Grace Kiffney – Camp Dodge Support Staff
I'm super excited to be returning to Camp Dodge this summer as Support Staff once again! Mainly because the White Mountains are an amazingly beautiful place, where a ton of really awesome people tend to hang out--such as Dodge volunteers and staff. I'm looking forward to working in the Dodge garden with volunteers, leading weekend programming, and bringing groups their forgotten spoons and other necessary gear while they are at spike camps in the woods. More about my life: I live in Portland, ME, volunteered for a year in Guatemala and Spain, and am wrapping up my first year at the University of Maine in Orono, where I study International Affairs. My hobbies are reading, eating, hiking, skiing, and playing soccer. This list is not exhaustive. I look forward to meeting all of Dodge's lovely volunteers this summer!
Mitra Karimian – Camp Dodge Cook
I am a college graduate of Frostburg State University with a bachelors degree in Ethnobotany and minors in biology, forestry and cultural anthropology. I really love everything about the outdoors from the science to the folklore. I'm excited to spend some time gardening and cooking up some good food for good people.
Hi my name is Mike, and I grew up in a small city just outside of Detroit. While growing up, I spent summers camping at state parks in northern Michigan. Since coming to Brown University, I have taken full advantage of the Brown Outing Club and have gone on kayaking, ice climbing, rock climbing, and hiking trips. Through Brown's Outdoor Leadership Training Program (BOLT), I have also undergone significant training in preparation to lead a pre-orientation hiking trip in the White Mountains this fall. This summer I hope to engage with student volunteers excited to preserve the beautiful trails in the Whites!
Jack Fahey – Maine Woods Teen Trail Crew Leader
Born and bred in beautiful northern New Hampshire, I have spent most of life outdoors. Upon finishing my undergraduate degree, I made it my goal to spend as little time as possible inside. I was lucky enough to spend several years doing conservation work throughout California where I worked on traditional trail work projects along the Lost Coast and projects restoring sensitive desert habitats in the Western Mojave. Working and living with various different groups of unique and enthusiastic young people, I learned the value of community, communication and careful cookie rationing. Now I have been given the chance to return home to New England and continue the work I love in the mountains and forests that reared me from a pup. The future is full of exciting possibilities and inspiring new friends. I could not be more excited to be here, doing the most fun, challenging, and rewarding work I have ever known.
Sam Thomas – Camp Dodge Teen Trail Crew Leader
My name is Sam Thomas and I'm from New Milford, CT. I enjoy eating lots of good food and doing trail work. In my free time I ski, climb, backpack and listen to Bob Dylan. I'm looking forward to leading crews this summer and helping other folks access the backcountry and get into trail work.
Deedee Pearce – Camp Dodge Teen Trail Crew Leader
Coming from San Francisco, I was always the furthest traveler to come to my trail crews with the AMC. I grew up on the west coast, but spent almost all of my summers on the coast of Maine. Since discovering the Camp Dodge volunteer program in 2009, their trail crews have always been the highlights of my summers, and as a leader I hope to make crews as excellent as they were for me. I just finished my freshman year as a student of architecture at Washington University in St Louis, and even though we haven’t designed anything with a door or windows yet, I’m sure it’s soon to come. Living in the Midwest is definitely a new (and much flatter) experience, and even though the Ozark Mountains are nearby, they’ve got nothing on the Whites, and I can’t wait to get up to New Hampshire to get my mountain fix.
Allison Cluett – Camp Dodge & Cardigan Lodge Teen Trail Crew Leader
Hello there! I’m Allison, hailing from Port Jefferson, New York. I am finishing my first year at Brown University, where I am studying chemistry and environmental studies. I grew up camping and hiking with my family, but had my first taste of trail work when I came to Camp Dodge as a volunteer in 2009. I was hooked by the great outdoors, the amazing people I met, and the rewarding work, and returned the following two years. I am so excited to be returning this year as a leader at Camp Dodge and Cardigan Lodge, and look forward to spending my summer in the beautiful mountains!
Molly Mundy – Camp Dodge Teen Trail Crew Leader
Hi! I’m Molly Mundy, I’m from Lyme, New Hampshire, but I’m currently studying Illustration and Art History in Boston. I’ve been hiking in the White Mountains, and exploring in the woods around my house since I was little. I’m so excited to spend the summer in the White Mountains, helping to keep them accessible and enjoyable for others.
Will Harper – Camp Dodge & Cardigan Lodge Teen Trail Crew Leader
Since my birth, I have dreamed of being a Trail Crew Leader in the Whites, and this Summer I will finally be given such an opportunity. Over the past four years, I’ve learned a great deal about trail work through my experiences in the White Mountains and the Berkshires, and I look forward to sharing some great projects with volunteers. I graduated High School this past January and spent the month of February in Argentina with my fellow crew leader Sam. We spent our days backpacking through the Andes, rock climbing at some incredible crags, and pursuing Argentinean delicacies that we couldn’t afford. Since returning to the States I’ve been working on a horse breeding ranch in my hometown, and have been patiently awaiting the birth of two new Haflinger foals. I’ll certainly miss all the horses this summer, but I’m incredibly excited to be leading trail crews in the mountains of New Hampshire. I look forward to working with and getting to know you all.
April Scott – Maine Woods Teen Trail Crew Leader
I am from Missouri, where I learned to backpack on the Ozark Trail. I began volunteering at Ozark Trail Association work events in 2008. Since that first exciting outing, I have become a crew leader, USFS-certified sawyer, and a trail section adopter. I look forward to spending this summer in Maine and leading teens in trail maintenance, camp life, and fun in the outdoors.
Hilary Brumberg – Camp Dodge Teen Trail Crew Leader
Hey hi! After an amazing two-week spike teen crew last summer, I am so excited to return to Dodge this summer as a crew leader. I’m from Newton, MA. In the fall, I will be a freshman at Wesleyan University, where I plan to study a combination of environmental science, neuroscience, and Spanish.
I’ve hiked everywhere from the rainforests of Belize, to the desert of Israel, to the Rockies of Colorado, to the woods in my backyard. I also love spending time outside working on a local organic farm, tapping maple trees, hammock camping, constructing green walls (like green roofs, but vertical), and playing soccer and ultimate frisbee. Indoors (and often outdoors), I can be found eating food, cooking food, reading about food, writing about food, having food fights, and doing many other food-related activities.
Nate Karol – Adult Volunteer Trail Crew Leader & LNT Instructor
Well here we are again. Our 2012 season was an amazing success! The passion that others showed me through their volunteer efforts was eye opening and the dedication of everyone involved in making Camp Dodge a lively and thriving place was like nothing I had ever seen. For those of you who have played outside with us before, you know the drill…come back and play again. For those who may be perusing for the first time, here is a bit about who I am and how I got here.
--Being one of those kids who got off the school bus and went right in to the woods to play, it only seems fitting that my career has lead me back to my passion – the outdoors.
My involvement with AMC began a few years back when I volunteered with AMC activities on National Trails Day. After a full day of working with people of all ages, teaching, and learning with others, and of course, being outside, I was hooked! Playtime with AMC continued as a member of the Boston Chapter executive committee, and as a hiking/backpacking co-leader. I’ve been blessed with a variety of enriching outdoor opportunities including leadership development, technical skills training and with the ability to get out and work with everyone from teens to adults from California to Pennsylvania. This past winter a new teaching adventure brewed…I dove in to being a ski instructor in the mountains near Lake Tahoe, CA. It was rewarding to say the least, but very different from the satisfaction one gets from working with their hands, watching a project develop and seeing the excitement in the eyes of volunteers when their work is done! See you on the trail!
Peace, love and dirt.
Anna Tupaj – Camp Dodge Cook
My name is Anna Tupaj. I am originally from Lovell, Maine. After graduating high school from Fryeburg Academy in 2011, I received a government scholarship and studied Mandarin Chinese for ten months in Beijing, China. I just finished my freshman year at Hunter College in Manhattan, New York, where I am double majoring in Chinese Language and Documentary Film Production. As I was growing up, the White Mountains became an incredibly important part of my life, allowing me to bike, swim, ski, and play in the beautiful outdoors. One of my favorite hobbies is hiking and my life goal is to hike all of the trails in the Presidential Traverse! I am so excited and grateful to be a Camp Dodge Co-Cook this summer, and I am looking forward to working hard and taking advantage of the wonderful opportunities that Pinkham Notch, NH has to offer.
Nick Mattson – Camp Dodge Teen Trail Crew Leader
My name is Nick Mattson and I hail from Bellingham, Washington. I am currently pursing my degree in outdoor recreation from Western Washington University. The outdoors has played a major role in my life since I first moved to Washington at the ripe age of 16. I enjoy all forms of outdoor recreation and have an extensive resume, including serving as a corps member on a trail crew. I look forward to applying my newly acquired knowledge in a professional environment and build upon my interpersonal skills. If I could achieve one objective this season, it would be to foster a strong affection for the outdoors in all of my participants.
Kitty Goplerud – Camp Dodge Support Staff
This will be my second year working as support staff at Camp Dodge and I couldn't be more excited for the season to start. The garden thrived last year but this year it's going to be even more amazing. I hope to bring some of my passion for local organic food to all the volunteers this summer. More about me: I am from Lexington, MA but the White Mountains are my second home. I graduated from Lexington High School last year and decided to take this year off the travel and work. I went to Central America for three months and I am completely in love with Guatemala, it's culture, language and food. Although traveling is great, I am ready to go back to school and will attend the University of Maine Orono in the fall. Hope everyone has a great spring. Get ready for an unforgettable summer!
Stefan Shapiro – Camp Dodge Custom Crew Leader
I'm looking forward for my second year with the AMC up in the Whites. I graduated from Frostburg State University in 2010 with a Parks and Rec degree and a concentration in Adventure Sports. Since then I have completed an internship with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy's ATC Lands Program working on their mapping project. After my internship, I scored a job with the ATC as a Boundary Tech which has had me on the road working on NPS boundary from Rangeley, ME to Damascus, VA. I have spent equal parts of my life growing up in Chattanooga, TN and both Eastern and Western MD. While not working with the teen crews, I hope to get out climbing, biking, swimming and anything else outside. While out, I enjoy foraging and am always searching for more information about nature. I love music with a fondness for stringed instruments and a curiosity for the winds. Can't wait to meet some new folks and pick around in the Whites!
Zack Urgese – Camp Dodge Projects Coordinator
This is my third season at Camp Dodge and my second as the Projects Coordinator for the volunteer crews. I enjoy the out of doors, working hard, and getting dirty. I fell in deep appreciation for working on trails when I started a few years back. To see your progress from start to finish, looking at a handmade native bog bridge or rock staircase that’s crew built is rewarding beyond words. I’m a Mainer who grew up working on the farm and canoeing the lakes and streams of Maine and New Hampshire. I’m looking forward to hiking in carrot cake, brownies, and peanut butter chocolate squares for the trail crews. They deserve it!
Alison Violette – Volunteer Trails Programs Coordinator
Hola, It’s great to be back with the AMC for my third year! Previously I worked in the Berkshires helping to coordinate the volunteer teen trail programs and last year I moved up to the Whites to do the same thing. I love being in the mountains, watching the ebb and flow of the seasons and the staff that come and go. When I’m not in the office fielding phone calls and sending emails to participants, I can be found hiking the trails, watching for wildlife, taking photos of birds, tending to the garden, and playing music. Here’s to an amazing season to come!
George Brown – Camp Dodge Facilities Manager
After volunteering at Camp Dodge for several years it's quite a change for me to be an AMC staff member and part of the great team that makes Camp Dodge the special place that it is. As Facilities Coordinator I'm excited about looking after the nuts and bolts of the Camp and working with AMC staff and volunteers to make the facility run as smoothly as possible. And I'll be accompanied, and helped by, my own staff, Alison and Wilson in the busy earlier weeks-they may not help much but they provide plenty of entertainment. A little background information-originally from Toronto, I moved to Maine 35 years ago and ran a small building construction business and last year moved to Gorham N.H. I love mountains, all of them, and all the exploring, adventures and natural beauty they offer. I'm a four season hiker and trail adopter/Region Leader in the Baldface/Royce Range.
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