People
Our team of talented wilderness instructors works behind the scenes all year round to bring our programming to life.
Year-Round Staff
Jed Jordan
Founding Director
Aspiring tracker, devoted farmer, and fearless wrangler of details
Danielle Prizzi
Lead Instructor
Heroic homesteader, humble herbalist, and wild food enthusiast
Sean Cornell
Lead Instructor
Fire wizard, primitive bow hunter, wilderness chef, and keeper of legends
Rachel Bortin
Summer Camp Director
Hiker, biker, birder, and tireless outdoor adventurer
Megan Pugh
Director of Marketing
Passionate designer, strategist, vegan chef, and aspiring yogi
Wren Anjali
Program Coordinator
Passionate connector of people, and lover of the earth
Lyla White
Lead Instructor
Barefoot explorer, silliness seeker, and master multitasker
Monica Bosworth
Field Instructor
Alternative educator, bird lover and friend to native plants
Jamie Eggleston
Field Instructor
Grateful gardener, wanderer, beekeeper, and optimistic seeker of justice
Liz Jesch
Field Instructor
Creative kid whisperer, community advocate, and singer of songs
Nora Murphy
Field Instructor
Magical music maker, creek crawler and life-long learner
Hillary Joy Pitoniak
Field Instructor
Community co-creator, eager herbalist and lover of the land
Ian Statema
Field Instructor
Ian’s work with nature connection began in his youth with his extensive backpacking.
Summer Camp Staff
Alexandra Walls
Field Instructor
Alexandra loves to share her love of fungi, mosses, and edible plants
Peter Jesch
Field Instructor
Peter is an Eagle Scout and alumnus of the Primitive Pursuits Homeschool Program.
Sara Pruce
Summer Camp Nurse
After working for Primitive Pursuits as an educator, Sara is excited to return in a new capacity as a Registered Nurse.
Sean Trumbore
Field Staff
Sean is excited to share his experience with archery, fantasy storytelling, woodcarving, and exploring with all the kids in the woods this summer!
Cindy Montross-Tipa
Field Instructor
Cindy believes deeply in the power of nature to heal hearts and inspire the child in all of us.
Daniel Korzukhin
Field Instructor
Daniel has been exploring the woods around 4-H Acres for his entire childhood.
Elias Mitchell
Field Instructor
Sharing his passions, curiosity, and excitement with youth lights his fire; keeping ancient art forms alive through teaching, adds purpose to his life.
Nora Littell
Born and raised in Ithaca, Nora grew up exploring the woods and creeks by her house.
Jamie Eggleston
Field Instructor
Grateful gardener, wanderer, beekeeper, and optimistic seeker of justice
Ian Statema
Field Instructor
Ian’s work with nature connection began in his youth with his extensive backpacking.
With Gratitude,