By Noni Waite-Kucera

The betterment of human character is a core value of the Eagle’s Nest mission statement. Over the last 79 years we have seen countless examples of Eagle’s Nest inspiring young people to step forward from their time living in our small community in Pisgah Forest and take their leadership skills, compassion and willingness for hard work out to the world at large. Young and old, campers and students, Eagle’s Nesters are working around the world to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate, in protection of our environment and in the betterment of human character.

This December 2005 issue of the “Eagle” spotlights a few of the many remarkable Eagle’s Nesters hard at work today:

• Zanne Garland (C, JC, S) “Mobilize to Rise”
• Rebecca Blecke (OA) OA Alumnae Supports National Land Trust Movement
• Amos Barclay (C, JC, S) and Dan Conway (S) “Waves of Sharing”
• Matthew Sevilla (S) “Riding the Waves of Service”
• Jonathan Romm(C, JC, S) and Dan Behn (S) Tsunami Assistance Project: TAP
• Sarah Mackey (C, OA) “Taking Eagle’s Nest to the Next Level”
• Jamey Lowdermilk (C, JC, OA, S) “Dollars to Dhaka”
• OA Semester XXI “OA Students Sew Blankets for Victims of Katrina”

I hope their stories will inspire you as they have for me!

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Mobilize to Rise

By Zanne Garland

Zanne (in sunglasses) with Huck Finn Crew in 2004

One step will start a movement.
I: will shake then swirl then step then flow
You: will pull then swell then give then spread
Which: will melt then churn then boil then rise

Wilderness leadership programs are notoriously inaccessible to young leaders with limited incomes, but Eagle’s Nest prioritizes access to and diversity within its summer camp and school. When I was 16, I went on a Hante, a 3-week wilderness leadership trip, at Eagle’s Nest. Outside, away from the pressures of high school, I could explore my place in my community, choose to challenge myself, and find out what I am capable of doing in demanding situations. And I was lucky to have this opportunity that my parents afforded me. Throughout college and since moving to Seattle, I have been working with youth in a number of capacities. As an Eagle’s Nest trip leader, as a mentor to a middle school girl, as a tutor, and as an environmental educator, I have found that young people are capable and willing to learn leadership and self-reliance skills when given the opportunity. Eagle’s Nest staff members and supporters Dan Conway and Amos Barclay created a scholarship fund for Eagle’s Nest Hantes called Waves of Sharing to inspire a young generation to give back to what gave us the opportunity to become confident leaders. I plan to continue their momentum to raise money for Eagle’s Nest wilderness leadership scholarships by hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2006.

My choice to have a powerful voice in my community has steadily grown since my Hante trip at Eagle’s Nest. I currently raise money for an organization in Seattle that helps people start their own businesses, through which I have seen how investments can be leveraged to create opportunities. Last fall, I asked the staff and the business clients to come together to meet the overwhelming demand for our business-training program. The staff of the non-profit and the clients with limited incomes came together and raised 3 times the amount raised from the same constituency the year before. The substantial increase enabled us to offer an additional training class so that 30 more clients could have access to our free program this year. Bringing together the community of staff members and clients to make this investment and create these opportunities made me understand the capability of communities in action. Communities can mobilize themselves to take action when they have the leadership and opportunity to do so. I have decided to turn my efforts to raising money to create leadership development opportunities for young people by taking the action of hiking the Appalachian Trail.

Investing in young people and providing access to wilderness leadership programs will extend far beyond the additional students who can participate in an outdoor program as a result of more scholarships. The groups on the trips will be more diverse and the skills that all of the students transfer from the Hante school to their every day lives will reemerge in their own shape, form, or motion. A good leader can be more transformative than any idea or organization within a community. You can help start this movement.

One step will start a movement
I: will move then step out on the Appalachian Trail
You: can spread the word and give to support this effort
Which: will provide more young people the opportunity to rise and lead their communities
Mobilize to rise

Join me on the hike in March, you can start a movement of your own in your community.

• Give $220 to Eagle’s Nest and you will provide all the equipment necessary for one student to embark on a Hante. It will also be a gift of 10 cents for every mile that I hike.
• Give $3,300 to Eagle’s Nest, you will provide the tuition support for one student to go out on a wilderness trip to develop leadership skills and $1.50 for every mile that I hike.

Please consider giving what you can because every gift is an important step in a larger movement. My goal is to raise $10,000 by March 2006. I plan to personally give $1,000, the largest personal gift I have ever given, and in addition I will pay for my entire hike. Thank you for your support.

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"OA Alumnae Supports National Land Trust Movement"

Spotlight on Rebecca Blecke

By Mark Meyer-Braun

I remember Rebecca Blecke as a precocious go-getter, and organizational wizard when she attended The Outdoor Academy in the Fall of 1995. Rebecca was a member of the school’s first experimental semester of thirteen students. I recently attended the ten-year reunion of “Semester One,” and was blown away by the good work that each member of the class is doing. Rebecca is a clear case in point.

After her OA semester, Rebecca returned to Ransom Everglades School (outside of Miami), but kept-up strong relations with fellow OA classmates. She traveled West with two OA pals in the Summer after her sophomore year. This trip exposed her to the open spaces and natural beauty of the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains. Rebecca was attracted to Colorado College by its location and its learning environment, which offered some of the features she deeply enjoyed at The Outdoor Academy.

At Colorado College Rebecca pursued a course of study in Biology and Ecology. During her college years, she was fortunate to enjoy a host of adventures beyond Colorado Springs. She came home to the Blue Ridge mountains to work at Gywnn Valley Camp for a couple of summers, and to study with the High Country Conservancy in Boone, NC. She spent most of a summer in Alaska, and one semester in Tanzania studying biodiversity and conservation. She graduated a semester early, spending her senior spring as an intern with the Nature Conservancy and Trust for Public Lands in Colorado Springs.

After college, Rebecca relocated to Charlotte, NC and worked for the Catawba Land Conservancy — a land trust for the six-county area that surrounds Charlotte and whose work protects eco-diversity, water quality and open spaces. In the course of this work she earned her real estate license and a certificate in non-profit management from Duke University. After two years with the Conservancy, Rebecca felt compelled to pursue a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Environmental Management and Planning.

Rebecca is now in her final year of this program at Texas State University in San Marcos. In cooperation with the National Land Trust Alliance (the national umbrella organization in her field) Rebecca developed a thesis topic that will improve the national accreditation process for independent land trusts throughout the country. Rebecca knows that national standards for accreditation will serve to improve the credibility, viability, and sustainability of land trust initiatives nation wide. She has dedicated herself to supporting the preservation of natural lands and the thoughtful management of our natural resources.

Needless to say, we are infinitely proud of Rebecca’s work, and her spirit.

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Amos Barclay (left) with ENC friends Jacob Chapman and Ashley Kight

We set out to help the Foundation with its commitment to providing the opportunity to attend camp to low-income campers—in part because we’d known so many staff members whose lives had been touched forever by their Eagle’s Nest experiences, but who never had the chance to experience it through a camper’s eyes. We also hoped there were others our age who had begun to make their way in the world and who might also feel it was time to start giving something back to the Nest.

Goals, hopes. The trick was how to do it. We needed some way to make our idea stand out to people—not only to make it a unique, attractive, and worthwhile option for those donors who already gave regularly to the Foundation, but to stir up new interest for those who hadn’t started giving...yet. We decided to do a little poking around to explore our options.

It wasn’t long before we discovered Summer Search Foundation, an organization based in New York and California that selects and pays partial tuition for low-income high school youth to attend summer camps throughout the country. Summer Search was founded in 1990, and has grown to send over 600 students a year from San Francisco, Boston, Napa-Sonoma, New York City, and Seattle to the camp of their choice (for more information, visit www.summersearch.org). What’s more, Eagle’s Nest had already helped provide scholarships to many Summer Search student for over 10 years, and Summer Search even had a candidate who was specifically interested in spending a session at the Nest for the summer of 2005. And, perhaps most importantly for fundraising purposes, they would match all contributions we made towards the cost of tuition. This meant that every dollar we raised for the scholarship would be worth two dollars of tuition for a promising camper. Pairing Eagle’s Nest with Summer Search, we decided, was too good to pass up—a match sanctioned by the Great Eagle himself.

After talking over our plan with Noni Waite-Kucera (ENF Executive Director), Paige Lester-Niles (ENC Camp Director), Mari “Jo” Winkle (ENF Development Director), and longtime ENF fundraiser Suzanne Hogg, and then coordinating with the New York City office of Summer Search, we launched the Waves of Sharing Scholarship Campaign in April 2005. Our goal was to raise one half of a session’s tuition to send two Summer Search campers to the Nest for the summer of 2005. We had about a month and a half before staff orientation started, and $5,000 to raise.

Through the generous donations of friends, family, and Nest alums from all over, we managed to meet most of our goal, and sent the first ever Waves of Sharing scholars to camp this past summer. The two Students were able to participate on a climbing and backpacking adventure in West Virginia and a hiking trip in the Adirondacks.

We can’t give enough thanks to those who have already given to Waves of Sharing. You helped give two great kids an immeasurably rewarding summer experience, and also gave the Eagle’s Nest community the gift of their presence and participation. And while we couldn’t have done it without you, we hope that others will join in your generosity as we keep the Waves rolling. Next on the horizon, we hope to raise enough money to endow a scholarship of our own, so that Waves scholars will become a regular part of the Eagle’s Nest fabric. In addition, creating an endowment provides the added benefit of longevity. If we reach a set goal of $25,000 over two years, we can endow a scholarship that will provide its own income for Waves scholars, thus eliminating the need to ask donors to give more each year. We know it’s going to be a long haul raising that much money, but we feel confident we’ll get there. And with your help, we’ll all give a gift that will remain a part of the Nest for the ages.

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Riding the Waves of Service:
Hante Instructor Puts Surfing on Hold to Help

Spotlight on Matthew Sevilla

By John Carrico

Eagle’s Nest has always been rooted in cultures, not simply those of ethnicity or of historical content, but also to our social cultures. Within our community, there are principals that are commonly shared by the individuals who form Eagle’s Nest. Specifically, when faced with privation and adversity, small or large, the Eagle’s Nest community always rallies to give support to those in need of assistance.

Matthew leads River To Sea Hante 2005

So it was of no surprise when the devastating images of Hurricane Katrina made their way into our lives, members of our community, much like the rest of nation, felt a need to respond. One of the many people to offer their services to the victims throughout the Gulf Coast is our own Matthew Sevilla.

Matthew has a long history of community service as well as disaster relief training and experience from his years of involvement with AmeriCorps, including one year as a team leader for the AmeriCorps NCCC. Beginning in early September, just after Hurricane Katrina hit, and still there as of late October, Matthew has been working with the American Red Cross to help alleviate the hardships of the hundreds of thousands of displaced Americans.

For the majority of his time along the Gulf Coast Matthew has been stationed in one of the regions Red Cross head quarters in Montgomery, Alabama. As the thousands of volunteers stream in from across the country, they are filtered through these head quarters before being assigned to specific areas. Matthew’s role has been focused on procurement and logistical support. His duties have included locating and obtaining the needed supplies to support not only the headquarters for which he works, but also the many service centers that the Red Cross has set up throughout the region. Matthew spent time in Mobile, Alabama, as well, assisting with the logistical support of the service centers specifically along the Alabama Coast – an extremely hard it area.

Throughout the past several years, Matthew has been an active instructor with Eagle’s Nest and the Hante program. He has lead a total of four Hantes, including AT Trek, Southwest Climbs, Rivers to Sea, and the Adirondacks. In addition to his work here, he has put in numerous courses as an instructor for the North Carolina Outward Bound School. A native of Southern California, still his home part of the year, Matthew has forgone his work there (and the surfing season) this fall to lend a hand to the great need in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

After wrapping up his term of service in Alabama, Matthew will be coming back to 43 Hart Rd. This spring, Matthew will join The Outdoor Academy team as the male resident, followed by another active summer as a Hante instructor.

Thanks, Matthew, for your dedication to service. We are all extremely grateful and proud of your unending efforts.

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Dan Behn with New Friends

Tsunami Assistance Project: TAP

By Jonathan Romm

Jonathan Romm Getting to Work

“Let’s do something about this,” Kevin Griffith, one of Dan’s good friends from Peace Corps Uzbekistan, emailed us while Dan was visiting me during my final month of Peace Corps Vanuatu. A month later, the three of us were in Nagaputtinam meeting with local village leaders, government officials and executives about what was and was not being done by the Indian Government and large NGOs. After a month of assessing the needs of the community, the three of us concluded that there needed to be an orphanage/children’s center near one of the emergency shelters. This shelter, like many of the other ones, was a community built like barn stalls, constantly had empty water tanks, smelled of urine and was overrun with people. Maslow would not approve.

What happened over the next two months still amazes me. We created the Tsunami Assistance Project (TAP) and based ourselves out of a $5 a night hotel room in the Golden Sands Lodge. (It should be pointed out that there was nothing “Golden,” nor “Sandy” about our lodge). Friends and family helped set up a website, organize fundraisers and provide support from home. The National Peace Corps Association and The Heinz School at Carnegie Mellon University helped provide administrative and financial support. While all this was taking place, we found community leaders to take ownership of the center, employed over seventy-five men and women who were out of work due to the tsunami, as well as purchased materials and supplies from local stores that were not utilized by the big NGOs and the Government in their reconstruction efforts. The Future Friends Children’s Center - a place were kids could eat, sleep, learn vocational skills, read and talk to social workers was the end product. The Center is a stunning building with a library, computer center, classrooms, two kitchens, western toilets, dormitories and resident quarters.

Jonathan & Dan at the Grand Opening

We celebrated its opening day with local business officials, other volunteers, laborers, community leaders and most importantly the children who will benefit from the Center. I will never forget the look of pride and joy on all of their faces.

Although all of us were horrified by the devastation of last year’s tsunami, the citizens of Nagaputtinam had already begun the road to recovery while we were there. Restaurants were re-opening; the street tea venders were brewing again, and motorcycles,

cows, goats and taxis once again filled the streets. It will be impossible for this fishing community to return to the same life it had before December 26 th, 2004, but when we left; we knew that, with the help of our friends and family from home, we were able to help create a safe space where children could smile, laugh, learn, and look optimistically to the future.

Daniel Hill (left) and Dan Behn (right) at ENC summer 2005

Jonathan Romm and his cabin at Friendship Circle Summer 2005

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Taking Eagle’s Nest to the Next Level

Spotlight on Sarah Mackey

By Julie Slobin

Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a session wishing you could slow time so you could make camp last longer? Or realizing that Eagle’s Nest has so much to offer that you want to cram as much in as possible? Have you ever wished you could learn and experience everything Eagle’s Nest stands for and believes in and then extend that even further into overseas travel and cultural exchange? Have you ever wished you could live at Eagle’s Nest for an entire school semester? Many of you, I’m sure, are nodding your heads.

I would like to introduce you to an Eagle’s Nest camper, Sarah Mackey, better known to the world as “Smackey”. Smackey, who is from Bradenton, Florida, first came to camp in 1999, when she was 9 years old. She started her Eagle’s Nest life in cabin Library, the youngest girls cabin. Smackey had such a great time that she returned the following year, and has been here every summer since.

When Smackey turned 11, however, she wanted a little bit more. Now Smackey has always been a good kid looking for adventure. I wouldn’t go as far as to say she would get into ‘a lot’ of trouble but she definitely had a little mischievous streak in her every now and then. Basically, she was an 11 year old who liked to get into a little harmless mischief and also had adventure running through her veins. Who can think of a better way to spend one week of a camp session than sailing down the French Broad River on a raft with 7 other fellow adventurers, playing out the legendary role of Huck Finn? Well, Smakey had the opportunity to take this adventure and stepped up to the challenge and still raves about her experience on the Huck Finn Added Adventure today.

Although this trip was great, Smackey still wanted more. When possible, she would attend camp for two sessions to try and get her fill. And then it happened: Hante Australia was born. Smackey filled out her application and had a place on the Australian Hante, along with 11 of her new best mates. During this adventure, Smackey learned and experienced so many new things. There are far too many to mention all, but backpacking around Fraser Island, the world’s largest sand island was one. One of her days consisted of a 15 mile hike starting at a fresh water lake before the sun rose, hiking through the sand and into the Aussie bush surrounded by gum trees, exotic native birds and other wildlife. She continued by hiking still further into the rainforest then starting to descend down through more bush and past wild dingoes to come out on the other side of the island to a magnificent stretch on the beach with the Pacific Ocean lapping at her feet. Still hiking, she eventually came to some gigantic sand dunes that needed to be conquered. Once over them, she and her group set up camp on yet another amazing starry night next to another beautiful fresh water lake. Here Smackey celebrated her 15 th birthday. On this Hante, Smackey also experienced life in a permaculture village, learned how parts of Australia are really suffering from drought and how we can use as little water as possible. She also learned how Australia has bountiful amounts of sunshine and how to use that for solar power, and how the entire world could benefit from this type of living. Among other things Smackey also learned that there are many deadly and dangerous animals in Australia, that dingoes get upset when photographed, that the country is HUGE, that surfing is harder than it looks, and that kangaroos are even cuter in real life.

While Smackey had the most amazing time on her Hante to Australia, she still yearned for more. And more is what she got. Smackey is currently a student at The Outdoor Academy, semester XXI. Here Smackey gets to live the dream of actually being able to live at Eagle’s Nest. Here she has the chance to live and attend school in a small community. While she still has her school classes each day, she also gets more opportunities to get out there and go climbing, paddling, and backpacking. She’s involved in making new best friends and taking in as much as possible.

Do you think she is going to stop there? No way, not Smackey. She still wants more. She feels with all this behind her it’s times to lead and share these experiences with other Eagle’s Nest campers. She has applied and been accepted into the Junior Counselor Program. So, once again, this summer, Smackey will be packing her trunk and heading back up to Eagle’s Nest to find more adventures, new best friends, and new experiences that Eagle’s Nest provides.

I asked Smackey if she could sum up Eagle’s Nest in a few words.

Eagle’s Nest, for me has always brought me back to that core self. It has helped me to be comfortable with who I am and to not be afraid to show that to other people. Camp makes me feel at home. Now being at OA, I feel inspired to do something more. Even small things can make a difference, and Eagle’s Nest has made me realize that in a way no other place has. Eagle’s Nest will always share a piece of my heart.

When Smackey is not at camp she can be found hanging out with school friends, performing her favorite hobby of dance and volunteering to help others and our environment. Smackey helps teach dance at her local dance studio, she tutors 4 th and 5 th graders in Math, English, and Science and has volunteered to help regenerate, care for and clean Emerson Point – a Florida parkland and beach area.

Along with Smackey, there are many more campers out there who have experienced the same types of adventures, lessons, friendships and increased environmental awareness.

From the littlest campers up to the amazing staff, there are many people who have been inspired in part by what they have learned and experienced at Eagle’s Nest. From Tsunami relief efforts to regeneration and awareness of local nature areas, Eagle’s Nesters are touching lives. In the words of Smackey:

Eagle’s Nest has made me more aware of people and areas around me. Things don’t change unless you are actively involved. People need to get rid of the thought that someone else will take care of it. Eagle’s Nest has taught me that I can be that voice and that person responsible for making a difference, here at home and across the world.

With a mission like “Experiential education for young people promoting the natural world and the betterment of human character,” how can we go wrong?

Click here for pictures of Hante Australia

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Jamey leads the Huck Finn Adventure ENC 2005

Dollars to Dhaka

By Jamey Lowdermilk

In piecing together content for this article, I kept forcing links and relationships between Eagle’s Nest Foundation and Bangladesh. I wanted to paint a literary picture holding the children of these two distant worlds together. Sadly, that’s nearly impossible – really, aside from their age and the universal spirit of youth, their only connection is me.

Last spring, I spent three months as an unpaid intern with the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. Grameen, meaning ‘rural’ in Bengali, provides small loans to the poorest women in the villages of Bangladesh. The success of the Bank (www.grameen-info.org)

A Grameen Shikkha Scholarship Recipient, 1st in his class, meeting with an Area Manager of the Grameen Bank. February, 2005, Chittagong, Bangladesh

So I have begun the Dollars to Dhaka campaign with the ultimate goal of raising $3000 or 3 scholarships to three children across the world. So far, from presentations, letters, and supportive friends and family, I’ve raised $750 towards the goal – a wonderful start with a ways to go. After months of an inspiring education with the Grameen Bank and the family of companies working for the poor in Bangladesh, it is relieving to provide a connection between those that care here and the many that need on the other side. Ideally, we could afford every child in every country an Eagle’s Nest opportunity, but this is a small beginning, headed in the right direction.

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OA Students Sew Blankets for Victims of Katrina

Pisgah Forest, NC —November 3, 2005 — Students at The Outdoor Academy, a semester school for tenth graders, have been busy sewing blankets to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. The 25 students at the school decided to make time amidst their classes and wilderness activities to positively impact those affected by Katrina.

Ariana DeToro-Forlenza, Resident and Outdoor Leader, led a committee of students as they brainstormed how they could make a difference from so far away. She then worked with the students as they assembled five fleece blankets, each with a unique design, to contribute to Project Linus, an American Red Cross group that provides blankets for children. The students are hoping to ship the finished blankets to the Red Cross on Friday, November 11 th.

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The Past is a Present

“ A Place in the Circle” – OA Ten Year Reunion

by Heather Richardson

If you attended The Outdoor Academy’s 10-year reunion last spring, then you will understand what I mean by this title.   Seeing so many faces from the past, and sharing numerous stories (old and new), was truly a gift for all who participated.   And there were many!   Two hundred and fifty alumni, 40 parents, and over 30 faculty/staff were in attendance on Saturday, April 9, 2005 for a day of reminiscing, reconnecting, and forging new friendships.   The warm, sunny weather matched the mood of the day and I cannot recall a time that I witnessed or received more heartfelt hugs.  

After finding a spot to park in the Riverside field, participants made their way through registration to a background score rich with peals of laughter, shrieks of joy, and mob-style hugging.   Throughout the morning many people found their way into their most treasured activity while they were at OA, work crew!   Current students, alumni, and faculty worked together in the garden and around campus planting trees.   We then found our “place in the circle” on Cabin 7 field for an opening ceremony with Helen Waite and moved into class meetings for some discussions about keeping the OA spirit alive and thinking about the future of The Outdoor Academy.   There was a festive processional (in true Eagle’s Nest fashion) down to the A-field where we all managed to squeeze into a photo on the dam of the lake, followed by activities and a cookout dinner.   There was an open-mic session, awards and speeches, and the largest “ Goodnight Circle” to date.

I was amazed by the breadth of experience, travel, and education that our alumni have been engaged in since their time at OA.   We’ve had alums traveling to the far reaches of the planet, becoming accomplished outdoor enthusiasts, and working dynamically in their communities for social justice and peace.   The list of universities and colleges that OA students have and are currently attending is impressive.   Many of these schools are small liberal arts colleges. This would appear to be an indication of our alumni’s continued interest in and value for an intimate and personal education.   The outdoor leadership endeavors, wilderness programs, and career paths that OA alumni are pursuing also show a strong commitment to preserving the natural world and being environmentally responsible citizens.   Several alums are involved in organic farming, natural resource defense, environmental education, and several different helping professions, all with community-minded efforts.

If the reunion was not a gift enough alone, the Outdoor Academy was honored by Semesters I and II who launched The Outdoor Academy Alumni Scholarship Fund and raised over $2,000 between their two classes.   Other semesters will have the opportunity to support the scholarship in the near future as well.   Many thanks are in order to our OA alums who continue to give back to the Outdoor Academy in so many ways.

If you were unable to attend the 10-year reunion, I suggest that you make plans to show up for the next OA reunion.   Hopefully you will leave as I did, dizzied with euphoria, sore muscles from incessant smiling, and recharged with an understanding and appreciation for the growth and magic that occurs at The Outdoor Academy.  

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The Outdoor Academy Earns SACS Accreditation

By Mark Meyer-Braun

Anyone who has kept up with recent developments at The Outdoor Academy knows that the school has now completed the accreditation process with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). I am happy to report that we passed with flying colors, earning several commendations for outstanding educational programming and sound institutional practices.

Late last spring, a team of distinguished educators hailing from North Carolina independent and public schools paid a three day visit to The Outdoor Academy in order to examine the school’s academic curriculum, residential program, and administrative structure. The peer review committee was charged with reviewing the extensive school self-study that was undertaken during the past two years. This process involved a thorough and critical self-examination, reflected in an exhaustive report of the school’s strengths and challenges. The self-study process required the participation of the faculty, board of trustees, and select alumni and alumni families. Surveys were designed and administered in order to ascertain the perspective of each group. The resultant data was carefully analyzed by our accreditation coordinator and former Assistant Head of School, Julie Williams.

Based on the results of the self-study, a five-year plan for school improvement was drafted. The peer review committee evaluated this plan in light of the results of our self-study and the committee’s observations. Our primary school improvement initiative will involve gathering more comprehensive information about how alumni of the program perform academically upon returning to their home school. Of course, we are also interested in the artistic and service learning pursuits of former OA students. Tracking the activities of our alumni will provide the basis for a longitudinal study about how attending The Outdoor Academy impacts the lives of our young students.

Gaining accreditation is a major right of passage for The Outdoor Academy. Accreditation certifies that the school meets curricular and institutional standards of excellence, and that credits earned at The Outdoor Academy will be honored at secondary schools and colleges throughout the country. We expect that this accomplishment will open the door to new relationships with sending schools throughout our region and beyond.

I want to thank all of the people who helped make this accomplishment possible – in particular, board members that assisted in our self-study, advisory board members who helped to guide our process, our dedicated and hard working faculty, our coordinator – Julie Williams, and our Trustee Outdoor Academy Committee chairman – Mo Waite. In my opinion, the greatest praise we received in this process applauded our dedication to the Foundation mission – to provide experiential education for young people, promoting the natural world and the betterment of human character. We give thanks for this confirmation, and we look forward to pursuing the new ideas generated from this process.

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The Outdoor Academy Semester XXI

• Callis Chambliss, Sayre School, Lexington, KY
• Steffi Cook, Milton High School, Alpharetta, GA
• Sunny Cooper, Forsyth Country Day, King, NC
• Linnea Curtis, H.B. Plant High School, Tampa, FL
• David Fogg, Sayre School, Lexington, KY
• Sara Gabrielson, Carolina Friends School, Hillsborough, NC
• Adelaide Giornelli, Westminster, Atlanta, GA
• Chloe Hans-Barrientos, Mast Academy, Coral Gables, FL
• Sarah Harlan, Trinity Collegiate School, Florence, SC
• Sarah Kelly, The Lovett School, Atlanta, GA
• Jason King, Tuscola High School, Waynesville, NC
• Danny Laney, The Lovett School, Atlanta, GA
• Sarah Mackey, St. Stevens, Bradenton, FL
• Lucy Martier, First Flight High School, Southern Shores, NC
• Donovan Moore, Emerson Waldorf School, Chapel Hill, NC
• Bogdan Pater, Sayre School, Lexington, KY
• Leah Pendley, Watauga High School, Boone, NC
• Logan Rothschild, Harpeth Hall, Nashville, TN
• Ellen Staples, Oak Hall High School, Gainesville, FL
• Nick Shaw, Mills E. Godwin High School, Richmond, VA
• Leland Tippit, Lake Brantley High School, Longwood, FL
• Delfina Vizzoco, Mast Academy, Key Biscayne, FL
• Jacob Weiner, Apex High School, Apex, NC
• Caitlin Wind, Howard Blake High School, Tampa, FL

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The Outdoor Academy

of the Southern Appalachians

We are currently accepting applications for Fall 2006 & Spring 2007

Check us out at: http://www.enf.org/oa/index.html

phone: 828.877.4349

Scholarships Available

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Eagle’s Nest Camp
Re-Accredited By American Camp Association

By Charles Disney

This past summer ENC was visited by guests from the American Camp Association (ACA). The ACA is an organization dedicated to ensuring quality camp programs and has been in existence for almost 100 years. A camp looking to receive the “ACA Accredited” seal of approval must “meet up to 300 standards for health, safety and program quality” according to the ACA website.

ACA visits to camp take place every three years. Past ACA accreditation visits to Eagle’s Nest have been successful, and this summer’s was no exception. Due to the hard work of all our staff, ENC was re-accredited with flying colors. Special accolades should be given to Camp Director Paige Lester-Niles and Program Director Rob Skeen, who both shepherded the entire process from the beginning to its conclusion in June. Preparations for the ACA visit began over a year beforehand, requiring an evaluation of all our policies and standards. Congratulations to everyone on the ENC team for another successful visit.

Further information about the ACA is available at their website: www.acacamps.org

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New Program Opportunities at Eagle’s Nest Camp in 2006!

This year we have been working on changing the structure of our basic camp program, and also creating new opportunities for Hante, in hopes of opening up the Camp experience to more families. We are very excited to be moving forward with some new programs that we hope will make camp available to more campers while continuing to meet our mission.

So what is new for 2006? The biggest change is that we will be offering a 1-week and a 2-week session at camp this summer after many years of only offering three-week long sessions. During these sessions we will focus on developing community while continuing to provide wonderful, skill building activities and the “magic” of Eagle’s Nest in a shorter period. The administrative team has already been hard at work brainstorming, putting ideas on paper, and creating the structure and goals for these new programs.

New for Hante: we will also be running an instructor course for current high school graduates and a one-week parent/teen Hante. We have already had positive response to all of these new programs. We are very excited about opening up Hante to older teens who are interested in becoming wilderness leaders and to parents who are interested in sharing the Eagle’s Nest experience with their children.

We hope that one (or more) of our new programs will meet your needs this summer. If you have any questions, please contact us.

We'll see you there!

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Pig Slop Host: Christopher Ansaldo

Pig Slop

(Not Just for Pigs!)

One of the summer’s most popular evening activities is Pig Slop. It’s an easy game to play. You are given two clues added together.

For instance: Eagle’s Nest Camp Counselor + University Located in New York City

From this clue, you come up with the word that fits. The answer to the above would be: Cranfordham

Let’s try another: Main area of camp + College student meal. The answer is Hilltop ramen

Now that you have the hang of it, it’s time to play. Below please find a list of Pig Slop clues. The first five people to e-mail me the correct answers for all 7 will get an awesome prize. It might be an autographed picture of me (Cha Cha). Or maybe a t-shirt. Deadline is December 21, 2005.

Here we go:

1. Jeff Daniels movie from 1986 + Scottish camp song
2. Walt Whitman’s homage to Abraham Lincoln + Annoying camp superhero
3. Australian wilderness + Typical school item + The Lair of John Lodge
4. Popular ice cream dispensary + Late Democratic senator from Washington state
5. Fun (and filthy) destination at camp + Edgar Allan Poe story + Lower portion of the spinal column
6. Rob Skeen’s favorite blessing song + A western European artistic and literary movement that sought the discovery of authentic reality through the abolition of traditional culture and aesthetic forms
7. Usually precedes a paddling announcement + City and state that challenges North Carolina’s claim as “First In Flight” + “We All Fly Like Eagles” chant + Rodgers & Hammerstein musical

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On Line Donations

A Few Clicks Can Make Many Cents

By Jo Winkle

By the end of the year, you will have the opportunity to donate to Eagle’s Nest Camp and The Outdoor Academy (OA) through our website. On line donations will be available using Pay Pal with your favorite Debit/Credit card. You can make a donation today or choose to make a pledge to pay on a monthly or quarterly basis. Select “Make A Donation Today” from the Foundations Home Page and you will immediately be linked to the donation page where you can help us reach our Annual Fund Goal of $125,000.

When you select unrestricted dollars, Eagle’s Nest Foundation is able to use your gift the best way it will serve the Nest. Your contribution will not only help provide scholarships for The Outdoor Academy, Hante and Camp, your donation will assist Eagle’s Nest with buildings and renovations, site improvement (like planting trees damaged by storms) and program enhancements (like purchasing new canoes or building a blacksmithing shed).

In addition to unrestricted dollars it is now possible to designate your donation for Camp Scholarships, Waves of Sharing, OA Scholarships, OA Alumni Scholarship Fund, various named scholarship funds, the building fund and land acquisitions. Each of these funds meets a special need for the Nest, and no matter where you designate your gift; you are making an impact and helping us continue our mission.

For example, unrestricted dollars were combined with designated dollars for the Cabin 10 Rebuilding Fund in 2004 and 2005, to help us rebuild our faithful Cabin 10. This new cabin was dedicated on June 24, 2005 and houses up to 12 OA students each semester and 16 campers in the summer. The primary heat source is a wood stove; the big windows, removable in the summer, allow for good airflow and ventilation in the warmer months. Additionally, it has a covered front porch for dirty shoes to stay outside, rain or shine! Staff quarters within the cabin can house up to three summer staff and provide ample room for the OA resident to create a nine-month home.

The last benefit of making a donation on line is that anytime throughout the year you can make your gift in honor or memory of a special person in your life and they will receive a personalized card from us. AND with the Holidays around the corner, this could be an ideal gift. Whether you have a brother who already has all the new gadgets, grandparents who don’t need or want anything, friends and family who have everything, it’s a way to give the perfect gift ---- knowing you are making a difference in the life of a child through the Eagle’s Nest Foundation. So go online today or print the form and enclose it with your donation. I will send a special Holiday Eagle’s Nest card noting your gift. Call (336) 761-1040 if you need more information.

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EAGLE’S NEST WISH LIST

Do you have any of the items listed below that you no longer need? If so, Eagle’s Nest would be able to put them to good use!

• Digital camera(s)
• 35 mm Cameras suitable for program use
• Laptop Computer(s) with large screen and DVD R/W
• Sturdy Sofas or Couches

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Weddings

• June 2005 Britt Johnson and Dylan Burns (campers)
• August 27, 2005 Sharon Bloom (camper) and Justin Shacklette
• September 3, 2005 Lesley Hodgeson and Phil Grant (Staff)
• September 3, 2005 Debra Kilaru (Staff) and Christopher Keiser (Staff)
• September 10, 2005 Sharon Greenhagen (Staff) and PJ Jackson

Births

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Loren May (daughter of camp alumnae) spreads the Eagle’s Nest word!

• Cecilia Kucera (C) and her team made the national finals of the National Academic League and came in second place. Way to go Cece!
• Susanne Kistin (OA) is working on her Master’s degree in Nurse-Midwifery at Columbia University.
• Katie Clower (OA) is currently working as a middle school gardening teacher through the AmeriCorps program.
• Callen Corbett (C) opened the Wild Wing Café in Asheville, NC.
• Eve Leonard (C, S) interned at the Center for Health, Environment and Justice this past summer in Washington, DC. “The Center gives communities the scientific knowledge and community organization to fight for democracy and environment justice.”
• Alex Shapiro (C) is attending UNC-CH.
• Lilian Gomez (C, S) has spent time in Japan and Mexico, “connecting the ancient wisdom/path of Zen and the Aztec/Maya.”
• Thomas Phillips (C) is now living in Minneapolis, MN and “still enjoying the great outdoors.”
• Bryce Koukopoulos (C, JC) will spend her spring semester in Ecuador with Global Quest, studying Spanish and completing her other high school requirements.
• Callie Yow (OA) was one of 20 students from the United States chosen to represent the Global Campaign for Education. Additionally, she spent four weeks teaching math to Nicaraguan girls.
• Erwin Byrd (C, JC, S) recently started work as the Nelson Mullins Fellow for Advocates for Children’s Services of Legal Aid in Durham. She also passed her bar exam.
• Mike Peed (C, JC, S) works for TheNew Yorker and resides in New York City. Mike ran the NYC Marathon in October, 2005.
• Zanne Garland (C, JC, S) participated in the Puyallup State Fair Karaoke Kompetition on September 19.
• Britt Johnson (C) and Dylan Burns (C) live in New Haven, CT where Dylan is a PhD candidate at Yale University. They’d also like to point out that their flirting on the AT Trek in 1996 was “not for nothin’” as they are now married.
• Jen Hunt (C, JC, S) was given the Bishop-Marcus Award to study monarch butterflies in California and Mexico and ran the Big Sur Marathon in April.
• Jenni Skyler (C, JC, OA, S) is in Miami, working on her Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy and
• working for a clinic for sexually abused women and children.
• Chris (C, JC) and Phil McCarty (C, JC) and their band are successfully touring around the country.
• Ashley Lewis (C, JC, S) has been traveling around the country on the NOLS Vegetable Oil-Powered Bus.
• Nick Silverman (C, JC, S) lives in Seattle and is “loving every minute of it.” He graduated from grad school a year ago and has been working with an environmental consulting firm on river and stream restoration.
• Walter Kucera (C, JC, OA) won the North Carolina English Teachers’ Assoc. statewide competition for nonfiction essay writing.
• Diane Ulmer (S) recently started her new position of Outdoor Leadership Assistant Director for the Binning Family Foundation in Denver.

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