STAFF
At Buffalo Cove our staff create the core of our program. We are constantly working to improve our skills, and serve our clientele following the guiding principle of respect.
Nathan Roark- Director
Nathan Roark has been learning from the Southern Appalachians since he was a boy and professionally teaching in these mountains for more than fifteen years. He has worked as a private outdoor educator; teaching at many types of scholastic facilities, public & private organizations, and educational workshops. He has been involved as a leader (from small groups to directing whole programs) in many outdoor education programs. Some of the most influential along his path have been Medicine Bow Wilderness School (Dahlonega, GA), Eagle’s Nest Foundation (Brevard, NC), Hampshire College Outdoor Programs (Amherst, MA) and Turtle Island Preserve (Boone, NC). He is an avid and experienced paddler, both of the canoe and the kayak. He has paddled water from the small mountain creeks in the southeast to the Colorado River flowing through the Grand Canyon. Adventures across this continent have provided him a solid foundation for his outdoor living skills. He has learned from the deserts of the southwest and the winters of the northeast – from the gentle hills of the Great Plains to the sky-high Rocky Mountains. Still, his path has always led home to the Southern Appalachians. He is a diligent student of the history of the Blue Ridge and has a degree in American Indian Studies – his specialty being the Cherokee. Nathan is a certified Wilderness First Responder and also is a dedicated student of Kung Fu. He lives with his wife and two daughters, on their small homestead close to Base Camp. There they have built their own home, an octagonal log cabin, using trees from their land and no electricity. What little power they have in their house is created by several small solar panels. They have chickens, dairy goats, dogs and cats. Many of their vegetables come from their organic garden or are gathered from the woods. Their meat is raised on their homestead or hunted in the forest, not bought from the store. Whether strolling on a nature hike, paddling a roaring white water river, or disappearing into the woods for a week with only a knife, you’ll find Nathan there both as a patient, veteran instructor and as an avid student. It has become his life’s work to help others see the beauty and wisdom in the Southern Appalachian Mountains and the strength that we all possess within ourselves.
Aimee Leigh Reichert, MA- Assistant Director
Aimee moved to North Carolina from Colorado where she completed training in wilderness therapy at Naropa University. She started working at Buffalo Cove in the summer of 2005 and kept coming back because of her love for the mountains, rivers and woods. Now she is here full-time and excited to be working both with camp kids and Two River's kids, sharing her joy for the wilderness as often as possible.
Jane "Cookie" Hicks- Camp Cook
Janey Hicks has been cooking for kids in a camp setting for over ten years, starting in an outdoor kitchen with no electricity at Turtle Island Preserve in Boone, NC. She combines traditional southern cooking with a lot of love and wild creativity to create some of the most delicious meals imaginable. Some of her trademark dishes include her homemade cookies, Oreo cookie cheesecake, peanut chicken with wontons, good old southern grits and vegetarian lasagna (to name just a few). Janey somehow manages to create new meals for every night of camp with few repeats during an entire summer! If you ever need to smile and laugh just go find Janey working her magic in the Buffalo Cove kitchen and you will understand immediately why she is so well loved by all the campers and staff that pass through Buffalo Cove.
Sam Griffin
Sam Griffin is currently in a Master's training program at Appalachian State Univeristy. He is focusing on community counseling. In his free time he works on his homestead and fine tunes his study and practice of primitive earth skills. Sam serves as a lead counselor during summer sessions at Buffalo Cove.
Paul Landowne
Paul Landowne, affectionately referred to as "Tall Paul" by many a summer camper, is a talented and curious individual who has spent many days walking and exploring in the woods. In the past he has spent time learning and practicing organic farming principles. Currently he travelling abroad in New Zealand. Paul is a support counselor in the summer sessions at Buffalo Cove.
Austin Pack
Austin Pack has years of experience working a wilderness setting. He works as a lead counselor during summer sessions at Buffalo Cove. Currently he is the fitness teacher at Two Rivers Community School in Boone, NC. He is working on building his homestead.
Kendall Smith, MA
Kendall Smith obtained her master's in wilderness therapy from Naropa University. She works as a lead counselor during summer sessions at Buffalo Cove. Currently she is advancing her knowledge of organic farming. She is planning to continue her work as a wilderness therapist, focusing on equine work.
Kyle Zimmerman
Kyle Z came to Buffalo Cove after years of experience gained first as a camper then as staff at Earth Camp, Silver Water. He is currently in pursuit of a greater understanding of the world around him through hands on experience. Kyle is a support counselor and occasional teacher during summer sessions at Buffalo Cove.
Becky Krenz, MA
Becky has recently graduated from Appalachian State University with her Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy. She is passionate about using nature as a source for healing, and as a way of connecting with others. Biking, backpacking, swimming, and eating slowly are a few of her favorite things. Currently, Becky is living in Atlanta and searching for a job where she can put her interests to use.
Amy Brown
Amy Brown makes an occasional appearance down in the cove, usually to help out with advanced camp. She started working with camp back when it first started down in Hector Hollow and has been coming back ever since, even if just for a few days. Currently she is planning a move to farmland in upstate New York with her fiance.
