Ruby

Ruby hails from Vermont. At UVM, she leads five-day backpacking trips for students. She’s worked as a field technician for a forest health monitoring program, and as a watershed science educator. In Maine, she was a cabin leader for Chewonki’s girls’ camp, where also led multi-day canoing trips; prior to that, she was a camp counselor at a nature center in Vermont. Ruby’s also been a preschool teacher’s assistant and substitute teacher.

• Education: University of Vermont, currently pursuing bachelor’s degree in environmental science
• Certification: Wilderness first responder
• Favorite outdoor memory: A particular day of backcountry skiing this winter! The east coast rarely gets powder, but this day we had just gotten a storm, and my friends and I spent the whole day going up and down glades in the backcountry of our favorite local mountain. We brought our camp stoves to cook ramen and consumed too many gummy worms, and with each run, I felt like I was surfing through fluff. I genuinely couldn’t stop smiling all day from the beauty of the snow and how much fun I was having gliding through the powder.
• Favorite outdoor achievement: I led a three-day canoeing trip with 8-year-olds a couple of summers ago, and watching the campers go from not being able to hold their paddles to being able to steer their canoe against a tide with a headwind was rewarding. We had spent a few days practicing steering, and I was kind of worried because the campers were struggling to move their canoes in the right direction. But after a lot of coaching, they were able to steer a canoe full of gear through the salt marsh. This was very inspiring and made me incredibly proud of the work they had put in. They all ended the day with smiles on their faces and a feeling of accomplishment!
• Favorite hobbies: I love mountain biking, laying in the sun anywhere in the world (photosynthesizing), jumping into cold bodies of water, backpacking, water-coloring, Nordic skiing, backcountry skiing, cooking all kinds of eggs and vegetables, making smoothies, and laughing with friends.
• Favorite place you’ve traveled: I studied abroad in Patagonia, and there is no other place like it. Being able to be fully immersed in the landscape and culture was incredible, and I will never forget this trip! In particular, the mountains, glaciers, and clear blue water were breathtaking, and like nothing I had seen before.
• What are you most excited about this summer? I am looking forward to spending time in a new place and getting to learn and grow along with my students. I can’t wait to dive into the natural history of the west and explore with new friends.