People
Our team of talented wilderness instructors works behind the scenes all year round to bring our programming to life.
Year-Round Staff
Rachel Bortin
Camp Director
Hiker, biker, birder, and tireless outdoor adventurer
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, Danielle is a full time staffer who serves as an inspiration to campers and summer staff alike.
Sean Cornell
Lead Instructor
Fire wizard, primitive bow hunter, wilderness chef, and keeper of legends, Sean is a year round staffer who sets the bar and inspires our summer staff.
Megan Pugh
Director of Marketing
Passionate designer, strategist, vegan chef, and aspiring yogi
Melissa Blake
Lead Field Instructor
Melissa is one of the founders of our preschool program and a long-time Primitive Pursuits staff member. Her background includes Melissa completed a graduate program in Environmental Education at the Teton Science Schools in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and a two-year mentorship with master tracker Jon Young.
Lyla White
Lead Instructor
Barefoot explorer, silliness seeker, and master multitasker. Lyla run Ithaca Forest Preschool during the school year and Growing Wild during the summer.
Monica Bosworth
Field Instructor
Alternative educator, bird lover and friend to native plants
Liz Jesch
Field Instructor
Creative kid whisperer, community advocate, and singer of songs, Liz is looking forward to another summer in the fields and streams.
Ian Statema
Field Instructor
Ian’s work with nature connection began in his youth with his extensive backpacking.
Summer Staff
Fionna McSweeney
Summer Day Camp Director
Fionna is excited to return for her second summer at Primitive Pursuits as the Day Camp Director!
Hallie Allport
Photojournalist
As the summer photojournalist, Hallie is excited to photograph and document the exciting adventures at camp. She is looking forward to spending the summer meeting new people and being in the outdoors. She is currently pursuing a Film Production degree at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Nora Murphy
Lead Field Instructor
This is Nora’s 6th summer with Primitive Pursuits. She’s excited to meet new kids, and see how returning kids have grown over the past year! One of her favorite things about working for Primitives is watching kids fall in love with the natural world, and watching them become confident and compassionate engaging with it.
Valerie Zeigler
Field Instructor
Valerie has been a long time camper and camp counselor with a love for the outdoors and an interest in both primitive cultures and skills. She is a Neuroscience major a Binghamton University and loves connect nature to science and share her knowledge with campers.
Elliot Overholt
Field Instructor
Elliot is an aspiring birdwatcher who enjoys making fire and going on wanders through the woods. They can often be found in their hammock or playing in the creek.
Ida Sidle
Field Instructor
Ida is entering their senior year at SUNY ESF for environmental education. Their final goal is to be an environmental science teacher! Ida loves everything to do with nature, especially camping and is very excited to join the Primitive Pursuits team!
Dana Fries
Field Instructor
Dana graduated from SUNY ESF with an environmental studies degree. She sees great power in connecting young people to nature. Her personal mission is to support stewardship to further human and nonhuman community.
Calendula Dulle
Teen Assist
For as long as she can remember, Calendula has been living in a co creative relationship with the natural world. She loves the outdoors and her favorite activities are birdwatching, looking for amphibians, swimming in wild water, farming, gardening, hanging out with cows, chickens and friends.
Maya Pazmiño
Field Instructor
Maya is especially passionate about finding and facilitating opportunities to slow down, reflect, and imagine, whether this involves reading, writing, hiking, or some good, old-fashioned art and crafts.
Sol Jordan
Teen Assist
Sol loves exploring, spending time in the woods, making fires, and practicing nature crafts.
Julie Thayer
Field Instructor
Julie was born and raised in Virgil NY, where her love of the natural world first developed. Julie spent the majority of her childhood exploring the woods, and splashing through creek beds. As an adult, She found a passion for working with children.
Astrid Braddock
Field Instructor
Astrid grew up running around the woods of Ithaca with Primitive Pursuits, and now loves to spend her summers working as an instructor!
Victor Guimbretiere
Field Instructor
Victor has lived in Ithaca for most of his life, and has been attending Primitive Pursuits for over a decade now.
Rey O’Rourke
Lead Field Instructor
Rey is thankful for the environmental education and outdoor exploration time she received as a child; and believes those experiences shaped who she is today. Rey is ecstatic to be a part of Primitive Pursuits and extend those opportunities to today’s youth.
Laura Mead
Field Instructor
Laura loves exploring the hiking trails, swimming spots, and beautiful views around Ithaca and making connections with kids and helping them learn about the land they live on.
Ronan Kennedy-Smith
Field Instructor
Ronan is passionate about all things outdoors! From Ithaca, he enjoys carving, fire-making, and archery, and is very excited to join the Primitive Pursuits team this summer!
Ella “Elle” Schumacher
Teen Assist
Elle is from Ithaca. They love hiking, gardening, hammocks, and daffodils!
Rachel Newman
Rachel is an avid naturalist and woods explorer; she enjoys birding, tracking, crafting with natural materials, and sharing awesome sit spot stories!
Simon Goldweber
Field Instructor
Simon is from Freeville, and enjoys fire making, scouting, and primitive cooking!
Eli Lines
Lead Field Instructor
Eli’s passion for the outdoors and outdoor leadership/education has been shaped over the years through his experiences with Primitive Pursuits. He looks forward to creating new memories this summer season!
Rowan Hartley
Field Instructor
Rowan is from Connecticut, and enjoys camping, canoeing, and being outdoors. They are looking forward to their fourth summer working with Primitive Pursuits!
Thomas Culmone
Thomas, is a self proclaimed wilderness enjoyer, who is happy to help whenever possible. He is excited to share his skills this summer, favorites include scouting, plant ID, music, art, and drama.
Pax Hayman
Teen Assist
Pax loved going to Primitive Pursuits as a camper, and they love it even more as a Teen Assist! They are so excited to be back in nature this summer sharing nature and art with the summer campers!
Jackson Van Raan
Field Instructor
Jackson has held positions in nature-based education, therapy and summer camps and is interested in Psychology, Philosophy, Buddhism, Yoga, Foraging & Herbalism.
Ryan Brown
Ryan is originally from South Africa. When he moved to America, he immediately fell in love with the forests of the Northeast. He is thrilled to be joining the adventures at Primitive Pursuits this summer!
Patrick “P.J” Finlay
Field Instructor
P.J. grew up in Ithaca and loves spending time in nature. His favorite local natural areas include: Treman, Taughannock, Stewart Park, Finger Lakes National Forests, and Connecticut Hill.
Peter Jesch
Field Instructor
Peter is an Eagle Scout and alumnus of the Primitive Pursuits Homeschool Program. He is passionate about teaching and sharing his primitive skills and knowledge.
Solomiia “So” Demus
Field Instructor
“So” loves to do anything, and everything outdoors-related. They are a Neuroscience Major at Binghamton University, who also enjoys yoga, tennis, and making homemade bread, and cheese.
Cindy Montross-Tipa
Lead Field Instructor
Cindy believes deeply in the power of nature to heal hearts and inspire the child in all of us. She loves being a part of the precious mission that Primitive Pursuits is.
Summer Overnight Staff
Rachel Bortin
Camp Director
Hiker, biker, birder, and tireless outdoor adventurer
Rey O’Rourke
Lead Field Instructor
Rey is thankful for the environmental education and outdoor exploration time she received as a child; and believes those experiences shaped who she is today. Rey is ecstatic to be a part of Primitive Pursuits and extend those opportunities to today’s youth.
Rowan Hartley
Field Instructor
Rowan is from Connecticut, and enjoys camping, canoeing, and being outdoors. They are looking forward to their fourth summer working with Primitive Pursuits!
Jackson Van Raan
Field Instructor
Jackson has held positions in nature-based education, therapy and summer camps and is interested in Psychology, Philosophy, Buddhism, Yoga, Foraging & Herbalism.
Patrick “P.J” Finlay
Field Instructor
P.J. grew up in Ithaca and loves spending time in nature. His favorite local natural areas include: Treman, Taughannock, Stewart Park, Finger Lakes National Forests, and Connecticut Hill.
Solomiia “So” Demus
Field Instructor
“So” loves to do anything, and everything outdoors-related. They are a Neuroscience Major at Binghamton University, who also enjoys yoga, tennis, and making homemade bread, and cheese.