Instructor Biographies

		Aaron Tudhope was born in Burlington, Vermont and has been actively fishing the Champlain waterways since he was seven. Since then, Aaron has become a fly-fishing guide for Schirmer’s Fly Shop out of South Burlington and guides throughout the fishing seasons always with success and a lot of fun. He also owns Vermont Fishing Reel Tuning and Repair as well as his own Trout To Tarpon Guide Company. In June, he led the fly-fishing instruction for VOGA’s 2006 Doe Camp and has also volunteered his time and skills as “The Fish Filet-er” for the 2006 Fish Festival in Grand Isle, Vermont. Aaron is most familiar with the Winooski, Lamoille, and LaPlatte Rivers as well as the Lewis and the Otter Creeks. He currently resides in Grande Isle, Vermont. Contact Information: (802)233-3530.
		Bobby Plude's down-to-earth and warm personality makes him a welcome addition to our camp. He first got interested in the outdoors from hearing stories told to him by his grandfather who was a forest ranger and an avid outdoorsman. Many tales revolved around his great-grandfather, a French-Canadian, and great-grandmother, an Iroquois native. The seed was planted and Bobby's interest in the outdoors began. He's an avid hunter, trapper, and fisherman. He's taught survival courses for local hunter safety classes and also does seminars on survival at Sportsman's Shows. He's an accomplished bowyer and crafts his creations from white ash and hickory. He also makes primitive knives using files and deer antlers. Bobby is a retired corrections officer with over 24 years. He's trained in weapons, chemical agents, unarmed defense tactics, and hands-on extractions. He also works for an explosive company and has taught explosive awareness classes to various police departments. He's been training in martial arts since he was 12, and if that wasn't enough he's been skydiving for 9 years. He is also a certified survival instructor. But his passion remains the outdoors and he's passing this passion on to his two daughters, who love to hunt and fish.
		Bradley Carleton is Owner/Operator of Champlain Valley Guide Service which specializes in waterfowling opportunities in the Champlain Valley of Vermont. Bradley has been a successful waterfowl hunter for 28 years and holds four state calling titles. Bradley is also a monthly columnist for Outdoor Magazine and Northwoods Sporting Journal and is currently in the process of constructing an Outdoor Educational Curriculum for At-risk Youth. He lives in Charlotte with his wife, Katie, two retrievers and a cat.
		Bridget Butler, A.K.A The Bird Diva, has been a teacher/naturalist for more than 15 years working throughout New England. She has worked for Audubon in Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, for Stone Environmental Schools of New England, as well as for Jay Peak leading natural history snowshoe tours when she was a professional ski/snowboard instructor. Currently she manages the Voices For the Lake program at ECHO Lake Aquarium & Science Center at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain in Burlington, VT. Bridget was one of the first National Audubon Certified Teacher/Naturalists in the country. As the Bird Diva, she feels it important that birders use their passion for birds to make a difference by helping to protect habitat for birds and other wildlife. Bridget blogs about her birding adventures on her website and through Twitter, using social media to inspire stewardship. She does not have a "favorite" bird, although she considers the Nashville Warbler "hot"! www.birddiva.com
		Christina Bean has been hunting ten years, and loves them all. She hunts bow season, rifle season, and black powder season for turkey, whitetail, partridge (ruffed grouse) and bunnies (snowshoe hares). Christina says each one holds a place in her heart, as they are all different and exciting on their own merits. huntress_652000@yahoo.com
		Dayle Vance Goad has been a volunteer to VOW since Doe Camp's first year running! She has come a long way since her first woman’s camp. She has become a level 2 archery instructor and hunts with her husband. They bow hunt in the fall for deer, turkey hunt spring and fall with shot gun and both are Let’s Go Fishing Instructor’s. She and her husband shoot as a team in a winter archery league at Pelkey’s and enjoy 3-D shoots in the summer. dayle_vance_goad@yahoo.com
		Emily Eschner is a recent UVM graduate serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA at Bike Recycle Vermont in Burlington, where she works to provide reliable and affordable transportation to low-income Vermonters. She works daily with youth and adult volunteers who help with bike repair, and teaches weekly classes exclusively for women.
		Jack Rowell is our photographer and hates to have his picture taken. Please don't tell him that you saw him here. He has contributed his extensive skills to Doe Camp since the beginning and when you want a professional photographer you can't do any better than Jack. He's fun too, Visit his web at: http://homepage.mac.com/rowell1655/PhotoAlbum4.html
		Jeremy Brooks graduated from the University of Vermont with a Bachelor's in Wildlife Biology. He has spent 6 years working as a Conservation Biologist with Vermont Audubon and the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge. Jeremy takes pride in his work with threatened and endangered bird species - Osprey, Common Terns, Black Terns, and others. He is the owner and guide of Brooks to Bays Nature Tours, offers educational paddling tours all over the state.
		Jessica Krebs has been fascinated with the outdoors since birth, often spending weekends camping and fishing with her mother in Michigan. Jess joined the Air Force at 18 and is now one of the few female SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) instructors. She has taught global survival skills to aircrew-members and anyone else with a high potential for going into combat. She has directed team-building (ropes) courses and prefers that relaxed teaching style over the old fashioned military style she learned under. So don't worry, she won't have you standing at attention, just smiling and learning! She's in Colorado now, but we hope to get her back to VT for another Doe Camp sooner than later. jess0krebs@excite.com
		Jim Chapman: Jim is a Doe Camp favorite. Always inspiring, kind and ready to assist you endeavors to learn. Jim volunteers his time in numerous shooting clubs throughout Northern Vermont and the Burlington area. He has instructed at Doe Camp since 2003. Phone: 802- 862-8037
		John Kapusta - Recently retired Vermont Fish and Wildlife Warden where he was Hunter Education Chief for 18 years. He has 22 years as chief firearms officer for the State Game Wardens and was a Hunter Ed Instructor for 34 years in firearms, bow and trapping. John has been a competitive handgun shooter, winning national titles with his team in Police Combat Shooting. John is an avid hunter, angler and wildlife photographer. jwkapusta@pshift.com
		Karen Guile, originally from the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, learned how to fish with her grandfather on Maidstone Lake and has been with the Fly Rod Shop for 6 years. She is a guide for the Fly Rod Shop in Stowe, VT and has recently started the "Fly Girls Of Stowe" Fishing Club. She is also a fly fishing instructor for Vermont's & New Hampshire's Casting for Recovery Program.
		Kfir Mendel started studying primitive skills over 8 years ago, and never thought he would end up tanning hides for a living. What began as a short term way of making an extra income, turned into a vocation and a great journey. Kfir has a passion for teaching and looks forward to every hide and every workshop. Teaching teens and adults the art of Brain Tanning, and giving them the tools to make their own clothing along with the freedom that comes with it, has been an amazing honor. He owns a hide tanning company called Two Wolves buckskins, visit his website.
		Larry W. Hamel resides in Hardwick, Vermont. He is currently President of the Lamoille Valley Fish & Game Club and is a certified VT Hunter Education Instructor. He has been working with women's groups instructing muzzleloading for the past five years. He is a carpenter by trade and a hunter-tracker-competitive shooter-woods-man by choice. Phone: 802-472-6350
		Laura Zerra Laura began her studies at Connecticut College in 2003, where she studied ecology, zoology, and botany, as well as ethnological uses of natural resources. She pursued a variety of skills outside the classroom as well, including brain tanning, meat processing, and bow building under Manuel Lizarralde. In 2005, she became an instructor at Great Hollow Wilderness School. She has also spent extensive time volunteering for the Buffalo Field Campaign in West Yellowstone, Montana, documenting abuses in the field of the last continuously wild and genetically pure herd of American bison. Laura has focused her attention on primitive hide tanning and animal processing, and has processed moose, elk, whitetail and mule deer, and caribou hides, as well as a variety of furbearers. Laura teaches regularly for the survival school, ROOTS in E. Calais, VT.
		Mark Wilde has been a beloved Instructor of Doe Camp over the last seven years. He is the owner and lead guide of Uncle Jammer's Guide Service in St. Albans, Vermont. Mark offers four season fishing trips and specializes in fly fishing. His programs include drift boat and canoe trips for fishing as well as nature watching. www.unclejammers.com
		Marty Simon - along with his wife Aggie own and operate the Wilderness Learning Center A full time outdoor school in New York State on the Canadian border. He is a nationally recognized wild plant expert. The Wilderness Learning Center is a full time outdoor school in New York State on the Canadian border. He also teaches programs in many other areas including Pennsylvania, Michigan, Connecticut, North Carolina and Vermont He has been featured in many magazine articles, newspapers, web sites and is probably the most quoted outdoors expert living today. Although his specialty is edible & medicinal plants he has been teaching wilderness survival for over 45 years. He has taught military forces in Canada, Europe and South East Asia. Every year he has students attending his programs from all over the world. He is a Licensed New York State Guide and he is the New York State Guides Association (NYSOGA) Director of Region 5, the largest region in New York. Wilderness Learning Center, 435 Sandy Knoll Rd., Chateaugay, N.Y. 12920 Phone (518) 497-3179 www.weteachu.com weteachu@dishmail.net
		Maeve Kim started birding as an excuse to get out of the house and away from a bad marriage. It soon became so much more! Her life has been enriched beyond all of her expectations by the many hours and days she spends in woods and swamps and meadows, watching birds both common and rare go about their daily lives. Maeve has gone birding all over the country. (She’s heading for Alaska in May.) She’s taught birding workshops in schools and libraries and has led walks for beginning birders as part of the Green Mountain Club and Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge. She also participated in the recently completed Vermont Breeding Bird Atlas. Maeve’s “favorite bird” is often the one that’s right in front of her at that moment.
		Nancy Patch works for Vermont State Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation and is the Franklin-Grand Isle County Forester. She has had this job for just over a year. For the previous 20 years, Nancy had worked as a consulting forester managing private woodland in Northwest Vermont. Nancy has a B.S in Forestry, an MA in Education , an MS in plant and Soil science. Nancy is also the chair of the Enosburgh Conservation Commission. She lives with her husband Kevin Conneely and dog Lupe on their 200 acre woodlot in Enosburgh. email
		Nova Kim and Les Hook have over 80 years combined experience hunting the woods and fields of Vermont for wild foods and medicines. We supply six high-end VT restaurants, a CSA for wild foods, and meet much of our own food and health needs with the fruits of our gathering. Much of our lives have been spent teaching and advocating for the woods and all the other beings. www.wildgourmetfood.com
		Paul Tice has been shooting competitive archery and bow hunting for over 15 years. He has been on the national pro staff for Precision Shooting Equipment (PSE) for six years, he is a certified Bow Hunting instructor for the State of Vermont and a certified archery instructor through the National Archery Assoc. www.pse-archery.com and www.pelkeysarchery.com Email: pgt5908@yahoo.com
		Paula Lee's interest in self-defense started 15 years ago through a Parks and Recreation-sponsored Karate program. She fell in love with the Shotokan discipline and the drive needed to succeed; she earned her black belt in 1998. She has since become a Certified R.A.D instructor for both basic and advanced self-defense and feels driven to advocate self-defense for both women and children. Paula teaches through the Shelburne Parks and Recreation Program and assists local police departments with their R.A.D classes.
		Richard (Dick) Bayer resides in Alburg, Vermont. He began shooting while at Notre Dame as a member of the NROTC Rifle Team. He a certified VT Hunter Education, Bow Hunting, and Trapper Instructor. He also is trained as an NRA Rifle, Pistol, Home Safety, and Personal Protection instructor and is also both a VT Hunter Education and NRA Range Officer. In addition he instructs Boating Safety and Snowmobile Safety for the VT State Police Recreational Enforcement unit. He frequently competes at the Pistol Matches at the Alburg Rod & Gun Club. He is a programmer/systems analyst/computer support professional for the past 30 years. Green Mountain Solutions, Inc., rjbayer@grnmtsolutions.com
Photo Coming Soon!		Robin O'Neill Wright - I am a Registered Nurse in my real life, working as a School Nurse in Lamoille County, VT. I attended BOW camp years ago in Craftsbury and DOE camp at Camp Abenacki last year and my favorite activity was orienteering. This drew my interest to Geocaching when I heard about it this last year. I got my GPS for Christmas and started searching for those hidden caches all over the state and I have expanded my search to other states. As of the 1st of July I have found over 40 caches and have hidden 2. That still puts me far behind many people who credit themselves with over a thousand finds. I helped organize Geocaching in our schools Sports For Life program and volunteered to lead the Geocaching class at the Jay Peak Doe camp. I am enthusiastic about the potential Geocaching has as a family or individual sport to get us out exploring areas of the state or world we may not know are there. Need an excuse to hike that mountain, try Geocaching!
		Robbo Holleran is a private consulting forester with 20+ years experience and currently manages approximately 45,000 acres. His specialty is public education about forest-related and environmental issues and is on the board of directors of several forest related organizations. Robbo brings a practical knowledge to advancing the art and science of forestry. He lives with his wife, six children and an extensive bonsai collection of native trees. www.nrff.org Email: Robbo@vermontel.net
		Ruth Holleran is a former teacher, now a stay-at-home mother who home-schools all her children. She cooks over an open hearth at Fort at Number Four in Charlestown, NH, and teaches children who come for the overnight program to churn butter, make stew and bread. She serves as many as 60 for supper and breakfast, preparing only what can be cooked at the open hearth. She has learned to make family foods over fire, and is eager to show at what a Dutch Oven can do.
		Steve Hardy received a BA in Environmental Studies from Johnson State College and graduate studies from UVM in silviculture. Over the past 25 years he has worked in the woods as a logger, equipment operator, timber buyer and forester. Presently he is owner and founder of Green Mountain Forestry which manages 35,000 acres in VT, NH, NY & MA. and founding director of Northeast Regional Forest Foundation. Steve is a certified forestry assessor for the Smart Wood program, and graduate of the Society of American Foresters Leadership Academy. He coaches Alpine Ski Racing and races himself, is a passionate salmon fly fisherman, and is raising 5 children with his wife Debbie. www.nrff.org Email: gmforest@sover.net
		Stuart Farina is the owner and lead guide for Dog Paddle Kayaks in St Johnsbury, Vermont. Stuart offers individual and group instruction, also guided day and overnight trips on the lakes and rivers of Vermont. His programs included all the safety equipment and gear you will need. He is also the kayaking instructor for Lyndon State College. Email: dpyak@charter.net
		Sarah Corrigan Sarah began her intensive study of these skills in 2001 at the Tracker School and pursued her education here and at the Past Skills Wilderness School until 2006. She graduated from Drew University with a B.A. in Art History in 2005. She has focused her studies on the uses of wild plants in the form of edible, medicinal, fiber, and dyeing plants. In addition to these studies she brings a passionate intention to facilitate student's relationships to their own learning processes, and the natural world. Sarah is the co-founder of the survival school ROOTS in E. Calais, VT
		Susan Morse is a nationally recognized naturalist and habitat specialist with thirty years of experience tracking and interpreting wildlife uses of habitat. She is an active member of the Western Forest Carnivores Committee and Northeast Carnivore Conservation Working Group and has focused her research activities on cougar, bobcat, black bear, and Canada lynx. Sue was the recipient in 2001 of the Franklin Fairbanks Award for her lifelong creative and dedicated service to enriching the awareness and understanding of the natural world among the residents of New England. Susan founded Keeping Track in 1994 and developed her procedures and techniques on six square miles of wild country surrounding her home, 'Wolfrun', in Jericho, Vermont. www.keepingtrack.org
		Terri Melincoff is an avid mountain and road bike rider. She serves on the advisory board for the Bellaship, the women’s affiliate for the Fellowship of the Wheel http://www.fotwheel.org , participates in the Catamount weekly mountain bike race series and is a budding triathlete. In addition, Terri’s passion include kayaking, gardening, cooking, spending time with her friends and family, including her New Foundland and St Bernard puppy. In the winter, Terri spends as much time as possible on the trails of Sugarbush.
		Wendy Butler is a certified Vermont Hunter Ed instructor, Bow Hunter Ed instructor and a newly appointed Hunter Education Instructor Mentor. A lifelong nature enthusiast, conservationist and passionate hunter who thrives on getting other women excited about traditional outdoor sports. With a particular interest in getting up close and personal with her quarry and a curiosity for history, her choice of firearms are flintlock muzzle loaders. Wendy is also the owner of Trailfeathers LLC, hunting and trekking clothes for women
		Wendy Brothers is the Director of Intramurals and Recreation at Johnson State College. Over the past five years she has been pursuing her masters degree in education with a concentration in outdoor education. She has professional certifications with the American Canoe Association, Wilderness Medicine Association as a Wilderness First Responder and most recently she was certified as a Leave No Trace Master Instructor with the Appalachian Mountain Club. Wendy is an avid hiker, biker and paddler and enjoys snowboarding during the winter months here in Vermont.