2011 Seasonal Staff

Wolfe's Neck Farm is incredibly proud of our seasonal educators.  We bring educators on board each Spring, Summer and Fall to engage kids with the farm, forest, and sea.  They lead hands-on explorations of our ecosystems, work in the barn and gardens, and loads of fun. Summer Camp Director Daisy Wilson points out that "Daisy" is indeed her real name (she gets asked that a lot)! Daisy grew up on Hyla Brook Farm in South Freeport, Maine, where her family raised Romney Sheep.  She participated in a year of AmeriCorps volunteer service here at Wolfe's Neck Farm in 2000, and over the course of the year completed Master Gardener certification through the University of Maine as well as low-ropes course trainer certification through Project Adventure.  Daisy's  graduate coursework in Organizational Leadership and Management included day and resident camp consulting, with a focus on staff development.  When not at the Farm, she's either at home making pie, hiking Maine's trails, or playing with her dog Ping.   2011 Summer Camp Staff: Alex Calandrella, our Barn Educator, is from Sudbury, Massachusetts, though is currently residing in Portland.  Alex spent almost a full year as a Farm intern while studying at USM, and following graduation become our Barn Educator.  Al enjoys learning more and more about the animals at Wolfe's Neck Farm while meeting wonderful new guests everyday.  While not at the Farm Al spends his time camping, hiking and cooking (which leads to another one of his favorite activities: eating!). Brett Forestiere is our Forest Educator this summer.  Born and raised in Bartlett, Illinois, he is a graduate of the University of Illinois where he studied Biology.  During his time off from camp you might find Brett camping, hiking or adventuring somewhere out in the great state of Maine. Patrick Sweatt is our Garden Educator which is why you'll often find him in one of his favorite places on the Farm; the greenhouse!  If you don't find him there, all you have to do is follow the sounds of his banjo, playing the sweet sounds of old-time music.  While not at the Farm, Patrick likes to venture deep in the woods with nothing more than what he can easily carry in his backpack. Patrick, who graduated from Warren Wilson College, calls Winston-Salem, North Carolina his home. Patrick Martin is our Theater Educator (though his talents don't stop there!).  A local from Windham, Maine he is in his third year at Bowdoin College.  Patrick is a big fan of photosynthesis - which is why you'll often find him in the garden marveling at the miraculous process of growing his own food!  While not at WNF Patrick spends some of his time directing and acting in musical theater. Sandy Gilbreath is our Marsh and Ocean Educator from South Portland, ME.  Sandy never passes up an opportunity to get super muddy down in the marsh while looking for the plants and wildlife that call it home.  In the wintertime she enjoys snowboarding; in the summer, any outside activity suits her just fine.  Sandy attended University of Southern Maine. Marie ("Mur") DiBenedetto hails from Orefield, Pennsylvania.  Marie comes to us after spend time as an instructor with Natures Classroom where she has nurtured a strong love for Environmental Education.  Mur's favorite animal at the Farm is the goats.  When she isn't singing goofy songs at camp, she enjoys fishing, disc golf and exploring new hiking trails in the Maine woods. Marie attended Pace University in NY, NY. Julie Virgin is a native of Mt. Vernon, Maine and currently resides in Portland.  One of her favorite parts about working at WNF is creating fun games to while leading campers from one adventure to the next.  Julie recently returned from a long stint living and working in Asia as she earned her degree in Global Studies and Multicultural Education.  Amhad Muhammad is from Cincinnati, Ohio, but currently resides in Portland.  An accomplished pianist, he enjoys a variety of music, basketball, Frisbee, reading about science and philosophy and doing algebra and geometry problems.  At WNF, Amhad loves the trails, buttercups, the marsh, the animals and all the fun he has with his campers. James Kuper is from Pittsburgh, PA and attended Bowling  Green College Rarely without his rugby ball, he also enjoys hiking, camping, kayaking and canoeing.  This summer you can find James on the outskirts of the Farm with our oldest group of campers, Farmward Bound, satisfying his passion for teaching canoeing and camping skills. Rosie Barger is from Nashville, Tennessee.  Her favorite part of working at Wolfe's Neck Farm is helping her campers learn about the world and environment around them and the way they interact within it.  While not at camp she loves exploring the Maine woods and practice playing her fiddle.  Rosie attended Warren Wilson College where she earned a degree in Outdoor Leadership. Colby Smith has lived all over the state of Maine.  He refers to his home as "a nearby coast."  Colby has a vast knowledge of wilderness survival having studied about plants all over the country including, North Carolina, Hawaii and Maine.  Colby is somewhat jealous of the billy goats' beards and can often be found scratching their heads in the barn.  While not at the Farm, Colby enjoys adventures on the sea or in the salt marsh.  Colby attended Unity College. If you are interested in working at Wolfe's Neck Farm, visit our Employment/Internships page to see if we currently have any job opportunities.

 

---