it is the place that boards of the Newport Hosshaped them. pital and the Norman Prince Régis notes that these Neurosciences Institute at lessons—including his mothBrown University Health. er’s belief that “grit goes a Continuing the family long way”—matter now more tradition, Diana joined the than ever. In a world crowded board of Camp and School by screens and distractions, last fall to guide the instituhe says Camp and School tion forward and find ways teach what is essential for to make it more accessible. a good life: connection to Through her own foundafamily, health, nature, and tion, the Gruben Charitable one another.

Foundation, Diana aims For nearly forty years, the to bolster under-resourced Prince-Oehrli-de Ramel communities in Newport, family has given back to Rhode Island. She takes joy in the place that gave them so bringing people together to much, through leadership, discuss problems and explore philanthropy, and quiet acts Diana and her twin brothers, Régis and Guillaume, unconventional solutions. of service that have opened play in the snow with their dog.

As president of the Stratus doors for countless others. It Foundation, Régis (CTT is a legacy rooted in the three 84–86, parent 22) has also embraced his family’s commitRs—one forged in barns and gardens, on mountain trails ment to others, channeling grantmaking to organizations and Camp cabins, in board rooms and classrooms alike. focused on youth programs, animal welfare, education, It is, in every sense, a legacy that speaks the language of the arts, and the environment. gratitude.

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Alta

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Friends’ Weekend THIS YEAR’S ALTA FRIENDS’ WEEKEND welcomed more than forty alumni and friends of all ages once again for a long weekend at Alta Lodge in Utah. We had a great time on the slopes and enjoyed gathering with friends and reminiscing about North Country School & Camp Treetops.

On Friday evening, Todd Ormiston was joined by Larry Robjent (NCS staff 00– present, parent 18–21, CTT parent 16–17, 19) for an update on our strategic plan, Growing Evergreen, and future plans for Camp and School.

Save the Date: Alta Friends’ Weekend 20th Anniversary!

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Join us in 2027 to celebrate the 20th year of Alta Friends’ Weekend, from Wednesday, April 14 through Sunday, April 18. Camp and School alumni, family, and friends save at least 20 percent on spring rates at Alta Lodge, including lodging, breakfast, and dinner.

Remembering –Mimi–

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On Saturday afternoon during Alta Friends’ Weekend, the group gathered to celebrate the life of Mimi Muray Levitt (NCS 51–57, parent 66–70, CTT 51–52, Balanced Rocks Circle member), longtime co-owner of Alta Lodge with her late husband, Bill Levitt (NCS parent 66–70). The tribute was led by Mimi’s stepdaughter, Cassie Levitt Dippo (NCS 66–70, staff 80–82, CTT staff 80), who reflected on what mattered most to Mimi: Alta Lodge, her dogs, North Country School, and Friends of Alta, the environmental nonprofit she and Bill founded together.

NCS and Treetops had a lasting influence on the person Mimi became. Cassie shared that many of Mimi’s values and passions were shaped during her time at School and Camp, from her

4 1. What a beautiful backdrop for a group photo. We hope you can join us next year for the 20th anniversary of Alta Friends’ Weekend! 2. L–R: Ella Robjent (CTT 16–17, 19, staff 25–present, NCS 16–21), Matthew Tuck (Trustee 00–06, 19–23, 25–present, NCS 75–78), and Larry Robjent enjoyed the weekend full of skiing and friends. 3. There’s never a dull moment when friends come together for Alta Friends’ Weekend. 4. It’s all sun and smiles during Alta Friends’ Weekend!

love of gardening to her deep appreciation for wild places and animals. Most of all, Mimi carried forward a strong sense of community.

That spirit is evident each year at Alta Friends’ Weekend, an event Mimi spearheaded and cherished. While her presence will be deeply missed, her legacy lives on through her commitment to the environment and her gift for bringing people together who share her love for North Country School & Camp Treetops.

Gifts Inspired by a Lifetime of Wonder Join the Balanced Rocks Circle

“Now more than ever, the world needs North Country School & Camp Treetops.

We have seen firsthand how this place can transform lives. We give to ensure that its mission and values endure for generations come. We invite you to join us in the Balanced Rocks Circle to help secure its future for our children and the world.”

—Barkley Stuart (CTT 69–72), Chair, Board of Trustees, and Ann Glazer (CTT parents 03–07, NCS parents 09–11) We are here to help you channel your giving in the most meaningful and impactful way for the place you love.

For more information on how to join the Balanced Rocks Circle by making a gift through your will, living trust, life insurance policy, IRA, stocks, real estate, or another vehicle, please contact Director of Advancement Emily Eisman at eeisman@ncstreetops.org or 518.837.5450.

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NEWS & NOTES IN MEMORIAM Sarah Blunt Barnett Trustee 96–99, CTT 50–53, parent 81–86, grandparent 14–16, 21–22, NCS parent 82–88, grandparent 18–19 Sarah Blunt Barnett passed away on April 24, 2026. A camper at Treetops in the early 1950s, Sarah went on to serve on the NCS/ CTT Board of Trustees, sending her own children to Camp and School in the 1980s and later her grandchildren. She built a life of remarkable breadth—raising her family in Indonesia, working for Sargent Shriver during the War on Poverty, advocating for senior citizens and people experiencing homelessness in Washington, DC, and pursuing her passions in photography and design. She was remembered by those who knew her for an infectious laugh, a gift for seeking out the shy person in a crowded room, and an abiding generosity of spirit. She is survived by her three children, Charles, Dorsey, and John Henry, and seven grandchildren.

Paula Crossan NCS 61 Paula passed away in November 2022. She was an artist and an effervescent spirit. She spent most of her life in Teaneck, NJ, before marrying the love of her life, Jack Crossan, and moving to Weehawken. Together, they created a beautiful family, including their children, Mark, Michael, John, Kenny, and Felicia; and grandchildren, Jacqueline, Andrew, Jared, Trinity, Matthew, Mark Jr., and Lily.

Miriam Dow Trustee 69–75, NCS 47, parent 73, CTT parent 70–78, grandparent 08–14, 19 A devoted alumna and former Trustee, Miriam Dow passed away peacefully on June 4, 2025.

Miriam, known as Mimi, was an advocate for social justice, famous for her generosity and strong opinions, and was the cherished wife of Peter Burton Dow. Poppy "Warren" Fletcher NCS 59 Poppy passed away on December 13, 2025. She was born on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 1945, in Albany, NY. Her favorite color was green, and on Saint Pat’s day we had green milk for breakfast, green frosting on the cake, and ALL family members had to wear green clothing. She loved her time at North Country School!

Randall Larkin NCS 56–59, CTT 57–60 On October 10, 2025, surrounded by those he loved and those who loved him most, Randy passed peacefully after a year of truly living life to the fullest. Randall Robinson Larkin was born on November 22, 1946, in Plattsburgh, New York, on the shores of Lake Champlain and in the foothills of the Adirondacks. When he was eight years old, Randy went off to attend North Country School in the heart of the Adirondacks with his teddy bear, Ike. At North Country School, Randy learned to horseback ride and made friends from all over the world who often came to visit Lake

Champlain at the Larkin camp.

There, they would practice their skills from North Country School, such as archery, and their skills from home, such as spear throwing as one friend from Kenya did.

Alida Lovell NCS 49, parent 73–76, CTT parent 68 Alida passed away on December 13, 2025. She loved entertaining, and knew how to throw a great party well into her late eighties.

The more quiet, contemplative side of her always consisted of puzzles. Alida also loved color, particularly the colors of nature: sunrises and sunsets, or the clear blue and green days of a northwesterly breeze in Maine.

Elma Metzloff CTT staff 71–97, parent 72–76, 79–83, grandparent 12, 14–15 When their children were young and for many years afterwards, Elma and her husband, Carl, were counselors at Camp Treetops. She was a graduate of Tonawanda High School and SUNY Buffalo State Teachers College, summa cum laude. Elma was a classroom teacher and reading specialist in the Tonawanda Schools for thirty-five years and a supervisor of student teachers at SUNY Buffalo State Teachers College for five years.

In 1990, Tonawanda Schools honored her as a Teacher of the Year.

Later, she earned both an MS and an MA at SUNY Buffalo State College.

Mimi Muray Levitt CTT 51–52, NCS 57, parent 66–70, Balanced Rocks Circle member During Alta Friends’ 2026, we

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NEWS & NOTES

From left to right: Larry Robjent and Salvador Flores Diaz in January 2026. James Ryan on a campus tour of Cornell University.

gathered to celebrate the life of Mimi Muray Levitt, Camp and School alumna and longtime owner of Alta Lodge, who passed away in July 2025. Her commitment to community and environmental stewardship reflects the values she embraced during her time at NCS. See more from her celebration of life on page 37.

Howard Trumbull NCS staff 87–92 Howard Trumbull lived a very adventurous 95 years. Since he was too young to join the military (although he tried twice), he remained on the Trumbull farm and helped raise the animals and took care of the chores. He learned horsemanship from a very young age and would later go on to become a trick rider at Frontier Town, performing all types of stunts during the Wild West shows.

Later in life, he joined forces with Dave Torrance to form Torrance &

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Trumbull Construction, helping to build recognized building projects across the North Country, including Champlain Park on Cumberland Head in Plattsburgh; Paleface Lodge, the High Falls Gorge bridge system, KOA campground, and the Hungry Trout Restaurant in Wilmington; and countless other commercial and residential buildings in the area. Howard spent his last years on the job at North Country School as plant manager.

NCS ALUMNI 1970 John Tubbs NCS 70 Living the life in Montana.

1973 Samuel Adams CTT 68–69, parent 09, NCS 73 I continue to work in finance and spend as much time as possible at our house on the coast of Maine.

I also remain president of the

From left to right: Anthony Fernandez (CTT 05–10, staff 14–15, NCS 06–10), Pamela Rosenthal (Trustee 11–present, NCS parent 07–09), Noah Wertheimer (NCS 07–09), and Marcos Fernandez (CTT 05–08, staff 15, 17, NCS 08–12, staff 20–21) gathered in New York City in July 2025 to celebrate Noah’s Boston University MFA thesis exhibition. One of Noah’s paintings is pictured behind them.

NEWS & NOTES

Above: A young Gay Greenleaf (center) peeks over the shoulder of a Camp Treetops counselor reading a bedtime story, in a photo that appears in Barbara Morgan's seminal Summer's Children.

board at Gould Academy, where I went after NCS and where our son Nick (CTT 09) also graduated. Our family had lunch with Brent Loyer (née Susan Brookfield, NCS 69–73) in Paris in May. She is as wonderful and kind as I remembered.

1991 Margaret Rhoads NCS 91 Jonathan Rhoads, Margaret’s father, reports that she is a pediatrician in London, England, and is raising three boys, one nine-yearold and two six-year-old twins.

2008 Salvador Flores Diaz NCS 08 Salvador visited NCS with his fiancée in January 2026 and spent time reminiscing with Larry Robjent (NCS staff 00–present, parent 18–21, CTT parent 16–17, 19).

2021 James Ryan CTT 19, NCS 20–21 I am going to Cornell University in the fall for engineering. I went on the campus tour the same day as “Ag Day,” and the miniature Highland cow reminded me of NCS. I'm looking forward to being back in New York for college.

Eldridge (Clark) (Honorary Trustee, NCS 53, staff 70–80, parent 70–82, grandparent 99–09, CTT 49–50, staff 97–99, 12–15, grandparent 03–08, Balanced Rocks Circle member) and I were roommates at Camp in the 1940s and 50s. I am the squirt in bangs peering over Shirley's shoulder while she reads us a story in Barbara Morgan’s Summer’s Children. Best of all, perhaps, was welcoming Paul Nowicki (CTT 51–54, staff 61–71, 80–00, parent 79–83, 87–93, NCS staff 67–71) back to Camp after a quick trip to NYC to be sworn in with his family as a US citizen. My 86th birthday is just a few weeks away. I celebrated many birthdays at Camp, including my 60th at Friends' Weekend in 1989. Happy memories all!

CTT FRIENDS

Stuart Topper CTT staff 72–95, parent 87–92 All three Toppers, myself (Stuart), Susan, and Matthew (CTT 87–92, staff 93–94), have many fond memories from our many years at Camp Treetops—a very warm, welcoming, and beautiful place.

Gracemary (Gay) Greenleaf CTT 46–52, staff 59–60, 65–67, Balanced Rocks Circle member The story about South Meadow Farm on the Growing Evergreen website brought back a lot of memories! My brother, John Booth (CTT 35–40), attended Camp in the 1930s (before I was born) and remembered Ham Corwin (NCS staff 45–62, parent 63–68, grandparent 91–02, CTT parent 64, grandparent 89–99). I met them in the late 1990s when my husband, Frank, and I stayed at the B&B. Betty

James Robinson CTT 74–77 I think of CTT often and can't imagine what life would have been like without it. I still have my boots on! Last year, my son Jeff and I did the Bridger Wilderness through Porcupine Pass in Wyoming. We were five days on the trail in the sun, rain, and snow, and loved every second—but the Adirondacks are still home. Hi, Liz Macken (CTT 75–77, TTW 78–79, Balanced Rocks Circle member)!

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NEWS & NOTES

Left to right: Daniel Jestes, Melissa Orzechowski, Scott and Liz Zanar compete in the Dolomiti Extreme Trail event in Italy.

Adam Whelchel CTT 78–81 I had the privilege of attending Camp Treetops from 1978–81 (three years). Loved Camp Treetops!

Currently living in Wethersfield, CT, with three children and a loving wife. I work as the director of science for the Nature Conservancy in Connecticut.

Marjorie Wright CTT parent 99–07, NCS parent 04–06 Alexi Alizadeh Carey (CTT 99–05, NCS 04–06) just published a novel, A Soft Mourning, on Amazon.

NCS FACULTY/STAFF Sierra Grennan NCS staff 10–present

Went to the Green River Fest to see Courtney Barnett, MJ Lenderman, and Waxahatchee.

Daniel Jestes NCS staff 24–present Daniel led backpacking and kayaking trips around Norway with Overland Summers.

Melissa Orzechowski NCS staff 19–23, 25–present I spent last summer as the operations assistant for NOLS Northeast.

In my free time, I returned to rock climbing and other activities, such as organizing various Pride events. I represented the Adirondack Queer Ice Fest at some of them.

Executive Director Todd Ormiston (left) and Board Chair Barkley Stuart (far right) recently visited alumni Yehor Shudrenko (NCS 23, CTT 22), María Viniegra (CTT 21-24, NCS 25), and Jenny Wu (NCS 25) at The Masters School.

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Savannah Skinner NCS staff 23–present I spent last summer taking a graduate course at Oxford University through my master's program at Middlebury's Bread Loaf School of English. I'll graduate from the Vermont campus this summer! I spent

NEWS & NOTES

swimming, and canoeing, and has an early penchant for organic food. He’s looking forward to Friends’ Weekend in 2027.

Kyle Curry NCS 09 Kyle and Clair Curry welcomed their first child, a son named Sawyer James Curry, on July 13, 2025. The family enjoys spending time outdoors at their home in Fairfax, VT.

Above: Claire Carson, Savannah Skinner, and Amanda DeMaria in Mallorca.

six and a half weeks stationed in Oxford, and did lots of traveling on the weekends! I drove to Scotland to explore the Highlands and the Isle of Skye, flew to Berlin to revisit some of my favorite places, took the train to Amsterdam for the art museums, and, with Claire Carson (NCS faculty 21–present), visited our very own Amanda DeMaria (NCS faculty 22–present) in Mallorca!

NEW BEGINNINGS— WEDDINGS + BABIES Ahrielle Cook Trustee 2024–present, CTT 92–98, staff 04, NCS 99 Ahrielle Cook and Andrew Ness welcomed their first child, Fitzgerald Augustus Ness Cook (Fitz), on September 19, 2025, and he is already embracing the NCS/ CTT life. He loves hiking, lake

Hannah Doan NCS 05 Chris Murphy and I were married in a small ceremony at NewVida Preserve in Wilmington, NY, in June 2025. We lucked out with perfect weather and were married with Whiteface as the backdrop in front of our closest friends and family.

Sarah Perry CTT 03, staff 16, NCS 09, staff 23–24 Rory Elizabeth Perry arrived on December 4, 2025! We are all

Liz Zanar NCS staff 23–present Scott Zanar NCS staff 22–present participated in the Dolomiti Extreme Trail event in Italy, a 72km (46-mile) trail run with almost 6,000 km (18,000 ft.) of elevation gain. The race started at midnight and took over 20 hours to complete. We spent the days following the race sightseeing and eating lots of pasta, pizza, and gelato.

From left to right: Ahrielle Cook and son Fitzgerald Augustus Ness Cook (Fitz), Clair and Kyle Curry with their son Sawyer James.

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NEWS & NOTES

Left to right: Rory Elizabeth Perry, Landon Smart, Rosemarie Marcia Yarinsky, wedding of Hannah Doan and Chris Murphy.

healthy and doing great. We know that Betty and Harry Eldridge are looking down on their great-granddaughter with immense love and joy.

Kim Smart CTT 98–04, staff 10–14, 16–present, NCS staff 13–14, 21–present and Jay Smart (CTT 04–06, staff 14, 16–17, 22–present) welcomed their son Landon on December 16, 2025. Often in tow as mom works as Educational Farm Director for Camp and School, he is quickly adapting to the farm life and loving long days spent outside with the plants, animals, and children of NCS and CTT! Abby Swint NCS staff 23-present, CTT staff 23–25 Abby and Sam Meigs welcomed their son Clay on February 22, 2026. He loves seeing sunshine through the leaves, feeling sand between his toes, and smiling at everyone he meets.

William Yarinsky CTT 08–11, staff 14 My wife, Madeleine, and I welcomed

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baby Rosemarie Marcia Yarinsky into our family in December. She is already excited to attend Camp in the future.

What’s New With You? Whether it’s a new job, a recent move, a marriage, or a reunion with Camp or School friends, send us your updates! Email alumni@ncstreetops.org.

Treetops alumni and friends gathered in Banner Elk, NC for the wedding of Abigail Biddle (CTT 03–08, 10–12, staff 16) and Andrew Crumpler in April 2025. From left to right: Thomas Parker (CTT Parent 13-22, staff 13–present), Tracey Parker (CTT Parent 13–22, staff 13–present), Ridgely Biddle (CTT parent 01–08, 10–12, staff 04–13, 17–22, 24), Rosie Skovron (CTT 07–12, staff 17), Julia Opatrny (CTT 10–12, staff 17–18), Charlotte Mondale (CTT 07–09, 11–12, staff 17–18), Andrew Crumpler, Abigail Biddle, Peter Case (CTT 12–13, staff 16, 18–21), Indigo Pellegrini de Paur (CTT 10–12, staff 17–18, 24), Nobel Girmay (CTT staff 17,19), Nora Vaughan (CTT 11–13, staff 15–16, 18–22), Emlyn Drake (CTT 02–08, staff 11,18), Gabriella Wan (CTT 07–11, staff 14, 16–17, 19) Chase Pellegrini de Paur (CTT 11–14, staff 22–24), Robbie Tepperberg (CTT staff 16, 18–19, NCS staff 19–21).

The world needs more…

And we need you!

Your support of the Annual Fund ensures that the Camp and School experience continues to shape the lives of students and campers—today and for generations to come.

Will you join us by making a gift today?

Scan the QR code or visit: qrco.de/ncstreetops If you have already made your gift this year, thank you! Want to explore the different ways you can give back? Contact Reed Curry, director of strategic donor engagement, rcurry@ncstreetops.org or CAMPTREETOPS.ORG 45 I NORTHCOUNTRYSCHOOL.ORG 518.523.9329, ext. 5407

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