Organic Roots, Spring 2011

Greetings from Lake Placid

By David “Hock” Hochschartner, Head I’ve recently returned from two trips out West.

Spring skiing in Utah is hard to beat, and with the great group of folks who gathered there, our annual Friends’ Weekend at Alta Lodge was another terrific get-together. The week prior, we held two reunions in San Francisco, one for Camp friends, the other the next night for School. Allow me a heartfelt thanks to Bay Area hosts George and Lindsay Bolton and Tom Steyer and Kat Taylor, as well as to the Muray/Levitt/Dippo clan at Alta Lodge, all of whom welcomed and cared for us so graciously.

During one flight, I was surprised to read that Southwest Airlines turned 40 this year. So, too, apparently did Starbuck’s. It seems hardly possible that what began as two unconventional ideas in 1971 could so quickly become giants of American business and culture. Talk about game changing.

This August, we’ll take part in another 40th birthday celebration: that of Chez Panisse, the Berkeley, California, restaurant started by chef, organic food activist, and author Alice Waters. Though not as well known as Southwest or Starbuck’s, the restaurant, the Chez Panisse Foundation, and its signature Edible Schoolyard program (ESY) have gained an impressive national following in a similarly short span.

Begun 15 years ago—on the occasion of Chez Panisse’s 25th anniversary—the Edible Schoolyard program features a school garden and kitchen classroom where students grow their food, learn lessons of nutrition and healthy living, and care

From the Editor Here on campus, spring often arrives just as our students and faculty are away on spring break. At the moment when most of our community vanishes for well-deserved R&R, the farm literally comes to life. This year was no different. In mid-March, sap started running in our sugar bush and baby lambs began brightening the stalls of the New Barn.

For those of us on staff who do office work, helping out with farm chores during break is an opportunity to participate in part of our program that embodies

page 1

for the environment. The original ESY program, at King Middle School in Berkeley, has since inspired similar efforts all around the country.

For Chez Panisse’s 40th birthday, Ms. Waters will launch the new Edible Schoolyard National, an ambitious effort to show that ESY can take root anywhere. North Country School and Camp Treetops are joining the ESY affiliate network to share best practices, collect data, and disseminate results. We are the only private partner and only rural location among the founding network affiliates, which include public schools in New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Brooklyn, a Boys & Girls Club in San Francisco, and a children’s museum in Greensboro, NC. We are pleased and proud to be part of a movement with such important opportunities for collaboration.

Farm educator Kat Tholen attended the affiliate summit in Berkeley this April and will be attending the Edible Schoolyard Academy in June. This exciting outreach work is true to our mission, has the potential for huge benefits, and has been made possible in large part by the generosity of Lisette Prince de Ramel (NCS 60).

Both the Edible Schoolyard affiliate network and our own reunion events remind me, once again, of the importance of connections. Uniting like-minded people or groups to pursue a common goal is not only fortifying, but may be the best way of enacting meaningful, lasting change. Who knows what the next 40 years might bring?

who we are. Our students and campers experience daily rhythms of farm life and work that are completely unknown to most children in this part of the world. The farm offers so many lessons to teach and to learn.

So each morning as I did chores alongside other adult “subs,” I felt warm inside. The work heats the muscles, but it’s something more—the glow that comes from working together to do what needs doing. That’s an important lesson right there.

Organic Roots Spring/Summer 2011

Today, Tomorrow—and Yesterday

By Karen Culpepper

Treetops today is very much as former campers and counselors of all ages likely remember it. Balanced Rocks and Cascade still tower above us, with Round Lake shimmering below.

Thanks to strong scholarship funding, we continue to attract great kids of different backgrounds from all over the world. An outstanding core staff of veteran counselors returns year after year, no doubt energized by the impressive young people who somehow find their way to us every summer and work pure magic with children.

Together they continue to provide a unique program that offers children sanctuary from a media-saturated world. Today’s summer’s children, like their predecessors, grow to treasure the opportunities opened up by the absence of electronics: exploring wilderness and the natural world, forging lasting relationships with other children and adults; building community through joint work, shared values, and common experiences. This is still the essence of Treetops, as true today as it was in Helen Haskell’s time.

So what do we hope and dream for in the future? Mostly, to keep Treetops Treetops. This winter, for example, local woodworker Dusty Grant completed a stunning reproduction of the Hanging House, an original Doug Haskell design (see cover photo). The project began last summer—thanks to a generous anonymous donor and equally generous donation of time and talent of CTT friend Keith Gerstenmaier, who prepared the re-design and led the Friends’ Weekend work parties. As a result, a new Hanging House—beautiful, whimsical, and built with lumber from our own property—will again be home to a new generation of Senior Camp boys.

Another exciting project is the much-needed renovation of the CTT Main House. As Senior Camp has grown over the years, the dining room has become more crowded and noisy, and less conducive to the civility and meaningful conversation that Helen intended for meal-times. To restore that intimacy, we’re working with architects on plans to ease the crowding while preserving the feel of this beloved building—the heart and soul, for many, of Senior Camp.

Other improvements will upgrade and expand the kitchen facilities to allow for more processing of the fresh herbs, greens, fruits, and veggies the farm keeps producing in ever-larger amounts, thanks to extra greenhouse space added in recent years.

As for yesterday, earlier this spring, we uncovered a scrapbook made back in 1954. Put together by Treetops staff to celebrate the Haskells’ 25th year as Camp directors, its pages are filled with messages, drawings, photographs, and songs. It’s a striking book of heartfelt, often eloquent, affection and appreciation. And what’s most amazing to me is how many of the memories could just as easily describe events from last summer as from 57 years ago. For instance, a counselor named Alice wrote: Treetops is rousing the drowsy young to see the midnight sky (really only ten-thirty, but don’t tell them); squatting children sacrificing their crackers to the chipmunks; the ringing sound the earth gives back when one runs down the hill to Junior Camp; sharing blankets under red Cascade at the bon-fire hour…

Another thanked Helen and Doug “for spontaneity, gaity, activity, understanding. For pride, and for helping children to be proud...”

And John Hoins nicely summed up the Haskells’ philosophy: It seems wonderful to me that people would… dedicate a good part of their lives to operating a camp which follows the simple principle of allowing a child to remain a child. In an era of machines and sidewalks it is gratifying to find people who still believe that it is fun to climb a mountain.

No wonder, then, that at Treetops we carry our past proudly forward.

www.nct.org

518.523.9329

page 2

Board of Trustees

New Faculty and Staff, 2010-2011

J. Matthew Davidson, Chair

WENDY HIGGINS Theater teacher, Houseparent (Glass) Born and raised in Connecticut, Wendy is no stranger to the Adirondacks; she and her family spent most of her childhood summers in the Westport, NY area. Wendy joined the NCS faculty in January 2011 after spending the previous fall as a dorm parent and activities teacher at Hampshire Country School in Rindge, NH. She is a recent graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University, where she majored in sociology/ anthropology and minored in fine arts. A longtime co-director of the theater program at Camp Dudley in Westport, Wendy directed several performances there each summer and was involved with everything from costuming and lighting to set design and construction. Prior to college, she completed an internship with the Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut, where she operated lighting during performances. In addition, Wendy has been an active volunteer and adult group leader for a fellowship group in Connecticut that provides services to the elderly and housebound and other work for communities in need of assistance. In her spare time, Wendy likes to hike, downhill and Nordic ski, knit, and cook.

Dennis Aftergut, Vice-Chair Barkley Stuart, Treasurer Sandra Gray Nowicki, Secretary

Jennifer Ewing Allen Lisa Beck Barry Breeman Peter R. Brest Guillaume de Ramel Laura Thrower Harris Julia Jonathan Caroline Kenney

AMANDA TAYLOR Assistant, Business & Advancement Offices Amanda came to NCS/Treetops in October 2010. Originally from Clayton, NY, in the Thousand Islands region, Amanda has been living in the Lake Placid area since 2002. She was a longtime office worker for the Crowne Plaza Resort Hotel and Golf Club prior to joining our development and business office staff. With an interest in law, she is pursuing an associate’s degree in paralegal studies via online classes with the SUNY Learning Center. Amanda lives in Wilmington with her fiancÊ James, children Grady (5) and Lili (3), and two dogs, Gage and Bailey, yellow and chocolate labs.

Sam Kim Hope Knight Rose Kean Lansbury Roger S. Loud Pat Kramon Pincus Matt Salinger Peter Skinner

CAITLIN WARGO Director of Annual Giving Caitlin came to NCS/Treetops in January 2011 with an interesting and varied work background that includes environmental action, development experience, design, and publicity skills. Most recently, she served as Director of Sustainability and Energy Management at Far Hills Country Day School in New Jersey, where since 2008 she developed and managed a program to take the school to net-zero electricity use through conservation and renewable energy. Prior to that she was a development officer at Oak Hill Academy in Lincroft, NJ, where she managed a capital campaign to raise funds for a LEEDcertified environmental studies center. Before her work with schools, Caitlin served as a senior designer for a leading New York residential design firm and as a photo editor and production assistant with the National Geographic Society in Washington, DC. Caitlin is a graduate of William and Mary with a BA in English. She and her young son Zack are living in Lake Placid and enjoying the opportunities for outdoors sports.

Hume Steyer Manny Weintraub

Honorary Trustees Joan K. Davidson Colin C. Tait, Esq. Richard E. Wilde

Trustees Emeriti David T. Kenney Sumner Parker

Trustee Transition

page 3

Trustee Rohit Desai stepped down at the quarterly board meeting in April. Over a 15-year term, Rohit served on board committees for finance, investment, and development, and he graciously hosted board dinners in New York City, as well as alumni events. On behalf of the Camp and School community, we extend our deep thanks for his service.

Organic Roots Spring/Summer 2011

Alumni Voices: Snowshoeing Into Leadership

By Eileen Rockefeller Growald, NCS 66, CTT camper 63, counselor 69-71, parent 97, 99, and NCS/Treetops board member 76-84, 92-98

The author on her “new” snowshoes, a refurbished pair from the 1960s that Hock presented to her as a gift at Town Meeting The story printed here is due to be published as part of Eileen’s forthcoming book, Family Matters: Stories To Invite You Home.

Winter was having its last revenge when I was asked to lead some underclassmen on snowshoes through seven miles of heavy snow. The weather had been teasing us, warming in fits and starts that caused melting and made the snow heavier underfoot. The last few days had tantalized my nose with the first sweet hints of thaw. I wanted to get out in the woods, to sniff the scent of earth again and to explore the winter wilderness for what could be the last time that year.

I was a senior in eighth grade at North

Country School. Its co-founder, Walter Clark, saw the snowshoe trip as an opportunity to advance my leadership skills. He stood at his post in the dining room hall, tall and lean as a tree, his white hair and moustache reflecting the snow outside. He explained how he wanted to check on his summerhouse, known as Clifford Falls, and needed some volunteers to go with him. The trip would take most of the day, and we would have to be caught up on all our work. We did not have grades at North Country School, but my teachers’ comments let me know that after two years of struggling, I had finally met the school’s academic standards on my papers and exams. I crossed my fingers that I would be chosen.

www.nct.org

Walter asked those in good academic standing and rugged enough to make the trip to raise their hands. I could hardly put mine up fast enough. I wanted to prove my muscle to this man who had become my surrogate father. When he asked if I would lead the trip I sat up straight and felt like I had just been nominated for President of the United States. No one had ever asked me to be a leader before.

My 14-year-old definition of leadership was very narrow. Get out in front and keep going. Stay ahead and show the way. I hoped the round metal signs on the trees would be clear. The Adirondack Mountain Club put them along all the trails, but sometimes a

518.523.9329

page 4

Alu mn i Voic e s, cont inue d bear or hikers pulled them off. My sense of direction was as dyslexic as my spelling, and I did not want to make a fool of myself, but I knew Walter would not set me up to fail.

The day he announced the trip the temperature climbed high enough to melt some of the snow. That night a blizzard blew in, laying 12 inches of fresh powder over everything. We gathered at the designated starting area after breakfast with our backpacks stuffed with snacks and extra clothes.

There were no tracks on the trail except for the occasional marks of a fleeting squirrel between trees. All other footprints from previous trips had been covered by the fresh snow. The tree limbs were silent and heavy. Even the hardiest birds were quiet as I tightened the buckles around my boots on my long wooden snowshoes. I looked at Walter as if to say, “Am I really up to this?” His white moustache quivered as it did whenever he was trying to suppress too big a smile.

I don’t remember who else was with me, but the other boys and girls fell into line behind me. Walter took up the rear. The cold air made smoke clouds out of my breath. I lifted a foot and slid the snowshoe along the surface of the snow before plunging it down a few feet in front of me. The effort needed to move had been tripled or quadrupled by the wet snow. Each step brought a shovelful of snow caving in on top of my wood and leather platform.

A mile after we started I stopped to strip off my outer layer. How could I have thought I would need more clothes? I was dripping with sweat. I removed my hat and parka, exposing my long underwear and shirt. Others did the same. This worked well until a clod of snow spilled from trees above me right down my neck. For a moment

I thought I would cry it was so cold. I heard others behind me yelp and giggle from the same experience. At least I wasn’t alone. I turned around to join them in laughter. Their wet body heat mixed with mine smelled like damp feathers.

Walter spoke from the rear in his slow, steady voice. “Who knows what direction we are going?”

This caught everyone’s attention. Until now we had been walking blindly, trusting that Walter would tell us if we turned the wrong way. I should have known. Walter did not believe in the concept of being lost. Nor did he miss any opportunity for teaching. What others might define as lost he saw as an opportunity to go a different way; to tread new territory. Right now we were on new ground, both literally and figuratively.

One bright boy shot up his hand. “I know. You look for the moss on the tree trunks. It grows on the north side.”

Walter smiled broadly, and his eyes sent a beam of warmth around our circle. “Why do you think the moss grows on the north side?” The final piece to this puzzle was easy. Someone blurted out, “Because it’s colder?”

“Toward Clifford’s!” I said, flippantly.

My internal compass had long ago spun out of control. I thought my new challenge as leader was just a physical test. Now he was asking us to use our brains, too. Walter liked to push the edge.

A girl from behind me yelled, “We’re going south.”

“How do you know that?” Walter probed.

“Because I saw it on a map,” the same smarty-pants called.

Apparently that was not the answer Walter was looking for.

Photo: NCS snowshoers in Eileen’s era page 5

“Right now we have no map or compass. How can you discern what direction is north?”

Organic Roots Spring/Summer 2011

“No,” I said, remembering my lesson in the woods on our family island in Maine. “Trees have more moss on the north side because there is less light.”

We looked at the conifers around us.

Sure enough, each one had green moss on the same side, facing north.

“Now you will know which direction you are going,” said Walter. His voice was soothing and full of satisfaction for this teaching moment. “And while we are standing here, where is the sun coming from?”

It was hard to tell because the sky was gray. But just then the clouds thinned to expose a glow as if the sun was a flashlight shining through the overcast.

“There it is!” I pointed. I felt I had to have the right answer. After all, Walter

had asked me to be the leader. Others concurred and the smarty-pants girl beat me to the final answer, “It is in the east, because the sun comes up in the east and sets in the west.” She was a year younger than I. At least I saw the sun first.

Deep inside I knew the answer. I wanted to learn how to lead. If I didn’t try to the point of failure I would never know. So I kept going until we reached the road before the final turn to Clifford Falls. My legs simply wouldn’t lift any longer. I fell down and started to cry.

“What do you mean?” he asked gently.

“Leadership doesn’t only mean being in front. The others need to learn their strength, too. Now you have let them.

By seeing how tired you got they learned the value of taking turns. A good leader leads from behind.”

It was time to move on. We had only gone a mile and now that we had stopped we were getting cold again. I wondered how long it would take to get to the summer house at this pace.

Only then did Walter gently suggest that somebody else take a turn in front. Initially, I saw this as a failure on my part. I had not led the group the entire way. I lay by the side of the unplowed road and watched the group move forward slowly. They formed a relay. Every few yards the person in back moved up to the front. I got up and fell into line. It was so much easier to follow in others’ footsteps.

I was learning something from this perspective. On the well-trodden path I was able to walk again. I was going to make it after all.

I felt Walter’s wise eyes on me. He had been waiting for me to reach this moment. I had not disappointed him after all.

We had a long day ahead. The longest part was between the step and lift of my snowshoes. They grew heavier with every mile. By the time the sun was directly over us my thighs were beginning to ache. We stopped for snacks a few times. I caught Walter’s eye but could not read beyond his smile. I felt that if I let anyone else take the lead I would have failed at my job. I kept telling myself, “The leader is supposed to be out in front.” How I wished that someone else could take a turn breaking trail. Why had I wanted this responsibility anyway?

Homecoming Eileen returned to campus for a visit in February. She toured the New House, sat in on classes, and snowshoed to Raspberry Knoll with eighth-grade science students to help analyze the snow pack.

And standing in the same spot in the dining room as Walter had years before, Eileen led a Town Meeting on leadership.

She read aloud the story printed on these pages, then asked: “What does it feel like to be a leader?”

“It’s hard to be strong all the time,” a student replied.

“Yes,” Eileen agreed, “it’s okay to let others learn to lead. It’s not always about being out in front. In fact, what happens when the leaders get too far ahead?”

Eileen lives with her husband Paul on an organic farm in Shelburne, Vermont, where they enjoy visits with their grown sons, Adam and Danny (CTT 97-98). Through the Growald Family Fund, Eileen and Paul are working to stem climate change by limiting the use of coal. They also founded the Champlain Valley Greenbelt Alliance in 2000 to protect greenbelts in Vermont.

But what of my role as leader? Had I failed Walter by staying in front for only six out of the seven miles? I looked back at him and apologized. “I’m sorry I wasn’t a very good leader,” I said.

“They can’t make sure everybody is happy,” came the reply.

One of the younger students rose and said, “I think it’s hard getting people to listen.”

A sixth-grade girl added: “Leadership is not having no fear, but learning how to face your fears.”

“That’s why we need community,” Eileen said, “to take away the loneliness of leadership.”

Eileen moved on to reminisce a bit about her days here as a student. She delighted her audience by recounting one of her own misdeeds, then ended by reminding our students how lucky they are to be here.

“There’s so much to learn outside,” she said. “Nature is such a wonderful teacher.”

Photos: Leaders past and present www.nct.org

518.523.9329

page 6

Campus Greening & Renewal Big Numbers for Biomass Boilers

devices. While improving service, the upgrade reduced the number

Of the approximately 90,000 square feet of heated building space

of “plugged-in” electricity-gobbling devices by more than 12, with

on campus, approximately two-thirds is heated by fossil fuels,

a corresponding decrease in electricity consumption.

either oil or propane. Until recently, we consumed an average of In another technology project, nearly every classroom in the

27,000 gallons of fuel oil per year.

Main Building has been equipped with a new document reader The installation of two new biomass heating plants reduces that

and projector—a digital adaptation of the old overhead projectors,

number significantly. The first, installed behind Cascade House,

minus the transparencies. These allow for real-time projection, for

burns 30-inch cord wood or compressed wood “bricks” at roughly

instance, of a teacher’s edits to a student draft for all the class to

2,000 degrees F. It decreases our fossil fuel consumption by

see and discuss. The projectors also can operate in energy-saving

roughly 3,000 gallons, with a reduction in our carbon footprint

“eco” mode.

of 60,000 pounds per year. The second unit, a larger 9,000 pound wood chip/pellet plant in the old maintenance garage and activated

Technology investments like these are paying substantial dividends

earlier this spring, brings us down another 17,000 gallons to what

in terms of improved data and communications capabilities, better

should be an annual consumption of only 7,000 gallons. Together,

energy efficiency, and enhanced teaching and learning. And

the biomass heaters provide a 74 percent reduction in our fossil

innovations like the Lamb Cam—a live, 24/7 internet broadcast

fuel consumption and a carbon dioxide offset of 420,000 pounds

from a camera mounted in the barn during lambing season—are

per year—no small contribution to improving air quality.

just plain fun.

Solar Electric Production In February, our third photovoltaic unit, installed on the Treetops Science House, was commissioned by the Village of Lake Placid Electric Department. (The other two solar arrays are located on the roofs of New House and Flushing Meadow.) The addition brings our capacity for on-campus electricity production to 17,500 watts—an amount sufficient to supply the power needs of the three host buildings and in peak conditions to re-direct surplus electricity to the local power grid, or in the case of Flushing Meadow, to the Main Building. The ultimate goal is to achieve campus-wide netzero electricity use through increased production and continued renovation of existing buildings so they consume less.

Planting New Memories Technology Improvements

Over the past two winters, four powerful wind storms have taken

This winter, Technology Director Joel Lowsky rebuilt the School’s

down more than 800 trees on campus. Sadly most of those lost

wired computer network and installed an industrial-grade wireless

came from the red pine forest, first planted in the late 1930s with

network; both provide faster, farther-reaching, and more reliable

red pine and white spruce. We now know that the lack of species

connectivity campus-wide. New hardware for both the wired and

diversity created a situation whereby trees of the same variety,

wireless networks replaced older, less efficient models, and all are

planted too thickly and not properly thinned, grew in a weakened

from the manufacturers’ “green lines” of most energy efficient

state, susceptible to the kind of blowdown we’ve seen firsthand.

Photo: English teacher Jane Majewski edits a student paper during class using one of the School’s new document readers page 7

Organic Roots Spring/Summer 2011

Campus Greening & Renewal Shortly after Treetops opens this summer, counselors and campers will re-plant this greatly missed stretch of woods—this time with a greater variety of trees and better spacing. More than 600 saplings are on order and scheduled to arrive mid-June; the mix of species includes deciduous and conifers in a blend of shapes and sizes: red spruce, American mountain ash, balsam fir, white pine, red pine, gray dogwood, high bush cranberry, sugar maple, red maple, and paper birch.

In a nice bit of symmetry, the trees have been ordered from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation—the same agency where Helen Haskell obtained the original trees back in 1937.

Treetops Main House Renovation As Camp Director Karen Culpepper explained in her article (see page 2), a long overdue project to renovate this treasured building is at last under way. Working with a design team of CTT friends, architects are revising drawings, while Facilities Manager John Culpepper has launched the permitting process, is weighing cost estimates, and has overseen completion of much of the infrastructure work associated with the project. For instance, the Nurse’s Station has been moved approximately 50 feet south and 15 feet east in order to rework the road around Rickey Circle. This relocation will allow delivery trucks to drive forward around the Circle instead of backing up the road to the kitchen—a much safer route for campers. Also included in this phase is reworking the potable water, sewer, electric, and communication lines to the Main House and its two adjacent buildings.

Phase Two of the project, scheduled to begin as soon as funding is available, will involve renovating the dining room and kitchen of the Main House—to enable more processing and preparation of increasing amounts of fresh produce from our gardens and greenhouses—as well as increasing the building’s footprint to better accommodate our Senior Camp program.

Photos (top to bottom): Original receipt; Sapling; Schematic drawing of proposed CTT Main House renovation www.nct.org

518.523.9329

page 8

Spring on the Farm: Sugaring, Planting, Lambing

On a cold, raw Sunday in April, Farm Educator Kat Tholen began her day with a 5:45 a.m. walk to the greenhouse to

Similar to a homestead farm of generations past, our working

bank the pellet stove and check on the seedlings; students in

farm produces a large quantity of vegetables, meat, eggs,

the farm elective class had planted cilantro, dill, and parsley

maple syrup, and wool for use in our community. “I know of

earlier that week. Returning to the barn, she delighted in the

no other educational farm that gives children the opportunity to

discovery of two new baby lambs born overnight. She cut

experience as many different aspects of farming as we do,” says

the umbilical cords, dipped them in iodine, then prepared a

Farm Manager Mike Tholen.

small pen called a lambing jug for the newborns and their mother. By 8:30, she joined the rest of the farm staff in

And in springtime, most of our farm activities focus on sugaring,

the sugarhouse to boil hundreds of gallons of sap collected

planting, and lambing. In a push to make 100 gallons of maple

earlier with students.

syrup, double last year’s total, 550 sap buckets hang in the sugarbush. Thousands of flower, lettuce, onion, tomato, and

The farm in springtime is an extremely busy place, and the

pepper seedlings line the greenhouse tables, awaiting transplant

finicky weather poses real challenges for planning the many

outside in June. And with baby lambs coming at any time, the

jobs that need doing. “Our daily tasks are outlined by whatever

farm staff makes multiple trips a day between the greenhouse,

Mother Nature chooses to throw our way,” Kat says about the

barn, and sugarhouse.

juggling act of running a diversified farm in springtime.

Photos: Radio-Reliant; Mother and baby page 9

Organic Roots Spring/Summer 2011

Spring on the Farm: Sugaring, Planting, Lambing In between, they somehow find time for everything else: from caring for a dozen horses to preparing for the arrival of baby chicks and piglets, or installing the new brightly colored barnyard mural and the Lamb Cam that broadcasts live footage of the baby lambs 24/7 over the Internet.

All the while, the farm staff continue their classroom outreach, with interns Nick Cassidy and Monica Foley teaching a farm elective twice a week and working with students to feed worms and monitor compost for the vermiculture project begun during Intersession.

With so much going on, flexibility—along with two-way radios and extra coffee—is a must. “Spring on the farm is full of surprises. You never know what to expect next,” says Kat. “It is a huge undertaking to have our focus scattered in so many directions at once,” she acknowledges, “but it’s also highly beneficial for children to live on a true working farm.

children not yet asleep, and the newborn lamb bleating

SPRING THANKS

beside her, the juggling act

* 1,000 chard, spinach, and lettuce plants growing in the hoop house

got a little tense.

* 97 gallons of light amber maple syrup made with the help of the entire community

“Can anyone come help me?” Kat radioed to Mike

“When I see students calculating seed yields while preparing soil blocks in the greenhouse, or using hand tools as they take measurements for the worm bin, I realize yet again what a great job we do here of educating the whole child. Giving students and campers opportunities to participate in real-life projects on the farm helps them take ownership of the task at hand and figure out solutions to potential problems. Learning happens naturally, in a profound and lasting way.”

and the farm interns at the sugarhouse. “Not a chance,

* 120 baby chicks

sorry, do the best you can!”

* 15 healthy, colorful lambs

came Mike’s reply.

* 6 pink piglets * 1 spunky, new goat kid

Kat’s exasperation turned instantly to delight, as the second Tunis ewe, sister to the first, began to give birth. Kat watched, in awe. “Oh, you guys are missing it!” she said in her

Back in the sugarhouse on that April Sunday, another boil was under way at 5 p.m., with the plan to wrap up by 10:00 that evening. At 6:30, Kat fed her young daughters their dinner in the sugarhouse, then returned to the Farm House to get them ready for bed. At 7:00, she made a quick stop in the barn to check on the sheep. Sure enough, one of the Tunis ewes had given birth.

With her dogs locked in the tack room yelping for a walk, her

next message over the radio. The sixth and seventh lambs born that day, the newborns reminded Kat all over again why she and her family have chosen this life.

“As we await all kinds of new life, watch plants pushing out of the soil, and hear the sap dripping into buckets, there’s no more exciting place to be than the farm in the springtime.”

Photo: Students collecting sap in the sugarbush www.nct.org

518.523.9329

page 10

Alumni Spotlight John Whitney, CTT 90-94, TTF 95, Staff 97, Counselor 98-99, 02-03

By Susie Localio “Treetops was one of the first places where I saw smart, ambitious, hard-working people who cared about big issues yet also found enjoyment in daily activities like mucking out a horse’s stall. It made me think that this was the kind of life I wanted to live.”

Those of us who remember John Whitney as a muddy-kneed 10 year old returning from yet another High Peaks hike, or who went on Treetops France with him, or worked in the kitchen with him, or knew him during his four years as a hiking counselor may not be surprised by these sentiments.

What I couldn’t quite picture was John Whitney at the Yale School of Management (SOM).

When I asked why an MBA degree, John was quick to point out that his fellow students are not traditional “B-school” types. Many are pursuing MBAs as a way to help manage organizations they care about. More than a few are going for joint degrees in law, medicine, or environmental studies and came to this program not from business backgrounds but from the nonprofit world, including places like the Peace Corps and Teach for America. They remind John of people he knew at Treetops.

John’s path to Yale SOM began with an undergraduate degree at Brown in anthropology and a graduate degree from Columbia in museology. He then spent six years at The American Museum of Natural History in New York City as an exhibition writer. AMNH employs a small team of writers, two for each new exhibit, who work with curators, administration, and collaborating institutions to teach important scientific and cultural lessons through in depth, interactive exhibitions. John was a writer for six major and many minor exhibitions most of which traveled—and still travel—to other museums after their time at AMNH. While working on an exhibition on climate change, John began to imagine the next steps in his career. The climate change exhibit was extensive, covering many issues. It challenged visitors to reconsider the way societies used natural resources and the future of this planet. It also made John realize the value and need for effective, on-the-ground environmental education and advocacy. “I wanted to put myself in a position to have a more direct, positive impact on things I really cared about.”

His year at Yale has been filled with a range of management and financial courses, plenty of pen and paper exams (something he hadn’t done in a long time), and opportunities to work Photo: John in the Andes outside Huaraz, Peru, on a consulting project for The Mountain Institute page 11

Organic Roots Spring/Summer 2011

with both local and international nonprofits and NGOs. This summer he has accepted a fellowship at RARE, an international conservation organization committed to helping communities design locally based solutions to global conservation challenges.

Next year he will continue his studies and look for permanent work in his chosen field. He sees getting an MBA at Yale School of Management as a way of acquiring skills to work effectively in the nonprofit world and help protect what he loves—mountains, wilderness, and the biodiversity of our planet.

“Treetops was the single most influential institution in my life.

That was the community that raised me.” Before he went to Treetops, John and his twin brother, William, were New York City boys reluctant to share their parents’ enthusiasm for the mountains of New England. “Treetops changed it all—from what I had to do with my parents on weekends to what I wanted to do all the time.” He hopes to find “a community of people who share a passion for these same issues and work with enthusiasm and energy” and the kind of pitch-in attitude he found at Camp. As his girlfriend, Victoria Escalle, commented in the background as John and I talked on the phone, “If you have Treetops people in the house, you never have to ask someone to do the dishes.”

may seem eons away from John’s experience on the Junior Camp Idiot Trip—a bushwhack up the backside of Street and Nye. They were late, he recalled, and as dusk fell on their way down, they got turned around on the myriad herd paths surrounding Adirondack Loj. The group hunkered down while a counselor went to find the Loj and call Camp. Help came.

Counselors with headlamps led them to a waiting van, a hot supper at Camp, and bed. But the love of mountains, born in the drama of a challenging trip at age 11 and many mountains thereafter, spawned in John Whitney a desire to protect what he loves for future generations—be that wildness down the road or continents far away.

Susie Localio lives in Port Townsend, Washington, with Daniel Brodkowitz. She hikes and gardens and spends time with Ana Rose, her grandchild. She was a counselor and program director at Treetops and is the twin sister of Bill Localio.

John also admires the can-do approach he learned at Treetops.

He told me the story of skiing at Hunter Mountain on icy slopes in a snowstorm with his brother, William, and Soren Miescheid, a fellow former counselor. Right in front of them a skier took a fall and from the way his leg corkscrewed out, they knew it was not good. Without missing a beat, William signaled that he would ski down to alert the ski patrol while John and Soren pulled the injured man off the fog enshrouded slope and sat with him until help arrived.

Like many of us, John considers Treetops his extended family. He finds it satisfying that he and Karen Culpepper came to Treetops in the same year (1990), when Tucker was a toddler stuffed in a kiddie pack on Karen’s back. From those early days as a camper, he also remembers Mildred, leading her foraging trips and never getting tired. When John returned as a counselor, he had Tucker in his tent, and Mildred was still there, not quite as tireless but no less skilled at exciting kids about the natural world.

One day this year John was walking down the street in New Haven, when he saw a car sporting a Treetops bumper sticker.

Immediately he dug out a piece of paper and pencil. “John Whitney, alum. Call me,” he wrote, along with his phone number.

It was Susie Jakes’ car. She called. “You don’t do that with most bumper stickers,” John observed. “The Treetopper I have never met is part of my community.”

In some ways the Yale School of Management MBA program

Photo: John climbing at Treetops www.nct.org

518.523.9329

page 12

Alumni in Focus: Ellen Fair, NCS 67 Herding An Unruly Beast

By Suzanna Finley, NCS 01

Ellen Fair is currently managing editor

Of her time in Africa, Ellen says, “I believe

really prepares you for is adventure,” she

for both Art and Auction and Modern

it’s important for Americans to live abroad.

says, laughing. “I slept outside in 40 below

Painters

she

I’m very glad that I did. Living in the

zero weather when I was 12 years old—it’s

worked for Working Woman, Parenting,

Third World informed my life in New York

what we did on winter weekends—and it

and for 14 years at Esquire, where she

as much as anything has. It gave me real

was terrific.”

was the first female managing editor in

perspective on what we have and what the

the magazine’s history.

rest of the world doesn’t.”

magazines.

Previously

North Country School experiences like these also fostered a deep connection to the

Ellen likens the nitty-gritty of the magazine

Ellen believes her years at North Country

outdoors. Ellen estimates that she climbed

industry—meeting

juggling

School played a role in her decision to

20 or so of the High Peaks during her

writers and concepts, coordinating with

enter the Peace Corps. “I think what NCS

school years. Plus, NCS was “so far ahead

deadlines,

the business side, and seeing an initial tangle of ideas through to a cohesive final product—to herding an unruly beast. To succeed in her work, she calls on a critical skill she first mastered at North Country School. “You need to learn to deal with something bigger and stronger than yourself, something you can’t control,” she says, recalling Leo Clark’s words about the importance of learning to ride a horse. “And no matter what, you pick yourself up and get back on.”

After NCS, Ellen went to Putney School in Vermont, then to Harvard, where she received grades for the first time en route to her bachelor’s degree with honors in English. She also worked on the Harvard Crimson newspaper, pursuing her love of the printed word. Torn between interests in journalism and medicine, Ellen joined the Peace Corps after graduation and spent two years in West Africa’s Ivory Coast as a medical technician in a tuberculosis control unit.

Photo: Ellen at her office window overlooking the Chelsea gallery district

page 13

Organic Roots Spring/Summer 2011

Alumni in Focus: Ellen Fair, NCS 67 of its time in going organic and being

need something to balance it out. North

Recreating such a moment, she closes

concerned about sustainability—things

Country School gives you a psychological

her eyes and sees the view from the top

that are on the tip of everyone’s tongue

avenue to do that. If you have lived in the

of a 46er.

now, but I first heard them at North

outdoors, you know how important it is

Country. The idea that we were going to

to get back to it. SOHO is not all there

eat what we grow… people in the city are

is.”

often completely disconnected from their food sources.

These days Ellen retreats to her house in Washington County, where she cross-

“I think if you are going to live long-

country skis, hikes, and rides her bicycle,

term in the city and survive—because

enjoying nature and the calm brought on

it’s a high pressure environment—you

by disconnecting from technology.

A Brooklyn-based freelance photographer, Suzanna Finley photographed and interviewed her fellow NCS alumni last spring for our Alumni in Focus project. Check out other alumni profiles on our website at www.nct.org/alumnifocus. For more of Suzanna’s photography, visit www.suzannafinley.com.

Photo: Posing with the construction crew next door

www.nct.org

518.523.9329

page 14

School News Illustrator Javaka Steptoe Brings Collage to NCS Internationally renowned children’s book author and illustrator Javaka Steptoe visited campus in January. From Brooklyn, NY, Javaka, 39, is a New York Times best selling illustrator for Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow, about the young Jimi Hendrix, and recipient of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for his debut work, In Daddy’s Arms I Am Tall: African Americans Celebrating Fathers.

Collage was a unifying element of the workshops he conducted with all our students. Our youngest students wrote haiku poetry, then made collages to illustrate their poems. Seventh graders created collages to depict scenes from the historical novel, Chains. Eighth-grade students researched Javaka’s life, work, and the art of collage, then created a collage that expressed a personal belief. Ninth graders wrote and illustrated their own Swan Lake-type tale of forbidden love, the basis of Javaka’s most recent work, Amiri & Odette.

For samples of students’ poetry and collages, see www.nct.org/javaka.

Skimeister Held in February during the Presidents’ Week holiday—when a crowded Whiteface is best avoided—this year’s annual Skimeister had its best turnout in years. Whether spurred on by the brilliant blue skies, the thought of huge chocolate chip cookie medallions awarded to the top finishers, or merely the enthusiasm of cheering friends, dozens of NCS students competed in four campus ski events: the Nordic race that looped around the pasture, the biathlon on the upper field, and the slalom and freestyle on the ski hill, where the bonfire and roasted hotdogs closed out a near-perfect afternoon.

page 15

Organic Roots Spring/Summer 2011

School News Students Earn Awards at LPCA Art Show NCS students nearly stole the show at Lake Placid Center for the Arts North Country High School Juried Art Exhibit. Fourteen of our students had work selected for the exhibit—from 200 entries submitted by 15 schools, most of them high schools.

The following NCS students took home awards: Tamara Coia: First Place, Middle School Photography Ivy Lee: First Place, High School Fiber Art John Canning: Middle School Honorable Mention, Fiber Art Heidi Choi: Middle School Honorable Mention, Photography Lucas Murphy: High School Honorable Mention, Photography Hannah Runyon: Middle School Honorable Mention, Fiber Art

Level V Sails in Florida Bay Accompanied by teachers Noni Eldridge, Liz Jordan, Sam O’Connor-Divelbiss, and Todd Pinsonneault, Level V students completed an Outward Bound (OB) sailing trip just before spring break. In a three-boat convoy led by experienced OB instructors, students sailed for six days in Florida Bay, sleeping onboard under the stars, standing 45-minute anchor watches throughout the night. They rowed through thick mangroves and tacked back and forth upwind, becoming proficient sailors in short order, thanks to good weather and ample breeze. They delighted in sightings of wildlife—sharks, manatees, dolphins, pelicans, herons, egrets, and a ray.

Back on solid ground, students spent a day volunteering at Eco Pond in the Everglades National Park, helping the rangers clear small brush and trees to improve the view along a walking trail. The group learned a lot about sailing, communicating, privacy, patience, persistence—another highly successful trip.

Spanish Students Teach English in Dominican Republic The advanced group of eighth-grade Spanish students, with teachers Dylan Wajda-Levie and Carrie Niebanck, also traveled the week prior to spring break: to the Dominican Republic, where they stayed at an orphanage in Jaibon, helping to teach the children English. They also visited the community of Los Maranitos and its coffee plantation, where Dylan had lived and worked for a year, and spent a day at El Moro, a national park on the coast.

Students enjoyed the tropical weather, the opportunity to work and play with children younger than themselves, and the adventure of exploring a foreign land.

www.nct.org

See www.nct.org/NCSphotogallery for great photos of Skimeister, the Level V and Spanish trips, and more.

518.523.9329

page 16

Intersession

2011 For this year’s Intersession—our annual week of mini-electives just prior to spring break—students chose two half-day courses from a list of diverse offerings.

Many students opted to split their days between an arts or crafts class—ranging from wood carving and paper marbleizing to model building and pottery—and a physical activity like old-time skiing, basketball, or tapping trees and hanging buckets in the sugar bush.

As in past years, local artists led workshops.

Designer and jewelry maker Jennifer VanBenschoten returned, blow-torch in hand, for a second year of making glass and other beads for earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and watches. James Gann and Dusty Grant taught African dancing and drumming; check out the video (URL below) of their students’ performance that rocked the Quonset!

In service-oriented sessions, students applied their carpentry skills to help renovate the woodshop, construct sets and props for the spring play (including a pirate ship of timber-frame construction), and build a portable worm bin for composting.

An eclectic group of classes—in which students assembled a model combustion engine and learned the physics of a car, made soups, baked bread, and tied fishing flies—rounded out this year’s Intersession.

For more information, great photos, and student-made videos, go to www.nct.org/ Intersession2011.

page 17

Organic Roots Spring/Summer 2011

www.nct.org

518.523.9329

page 18

Alumni Events Bay Area Alumni Gatherings

In early April, we held two alumni gatherings in San Francisco. On a lovely spring evening, Treetops alums and friends gathered at the home of Kat Taylor and Tom Steyer (CTT 65-68). A spirited group of nearly 40 people joined Hock, Karen and John Culpepper, Bill Localio (CTT 55-56, 58-59, staff 64-11 various), Susie Localio (CTT 55-56, 58-59, staff 65-80, 89-94), and other staff for this West Coast Camp reunion. Karen’s slide show and talk served as prelude to warm and humorous memory sharing from many of the guests.

The next night, NCS graduates and their families got together just down the street at the beautiful home of Lindsay and George Bolton (NCS 77). Hock shared slides of NCS days present and past, and trustee Dennis Aftergut (CTT parent 07, NCS parent 08) helped spark wonderful reminiscences. We extend deep thanks to our hosts for their warm hospitality, and to all who attended.

Photos (Top half, clockwise from top left): Geoff Strawbridge and Emily Feinstein; Bill Localio and Helen Cohen; John Culpepper, Susan Andrews, Hock, Liz Hilton, Jim Steyer, Dennis Aftergut, Tom Steyer; Susie Localio and David Bond (Bottom half, l to r): Randy Grossman and Hugh Thacher; Scott and Lily Homer; Hock with Caitlin and Bill Waddington page 19

Organic Roots Spring/Summer 2011

Alumni Events Alta Friends’ Weekend Nearly two feet of new snow followed by sunny, mild weather made for ideal conditions for the attendees at our fourth annual Alta Friends’ Weekend. Joined by Hock, NCS art teacher and alumna Noni Eldridge (78), and Alta hosts Mimi Muray Levitt (CTT 51-52, NCS 57, NCS parent 66-70) and her daughter Cassie Dippo (NCS 70, CTT and NCS staff), our energetic group of devoted skiers and loyal alums enjoyed their days on the slopes, time in the hot tub, and evenings of good food and cheer.

Special Thanks We are grateful to Fran and Sumner Parker (CTT 37, NCS 41, CTT parent and grandparent, NCS parent, Trustee Emeritus) for hosting an NCS/CTT gathering at their home in Easton, MD earlier this winter. Hock shared news of the coming capital campaign with close friends and supporters. And late last fall, former NCS parents Sam Wertheimer and Pamela Rosenthal hosted a similar get-together for 20 or so guests at the home of Marjorie Rosenthal (NCS grandparent 09) in New York City. Many thanks to all our generous and gracious hosts.

Photos (top to bottom): Noni Eldridge and Nick Hewitt; Nice view; Hock with Cassie Dippo and Mimi Muray Levitt; Sally Culverwell, Bonnie Morgan, Elizabeth Harlan, Cindy and Fred Morgan, Hock www.nct.org

518.523.9329

page 20

News and Notes FAR-FLUNG ALUMS The Specter of Egypt’s Colonial Interior

Tohoku Pacific Earthquake: An Account from Tokyo

By Jin Sung Boum, NCS 95

By Aaron Jakes, CTT 93-96, Counselor 97-99 Aaron is a PhD candidate in the departments of History and Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at New York University. He is currently working on a dissertation about the agrarian policies of the Egyptian government under the British occupation and was in Cairo at the outbreak of the revolution.

The following is excerpted from an article about the neglect of rural interests that first appeared in the April 11, 2011 issue of the Egyptian daily newspaper, Al-Masry Al-Youm (English edition). …As Egypt nears the two-month mark since Mubarak’s removal from power, a host of new political forces is emerging to announce pointed critiques of the old regime and positive visions of a way forward. But for all the excitement and creativity of this national dialogue, the dominant players have so far preferred to sidestep, if not actively reinforce, the historic under-representation of the countryside. The overwhelming urban bias of virtually all groups claiming the mantle of revolution threatens to forestall some of the most transformative possibilities of the present moment.

To be fair, the ongoing campaign to document and prosecute corruption at the highest levels of the old regime has led to a string of startling, highprofile revelations about shady deals in which top officials either acquired vast landholdings for themselves or profited handsomely by selling the country’s agricultural patrimony to foreigners. But while critics rail against these misdeeds with dramatic accusations of “rape” and “looting,” they tend to describe the victim of such crimes as the nation as a whole. The focus on corruption thereby leaves intact the agricultural policies of the past two decades that underwrote the reproduction of rural inequality on a

page 21

The following is excerpted from posts on the author’s Facebook page.

Friday, March 11, 2011 2:46 pm In Tokyo the quake starts slowly, shaking side to side. I run with my

scale not seen since the 1940s.

On the level of political organizing as well, the past two months have borne a discouraging resemblance to the past. In the lead-up to the 19 March referendum on constitutional amendments, the array of liberal and left-leaning political forces that sought to test the waters by mobilizing for a “no” vote seemed to concentrate their attentions almost entirely on constituencies in Cairo and Alexandria. Key organizers of the campaign like the long-time activist George Ishaq later described this urban focus as a conscious strategy given limited time and resources. But such frank admissions did not prevent a host of self-proclaimed progressive commentators from reading the referendum as a sign of irremediable backwardness, herd mentality, or traditionalism in the countryside.

The fact remains that Egypt’s rural majority will be a powerful force in all future elections. And like voters anywhere else in the world, they are unlikely to embrace political movements that approach them with such undisguised condescension and disdain. These attitudes, which condemn millions of Egyptians as undeserving of real participation in the democratic process, constitute one of the most insidious legacies of Egypt’s colonial past. To be worthy of its name, the revolution that claims Tahrir as its symbol must at last offer liberation for those long denied a politics of their own.

Organic Roots Spring/Summer 2011

phone, wallet and coat outside the house, to see how my mother is doing in the cafe she runs downstairs. Still shaking, old ladies are supporting each other, and many bottles for display crashed on the floor.

After what feels like 3 minutes of continued shaking and shocks, I am too afraid to go back upstairs. I am doing everything I can to gather information on my phone. This is when I first discover that Japan has possibly never experienced anything like this before.

3:30 pm Mother decides to shut the store for the day. I run back upstairs to see what happened. A glass container had crashed, but that is about it. My room, jam-packed with CDs, DVDs, books and what-not, is miraculously safe.

Phone lines are down. Twitter and Mixi [a Japanese version of Facebook] are the two main sources of making sure that people are safe, but everyone is, quite naturally, preoccupied with what has happened to themselves. I am most reliant on Facebook as a way out of confusion.

Post-quake tremors continue; sometimes great, sometimes mellow, never ending.

The survivors of the Kobe earthquake in 1994 tweet that the big aftershock strike usually happens three hours after.

In reality, the aftershock itself lasted for approximately that long.

6:00 pm All public transportation, including airways, is suspended. Even the worst typhoons had never impacted ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING. Moreover, typhoons and snow storms are expected to some degree, and we know when they are leaving.

9:00 pm Certain subway lines resume service.

Limited number of international flights also resume departure, but no arrivals are accepted in Tokyo. A nuclear plant is

News and Notes FAR-FLUNG ALUMS reported at risk of a spillover. Darkness and cold, along with the fear of the tsunami 30 feet high at its highest, are all over the Tohoku region. Fire and explosion are reported from several plants in Japan.

Saturday, March 12 Wake up around 7:00 a.m. in my own bed. I immediately realize how lucky I am to be at home that very moment.

News coverage shows entire cities being washed away [by the tsunami], and what looks like forest fires at night are

the bus to evacuate do not know where they are supposed to flee.

Shock strikes immediately after dinner. Until this point, the official death/ missing toll was around 1,500 or so. It’s clear to anyone following the news that the level of disaster is obviously higher.

Sadly, a small town in Miyagi reports over 10,000 people—out of a population of 17,000—are not accounted for. The number is totally haunting, and we’re aware that this is still not the end.

NCS ALUMNI/AE 1955 Hunter Farnham “After spending my career working in/on Africa, Betsey and I recently traveled to Africa for her first visit! Fabulous game viewing and interaction in Botswana and Zambia, plus a week in Cape Town.”

1957 Rusty Rolland “Loving being back in the East. Home in NH, apartment in NY—the best of both worlds!”

1958 Hunt Howell

Sunday, March 13 Wake up, get online, and finalize the meet-up with my friends scheduled weeks ago. Despite hard times—no, because times are hard—I decide that we should get together to make sure we’re all OK. Many on Twitter and Mixi are calling for people in areas not badly damaged to get back to their normal lives as soon as possible. This will be my first step.

Jin Sung and his mother in her cafe actually buildings burning in the town of Kesen’numa. The heart-breaking coverage, the solitude, and never-ending aftershocks keep haunting me.

By afternoon, my mother is opening the cafe. I go down also, to talk with customers over coffee, sharing experiences. Skype calls come in, too.

Every Facebook comment, every Twitter response has never been so saving. Many are caring for Japan.

The major concern by this time are reports from the Tohoku region. Nobody is able to provide accurate information as to how much damage has occurred and how many are injured. At the same time, an explosion is reported at a nuclear reactor in Fukushima, and evacuation is taking place. However, those getting on

What’s coming...

Information is not getting through to the actual shock locations. Aftershocks are expected to continue for up to one month.

Emergency continues at Fukushima nuclear plant. Insurance companies have taken back their disaster disclaimers and will be paying in full for deaths. In shock regions, hospitals and infirmaries are giving care with reduced fees, with or without health insurance cards. Scheduled regional power outages continue to be considered, as energy supplies are limited due to plant wreckage. Many are cooperating to save energy.

We are alive, and we will revive.

I thank you, again and again, everyone who reads this note, for your continued support and care. I will now try to find a way to forward those feelings to people who are truly suffering.

Hunt (pictured above in Colorado with his son Brian, a US Forest Service ranger) has worked for 30 years at the Inter-American Development Bank on economic development projects in Latin America, with a focus on financial sector reform. On a recent trip to Jamaica, he took digital photos of NCS students in sugaring season to help explain to his host family the differences between cane sugar and maple sugar production. He also took a can of maple syrup made in New Hampshire by his brother Henry Howell (NCS 60).

Hunt reported: “I’m back from Kingston, where I showed your pictures to the two daughters. The girls (in 4th and 6th grades) were fascinated, particularly the older daughter when she realized that she was about the same age as the NCS

continued on next page

www.nct.org

518.523.9329

page 22

News and Notes kids in the photos. Neither of them has seen snow, so when I told them about walking along on the crust, then sinking in up to my hips—and losing half the bucket of sap—they thought it was hilarious.

“I am working in Jamaica now on a new ‘competitiveness enhancement’ project, designed to improve the regulatory and institutional environment.

The husband in the family I visited is someone I have worked with and come to admire over the years. One of the real rewards of my work, and the main reason I remain involved, even after the mandatory retirement age of 62, is getting to know on a personal basis reform-minded individuals like my friend and seeing how our work together has improved economic conditions in these countries.”

Kenney (CTT 93-97, counselor 05-06) joined Hock and NCS teacher Carter Rowley in the Alps over spring break.

Adverse weather prevented the group from climbing the Matterhorn, but they enjoyed great skiing and scenery nonetheless.

as the Governor declares Essex County a disaster area due to flooding.

1989 Yves Jean

2003 Maria Calderon

1965 Nancy Reder “I’m still in private practice and teaching in the DC metro area. Hiked in California’s Trinity Alps and at Crater Lake, Oregon, last summer. Despite the beauty we found out west, we’ll be happy to return to the ADKs in 2011!”

1970 Jeremiah de Rham “After an enjoyable 15-year sojourn living in San Francisco, my wife Amy and I are now in Bristol, RI, happily reconvening with New England friends, family and seasons. With our daughter Georgi heading to Cornell in the fall, maybe more Adirondacks are in our future.”

Splitting time between Pittsburgh and NYC, Yves is advancing his music career with the release of his first music video, Last Forever, right around New Years.

He is nearing completion of his fifth album and hoped to perform this spring at a major industry showcase in Los Angeles. Check out the video and more at www.yvesjeanmusic.com.

2001 Suzanna Finley

1979 Kathy (Hordubay) DellaFera (also CTT 73-79)

2008 Eliot Larson

“Recently completed exterior renovation with solar panels, 100 percent native throughout entire property, removed all invasive species, and planted a small vegetable garden. The county yard recognition committee came to inspect and asked why I did all of this. The response was: my NCS/CTT upbringing.

THANKS.”

1984 Frank Kenney (also CTT 81-86, TTW 89, counselor 91-93) Frank and brothers Edward (CTT 93-97, counselor 07) and William

page 23

Maria graduated from Cornell in May 2010 with a degree in landscape architecture. Last fall she went to Brisbane, Australia, on a DREER travel award to assess the effectiveness of various plant species in constructed wetlands and erosion control. During a research trip to Bali, Indonesia, Maria (pictured above right) ran into Barbara Barton (NCS 00-02, above left), who was working there with an NGO. Visit Maria’s blog at www.imariacalderon. blogspot.com/

Suzanna continues her freelance event photography and is working at Manhattan financial firm Dahlman Rose, where she is pictured with former NCS student Michael Clurman (NCS 70-72), who also works there.

2002 Jon Hochschartner (also CTT 96-00) Jon works for Denton Publications as a writer for the Valley News and editor for other Denton publications. He is pictured here in late April with Andrew Cuomo

Organic Roots Spring/Summer 2011

This past March, Eliot met up with Elba Luis (NCS 08) at the San Cristobal fort in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, where they reminisced about their NCS days.

News and Notes 2009 Kyle Curry

2010 Ayanna Morel (also CTT 07-09) Ayanna is enjoying her 10th grade year at Grier School in Pennsylvania, where she competed on a school dance team and serves as class representative on the student council.

Monica finished the half-marathon, Matt the full 26.2 miles, quite a feat for both considering the snow-packed environment in which they trained.

Farm educator Kat Tholen traveled to Berkeley, CA, for an Edible Schoolyard

NCS FACULTY AND STAFF Kyle (pictured above in the 15K classic race) was joined by fellow alums Sam Cowan (NCS 08) and Izzy Cohan (NCS 08) for the Nordic national championships in Lake Placid in January.

2009 Adam Silverstein and Taylor Pearlman In February, Proctor Academy Nordic teammates Adam and Taylor had lots of NCS/CTT company for the annual Canadian Ski Marathon, a twoday event through 160 kilometers of Quebec countryside. Hock and Lucy Hochschartner (CTT 06-08, NCS 13); Susie, Ben and Hannah (CTT 05,09, NCS 12) Runyon; and former CTT counselors Brook Erenstone (02-04) and Barb Otsuka (84-92, CTT parent 84-88) were among the 2,200 participants, aged 5 to 85.

In January 2011, English teacher Jane Majewski attended a three-day NYSAIS conference in New Paltz, NY, for training for assistant heads, division heads, and deans. David Shenk, author of The Genius in All of Us, was a keynote speaker.

Theatre teacher Wendy Higgins and science teacher Matt Mitchell attended a NYSAIS winter workshop at the Churchill School in New York City about differentiated instruction—approaches for teaching students of various abilities, interests, and learning styles.

Along with farm intern Monica Foley, Matt Mitchell competed in the Hyannis (MA) Marathon in February.

Affiliate Summit in April. She and representatives from the six affiliate programs discussed common principles and began to consider how best to work together to achieve shared goals. Kat is pictured with ESY and Chez Panisse founder Alice Waters.

In May, English teacher Liz Jordan completed a rigorous 200-hour Anusara yoga teacher training certification that she began 15 months ago. She’s been offering well-attended yoga classes to students and staff since last September.

continued on next page

FROM THE ADVANCEMENT OFFICE Annual Giving Our students and campers help put food on the table— literally. By growing and harvesting their own food, they discover not only where it comes from, but are part of the process. Whenever a meal is served, our children know they had a hand in it.

We could not bring experiences like these to children each year without the generous support of our alumni, parents, and friends.

Have you given this year? For more information or to make your gift, please visit www.nct.org/giving or call Caitlin Wargo, Director of Annual Giving, at 518-837-5450.

Thank you for your support.

www.nct.org

518.523.9329

page 24

News and Notes TREETOPS FRIENDS Lynne Spiegelberg Morgan

CTT 56-58, CTT parent 92-97 “Living in New Haven and loving it! Still working as an illustrator for Penny Publications, a puzzle magazine publisher. You can see some of my puzzles in puzzle magazines at your local grocery store or airport.”

service with City Year and planning to return to Treetops this summer.” Pictured left to right: Stan Smith, Lynda, Sarah, and Alex on the South Kaibab trail in the Grand Canyon.

Brian Eng

Camper 84-86 Brian sent news of the birth of son

Thomas the Train videos on Netflix on my iPhone. Continue to work on my school system’s virtual High School. Son David Winkler (CTT 85-90) continues at Microsoft. Daughter Jenny Winkler (CTT 84-86) continues with PATH, international public health, and is now on maternity leave with second son Ari, born 12/16/10.”

Susie Jakes

Camper 86-88, counselor 92-95, 98

Ann S. Hedges

“I am overjoyed to report that my spouse, Jeff Prescott, and I have added a future camper to our family. Amalia Prescott arrived in November.”

Camper 57-60, counselor 67 “Sculptor and jewelry designer living in SF and Mendocino.”

Carlton and Elma (Ellie) Metzloff

David Bond

Counselor 71-97, CTT parent 72-76, 79-83 “Kyle (CTT 79-83) returned in July from New Zealand (Auckland) where he had a six-month sabbatical from University of Wisconsin Platteville where he’s a professor of industrial studies.

Kurt (CTT 72-76) is a program manager at Cummins working on New Engine launch worldwide. Christian (CTT 72-74) is a propulsion manager for new launch of 1st Honda jet later this year.”

Lynda Bernays

Camper 64-65, counselor 68-78, CTT parent 94-03

“We were in Arizona last year for a family wedding and spent several days hiking in the Grand Canyon. From the South Rim we hiked DOWN to about 3,600 feet, halfway to the bottom. Every hairpin gave amazing vistas—it was truly awesome. Right now, we are still living and working in Cleveland; son Alex [Fuller] (CTT 94-98, counselor 02-05, NCS staff 05-06) and girlfriend Anna Viel are in California (having left Burlington, VT, they will travel in Mexico until June, then finish their move to the west coast); and daughter Sarah [Fuller] (CTT 97-02, counselor 07, 10) is in Washington, DC, doing a year of

page 25

Counselor 88-92, counselor 95

Caleb (pictured with Dad above) on November 8, 2010. In addition: “I have been seeing Will Morgan (CTT 84-90) and his family up here in Maine. Will is flourishing in his new role as President of the Chewonki Foundation. In New York City I also have been seeing Josh Harlan (CTT 83-86), who is very excited about starting his own business. And last but not least, my sister Liz Eng (CTT 8489, counselor 93-95) is engaged to be married in September and has moved temporarily to DC, where her fiancé Ben has a job with the Department of Labor Honors Program and she works for the federal courts.”

Thanks to David for bringing his wife Jenny (CTT counselor 95) and children,

Organic Roots Spring/Summer 2011 Editor Betsy Smith

Contributors Noah Harlan

Camper 84-89, staff 91 Congratulations to Noah, who produced director Liza Johnson’s film, “Return,” the only U.S. movie chosen for the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar of the Cannes Film Festival in May. “Return” is one of 25 selected from more than 1,300 films considered for screening.

Jin Sung Boum, Karen Culpepper, Suzanna Finley, Eileen Rockefeller Growald, David “Hock” Hochschartner, Aaron Jakes, Susie Localio, Lisa Rowley, Betsy Smith

Photography Tom Clark, John Culpepper, Kimberly Corwin Gray, Suzanna Finley, Alison Follos, Bill Localio, Bonnie Morgan, John Morgan, Naomi Peduzzi, Todd Pinsonneault, Lisa Rowley, Susie Runyon, Bill Savage, Mike Tholen

Alberta Hemsley

Counselor 86-90, CTT parent 84-90

Layout / Design

“Went to Seattle to care for older grandson, Jacob, age 2½, and spent 2½ weeks of winter holiday watching

Printing

Organic Roots Spring/Summer 2011

Aaron Hobson Benchemark Printing, Inc.

News and Notes Zachary, Maya, and Tessa Ruth, to the Treetops Bay Area event and for posing for this great family photo!

Kelli Culpepper

Camper 90-96, TTW 97-98, staff 99, counselor 00-05, TTX 06-09

in Chinese medicine. She is pictured here with Brandon Campbell (CTT counselor 99-05), a Santa Fe architect who this summer begins a postprofessional master’s of architecture in sustainable design at the University of Texas at Austin. For his thesis, he aims to design a sustainable home, office, or building (pro bono); anyone interested in building this kind of structure may contact him at brandon@treyjordan.com.

John T. Morgan

Camper 92-97 This May Kelli enrolled in the Southwest Acupuncture College in Santa Fe, NM, where she is studying for her master’s

John received his PhD in neuroscience from UCSD and is currently at the MIND Institute in Sacramento doing autism research—and following Phish.

Joey Carey

Camper 93-97, counselor 03-04, 07 Joey is a partner in Sundial Pictures, producers of two films, Dee Rees’ “Pariah” and Elgin James’ “Little Birds,” that earned screenings at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival in February.

Phillip Brest

Camper 95-02 “These days I’m off in California at law school, but there always seems to be a Treetops reminder around the corner.

Just last night, while in New York for the holidays, I ran into two former counselors of mine, and it was as if the last ten years had vanished and I was once again in my super year.”

In Memoriam John Frank Goldsmith (CTT 28 and CTT parent 67-68), 92, died October 14, 2011. A longtime resident of New York City and Chappaqua, he was the beloved husband of the late Caroline Steinholz Lerner; the father of Katherine Paradise of Boston, Elizabeth Hilton (CTT 67-68) of Fairfax, CA, and John Goldsmith, Jr. (CTT 68) of Plainfield, IL; stepfather of David Lerner; grandfather of Alisse Wissman, Chris Goldsmith and Alex Hilton; and brotherin-law of Elizabeth Goldsmith. Mr. Goldsmith graduated from University of Colorado in 1940, was awarded a purple heart in World War II, and enjoyed a long and successful writing and editorial career.

School and Elizabethtown High School, where she also served as guidance counselor and Latin teacher until her retirement in 1972.

Henry Posner, Jr. (NCS grandparent 04-08) died March 23, 2011 at age 92. A chemist, prominent Pittsburgh area businessman, and generous philanthropist, he was the father of Henry Posner III (NCS parent 04-08) and grandfather of Augustin Posner (NCS 08). The family shared that he was buried wearing his NCS vest.

Elaine Edmonds Gross (NCS grandparent 81-84) died June 7, 2010 at the Horace Nye Nursing Home in Elizabethtown, NY, after celebrating her 95th birthday with family two days prior.

She is survived by her three children, Baird Edmonds (NCS parent 81-84, Trustee 83-97) of Keene, NY, Lynn Edmonds of Jay, NY, Beth Edmonds of Freeport, Maine; her grandson Joe Edmunds (NCS 84) of Santa Monica, CA; and many nieces and nephews. A 1936 graduate of Albany State Teacher’s College, Ms. Gross taught math and science for decades at Keene Central

School. He is pre-deceased by his wife, Joan (Murphy) and survived by his son David Martin and his wife Selden of Lake Placid, NY; his daughters, Jody Ann and her husband Christopher of Sudbury, MA, and Pamela Marie and her husband James of Alexandria, VA; his grandchildren, Jon (CTT 96-00, NCS 02) and Lucy (CTT 06-08, NCS 13) Hochschartner and Alexander and Graham Boyd; and nieces and nephews.

Norbert A. Hochschartner (NCS grandparent 95-02, 07-10, CTT grandparent 96-00, 06-08), 81, died September 30, 2010, following a brief illness. Born in New York, he graduated from St John’s Prep in 1947 and joined the US Navy, where he served on the USS Sea Owl until 1950. Self-employed throughout his life in the financial services field, he returned to college in his 50s to earn an associate’s degree at Harvard University’s Extension

www.nct.org

Theodore Kheel (CTT parent 54-64), 96, died November 12, 2010. A graduate of Cornell and Cornell Law, he was New York City’s pre-eminent labor mediator and arbitrator from the 1950s through the 1980s and played a pivotal role in ending newspaper, teacher and subway strikes.

He was the father of Treetops campers Constance E. Kheel (CTT 54-58) of Buskirk, NY, Dr. Marti Kheel (CTT 56-61) of El Cerrito, CA, and Katherine Kheel Locks (CTT 60-64).

518.523.9329

page 26

Non-Profit Organization US Postage PAID Albany, NY Permit #97

page 00

Organic Roots Spring/Summer 2011