Anake Outdoor School
2011-12 Student Biographies

Here are the biographies of many of our new students. We hope you enjoy getting to know the new Anake students!

Erin Maureen Campbell - Virginia

I'm Erin Maureen Campbell, known under many aliases over the years including Booger, Blondie and Naz, but now most folks call me Soupy.  I'm a Virginia gal who first came to love the outdoors through the worn old Appalachian Mountains and the Shenandoah Valley.  After graduating from college with a literature degree, I made a predictable move into the field of home repair.  My love for building took me from the hollers of West Virginia to the Mad River Valley in Vermont, from the barrios of Mexico to the rainforests of Costa Rica.  Memorable projects include a shelving project with over ten different types of joints and a 30'X50' greenhouse renovation. My travels taught me so much--about leadership and living in community.  So why leave this nomadic haven of power tools and wood and big lessons that I created for myself over the years?  The answer is simple: my soul was longing to cultivate a deeper relationship with the natural world.  I am here because I wanted to dive in to this next step on my spiritual path, my life path, my career path. 

Paul Cipriani - Connecticut

My name is Paul Cipriani.  I am 29 yrs old.  I grew up in Branford, CT.  I have lived in Utah, Florida, and now Washington.  I sailed aboard tallships for several years, as well as bumming around Tracker School a bit.  I am married, going on 4 years now.  I love to fish and looking forward to becoming a better hunter.  I love to use sharp tools, stone or steel, and the feel of wood shavings collecting around my feet I find very pleasing.  Ah!  I love food as well, and bet I can out-eat any who thinks they could challenge me!  Italian cuisine is top on the list, but I don’t discriminate much!

Douglas Cowan - New Mexico

My name is Douglas Greaves Cowan, I go by Grey. I am from Albuquerque, New Mexico I came to Wilderness Awareness School after college because I wanted to take a hands-on approach to learning about the natural world. Growing up I was in the Boy Scouts and am an Eagle Scout. Camping and being in the natural world has always been a great past time for me and my brother. We enjoyed many camp outs growing up with or without the scouts. I came to Anake expecting a hands-on approach to learning and that is exactly what I am getting. Besides the Pacific Northwest being beautiful, I chose Washington for wilderness school because I wanted to get out of my comfort zone in the great Southwest and experience a new type of environment. I figured this program would help my strengths in the outdoors mature, resonate, and help me open my eyes wider to the natural world.

Ben Hagedorn - Washington

My incidental backcountry education began when I was approximately six months old. My parents had me out with them on hikes early on in my life and from then on all of my best memories of time spent with my family are associated with time outside. As I grew up I became an avid hiker, backpacker, skier, snowshoer, and mountaineer.

Then came a time in junior high when I was required to complete a certain number of community service hours which is how I first came in contact with Wilderness Awareness School. I volunteered for a few years and was completely enthralled. I was amazed at how much I hadn’t been seeing as moved along trails at what now seems like a breakneck pace (and now that I am older, actually is a breakneck pace). Throughout high school I became more and more entranced by the possibility of participating in Anake Outdoor School. I wanted to try to do it in between high school and college so naturally there was slight, shall we say, discomfort among my family members. The rules were then laid out: I had to get accepted at a university and get a deferral of admission in order for me to be allowed to do this program. So I did. I think it still surprises some people, including myself.

So now I am completely enjoying being immersed in a new culture and a new family as I tediously walk the unpredictable line between adolescence and adulthood. I am now moving into a new level of both nature and self-awareness. Now I just need to adjust to the fact that the only limits on what we can do are the ones that we place in front of ourselves.

Michelle Ma - Washington

I grew up swinging in the maple trees and roaming the marshlands of Minnesota. My time outside as a child helped inspire a love of writing and drawing, and I went to school in Chicago for journalism. I covered environmental issues in a small coastal town in Northern California, then moved to Seattle a few years ago to continue reporting on the natural world. Most recently, I worked as an online news producer. I'm here at Wilderness Awareness School to reconnect with the wild, beautiful Pacific Northwest, learn naturalist skills and enjoy being alive in this vibrant community.

Tyler Rautmann - Hawaii

My name is Tyler Rautmann. I am  an 18-year-old, home-schooled individual from Kauai, who loves being outside and practicing primitive living skills. Some other interests of mine include surfing, parkour, fishing, and music. I am here at the Anake Outdoor School because I am committed to becoming the best wilderness educator that I can be.

 

 

Byron Rot - Washington

I have been involved with Wilderness Awareness School for about eight years. After taking the Tracking Intensive, I was super-interested in Anake but doubted that I could get away from the crush of daily life. I've lived in western Washington since 1981, and currently call home Port Townsend, located on the northeast corner of the Olympic Peninsula. For the past 12 years I've worked for an Indian Tribe near Sequim, WA, restoring salmon habitat in rivers and estuaries. After 12 years I was also a bit burned out and needed to do something different for a while. I am very grateful to be here.