We’re excited to welcome Liam Elias to Camp Friedenswald! Liam is filling a voluntary service position as Program & Sustainability Assistant. Here are a few words from him– to you – as a way of introduction!

Hey everyone,

I am humbled and honored to be serving here at Camp Friedenswald as the Program and Sustainability Assistant! As a recent Environmental Science graduate from Goshen College, I am eager to continue learning and sharing about Midwest ecology with people in this place. My undergraduate thesis project was a study of Blanding’s Turtles at Merry Lea (near Wolf Lake, IN) where I surveyed to further identify their habitat and feeding behavior. It will be interesting to discover which species live here and to develop a deeper connection with them over time.

Aside from a few occasions visiting with my family when I was younger, Camp Friedenswald is brand new to me! My dad Morlin was on staff here for a number of years when he was my age and has often shared fond memories. Growing up near Seattle, I attended other Mennonite camps such as Camrec (Washington), and Drift Creek (Oregon) which has cultivated my love for wild places like this one to explore and grow. This position of facilitating and sharing this awe-inspiring place with the kids is what I think I’ll cherish the most. I’m also looking forward to learning from the other amazing staff and taking roles in the systems that keep camp going, especially land stewardship and composting!

When I’m not helping with summer programming or land stewardship projects, you’ll find me running the trails, hanging out at the lake, or working on a project. I also love backpacking, snowboarding, dumpster diving, and cooking!