We're Back!

Pok-O-MacCready Outdoor Education Center is back from our summer break!

Every summer, things here at Pok-O change considerably as the Outdoor Ed Center takes a step back and the Pok-O-MacCready Camps take over active use of the site. Instead of school groups coming here on field trips, several hundred summer campers arrive to enjoy a few weeks of hiking, swimming, boating, games, and all the other activities that come with going to camp.

As the end of August rolls around, however, the campers head home, and the staff of the Outdoor Ed Center gear up for another year of visits from schools, scout troops, after-school programs, and all the others who visit between September and June.

Our season has been off to a busy start, with a full schedule of staff training! We have a mix of returning and new staff members, so we take the first week and a half to review all the classes we teach here and get ready for the arrival of clients. So far we have completed all of our team building courses, gone over our ecology classes, gone mountain biking, canoeing, and have hiked two of the four Pok-O-Patch mountains. (And that was just in the first four days!)

There are a number of familiar faces on our staff this fall: Stites McDaniel, our director, never actually left over the summer. (He just spent a lot of time in the office.) Brian DeGroat, who was an instructor last year, is stepping into the role of Assistant Director, and is doing a great job. I (Molly Smyrl) am back again as Program Coordinator, while Liz Pierson is taking over as Naturalist. Adam Reed, who was an instructor last fall, is back for another go as well. Mike Gast, our chef, rounds out the list of returning staff.

We also have four new faces as well--three on our teaching staff, and one in the office. (The photo is the new instructors goofing around on top of Rattlesnake Mountain.)

Mark Scott (on the right) is our Climbing Director. He worked at summer camp last summer, and now is here for the fall. He grew up about ten minutes from Pok-O, and has a long family history here---we have reason to believe that he's the first person to be a second-generation Outdoor Ed instructor; his parents worked here in the '70s.

Julie Warren (on the left) is a new instructor this fall. She's one of two Julia's on staff this summer (we have a new marketing director who is named Julia), so Julie is desperately hoping that she'll get a nickname (she's never had one before.) If you have any suggestions, let us know.

Madison Andrus (in the center) is our fall-season intern. This internship will give her the last credits that she needs to graduate from Missouri State University. She's a life-long girl scout, and since arriving at Poko has acquired the nickname "Mad-dog." (Julie is upset that Madi got a nickname before her.)

As mentioned before, Julia Backus is on board as our new Marketing Director. Julia has worked at summer camp for 4 summers, but now gets to experience the thrill of a full winter at Pok-O. In keeping with our pattern of nicknaming everyone except Julie Warren, Julia has recently been nicknamed "Thriller." She's also fond of card games.

All in all, it looks like we have a great staff, and we're looking forward to the season ahead. Eight days until the first students arrive!