Passing the Torch

Passing theTorch

A TRIBUTE TO BELOVED CAMP DIRECTOR AND TREETOPS STALWART KAREN CULPEPPER

BY EMILIE ALLEN

One particularly glorious evening this past summer, after a sunset square dance at the waterfront, Camp Director Karen Culpepper was startled at the sight of her Senior Camp counselors jumping en masse into the lake—fully dressed. “At first, I thought: What are they doing?!” she asked, laughing. “Then, without skipping a beat, I ran down the dock after them and just jumped right into the water.”

Karen is known for early morning polar bear swims with campers, who were always delighted by the thrill of plunging into the icy waters of Round Lake with their beloved camp director. Perhaps one of her greatest contributions to Treetops has been her true love of children, as well as her sense of joy and playfulness. She has always relished joining the fun: Karen has built gnome houses and taken mudwalks in the rain, helped plan a mission to rescue the Junior Camp napkin horse from the top of Hurricane Mountain, and joined a group of junior campers on a walk to Chapter Lean-to with a llama. She even surprised junior campers with a Noonmark Diner blueberry pie on the summit of Noonmark Mountain. Now, she’s passing that legacy on. At the end of August, Karen handed the reins to new Camp Director Hannah Edwards (CTT staff 04–08, 16–19, NCS staff 07–08), with whom she has worked for many years. "Karen has been such a huge inspiration to so many people: campers, counselors, campers who then became counselors, parents, the list goes on,” Hannah says. “I have never met someone so supportive and loving of her staff. From my first days as a 19-yearold tentline and riding counselor, I felt supported and encouraged. Karen helped me to see and believe in my skills as a leader. Her boundless energy and infectious smile have been a pillar of Treetops for decades; she simply exudes warmth. I hope to channel even a fraction of her warmth and energy as I head into my first summer as Treetops director. Karen leaves big shoes to fill, but I know she will still be in the wings cheering me on!"

Karen began leaving her mark on Camp Treetops and North Country School over 32 years ago, when she, her husband, John, and their three children arrived on campus. John had been hired as the year-round garden manager, and Karen was drawn to the ethos

and the extraordinary natural beauty of the place; they wanted to raise their children, Kelli, Katie, and Tucker, in an environment where children could be children, emboldened to explore the world, to follow their curiosity, and discover the wonders of nature.

This shared vision for their young family had formed years earlier. The couple first met teaching 5th graders at an environmental education center affiliated with the Houston, Texas, public school district. During the summers that followed, Karen and John worked at the Bar 717 Ranch in northern California, a camp with a philosophy and values similar to Treetops. Eventually, the couple married and had children of their own. In 1985, the Culpeppers settled in Knoxville, Tenn., where Karen worked at a nature center and the family enjoyed frequent camping trips to the Great Smoky Mountains. One day in 1990, John noticed a flyer pinned to a University of Tennessee bulletin board advertising a garden manager position at North Country School and Camp Treetops. They arrived soon after.

From the beginning, Camp felt like home. Karen spent much of her first summer at Treetops exploring the woods with campers led by Camp stalwart and nature counselor Mildred Brooks (CTT staff 65–02). Karen was in awe of Mildred’s ability to captivate children with her knowledge of wild edibles and the natural world. Mildred reminded Karen that if you want to learn something new, to see the world afresh, go out into nature with a child.

As the years passed, Karen’s roles and responsibilities at Treetops evolved from a volunteer position to overseeing the waterfront and planning wilderness trips as a Junior Camp counselor, becoming interim camp director in 1994. Eventually, John left his role to begin a doctorate in plant science at Cornell, while Karen pursued careers in special education and physical therapy. Summers at Treetops, though, were a constant. In 2003, when Karen was named incoming camp director and John became farm manager, the Culpeppers returned to Lake Placid as full-time residents.

Karen’s remarkable tenure has been deeply rooted in the progressive vision set forth by the Slesingers, Haskells, and Clarks, whose work building Camp and School endures. Over the years, Karen’s reverence for

the Treetops philosophy has informed her approach to Camp’s stewardship on both a global and granular level. Since the beginning, Karen’s deep love of children, as well as her unwavering support of colleagues, have endeared her to families, campers, and counselors of all ages and backgrounds.

Karen’s legacy speaks to her ability to balance tradition with forward-thinking values—a true reflection of Treetops’ progressive ethos. Her dedication to anti-racism, diversity, and inclusion within the community has had tremendous impact. Karen and her leadership team have worked with intention to build staff awareness and understanding of issues related to diversity and inclusion. Most recently, the Transgender Training Institute conducted a staff training, and Camp hired a new cultural and ethnicity coordinator to ensure these issues remain at the forefront.

The Treetops farm program is yet another area where Karen's influence will continue to be felt. She actively supported integrating the farm into Camp activities beyond barn chores, as well as the creation of the Children’s Garden and Forest Garden. Farm-to-table education became a bigger part of the program with the use of the Camper Kitchen, the Uphill Grill, and the pizza oven throughout the day, and, eventually, the Teaching and Learning Kitchen as well.

Karen’s journey as camp director has been ripe with unexpected moments, both challenging and inspiring. Over the years, she often took to swimming alone in Round Lake; early mornings were the rare times she had to herself during the 24/7 camp season. There, in the cool waters, she might contemplate daunting decisions or simply reflect on the summer. But swimming in Round Lake also gave Karen one of the most valuable Treetops gifts of all—time to simply be.

Once, on a hiking trip, a camper turned to her and said, “I wish it would rain today.” When Karen asked why, the child said that trips are more exciting and memorable when it rains. Of course, Camp Treetops has always been more about the journey than the destination—the challenges, as well as the joys. “Sharing this journey has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life,” Karen says. “Like so many campers and counselors, my family and I have found a deep sense of belonging here. To be part of a community dedicated to the nurturing of childhood is our greatest joy as a family. Thank you to this community for all you have given us.”

NEW DIRECTOR TAKES THE REINS

HANNAH EDWARDS, the new director of Camp Treetops, has already been with us for years, having spent nine summers at Treetops as a counselor and director of the riding program and, more recently, two years as the Junior Camp program director.

She knew from the start: This was a place to call home.

“From my first days at Camp, it was clear that the place, the community, the ethos was for me,” she says. “I had a place and purpose there. Treetops has continued to be a huge part of my life ever since; it has provided a trajectory for my career, starting me on the path of becoming an educator, as well as bestowing me with a far-reaching and long-enduring family of Camp friends, and so much more. Camp is a gift. I'm so grateful to be a member of this community. I'm thrilled and honored to take on this role as camp director.”

In addition to Hannah’s time at Treetops, she was also a farm and garden intern at North Country School and looks forward to working closely with NCS students and faculty during the school year. She has worked in the Portland, Maine, and Brooklyn, N.Y., public school systems as well. A native Vermonter, Hannah is a graduate of St. Michael’s College and received her masters degree in education from Long Island University. She will live in Meadow House with her partner, Bert; dog, Penny; and cat, Molly.