Our Staff

Our staff are our greatest strength.  All BNC leaders are innovative, creative, and competent people who enjoy children and provide excellent instruction, leadership, and guidance.

Camper to Counselor ratio is 4:1.

Every counselor has:

• Current Criminal Background Check
• Current American Red Cross Certification in Adult/Child First Aid & CPR
• All swimming, rafting, and canoeing activities are supervised by American Lifeguarding Association Certified staff

Want to become a BNC staff member?

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Staff Profiles Summer 2008

More 2008 Staff biographies and pictures coming soon

Patrick Lilley

Patrick Lilley  comes to us from The Harvest Waldorf School  in The Woodlands.  He is a state credentialed elementary and high school teacher who has been working with children for more than twenty years.  He completed his Waldorf Teacher Training at Rudolf Steiner College,  and has extensive farm camp experience.   Originating from South Africa, he has a deep love of the land,   and of art as a means of learning.   He loves to cook, and sing, has a great sense of humor and adventure, and tells amazing fireside stories!

Gladys Villareal

Gladys is excited to embark on great adventures at camp this summer.  She has spent alot of time outside and enjoys all that nature has to offer.  Playing soccer, biking, horseback riding, music, painting, and reading are among some of the things that she enjoys.  She also is involved with Habitat for Humanity, One.org, Keep a Child Alive, and Action Against Hunger.  A graduate of the University of Houston with a Bachelor’s in Physics, she plans to go back to U of H next fall to start her journey on becoming an archaeologist.

Kyra Gray

Kyra is currently a Junior at Goddard College and is double majoring in environmental studies/business. She just returned from a semester abroad in Australia where she attended classes in environmental studies and sociology. The year prior to leaving for college Kyra interned at The Harvest Waldorf School  with Dana Fleming in the third grade and has since returned to assist in the Kindergarten during holiday breaks. Kyra’s love for many years was ballet and the performing arts. (She trained on scholarship at The Joffrey Ballet School in NYC for six summers and attended Point Park University in Pittsburgh on scholarship her freshman year.) Her focus and dedication has transferred to environmental issues and she is excited to be involved with Blackwood Nature Camp for the first time. Kyra is also the Youth Director for Texas Bioneers and volunteers at Blackwood Educational Land Institute whenever possible. She loves to learn new things, climb trees, read, and laugh! She is looking forward to an adventurous two weeks at Blackwood!

Bryan Zubay

Bryan is a rising senior in a Sugar Land high school. In school, Bryan is president of Students for Political and Global Awareness and the Model United Nations Club, as well as an editor of the student literary magazine. His favorite classes are English and history, and in his free time he likes to read, write, and spend time with friends. In college, he plans to study international relations – especially the sustainable living and development aspect. He had an incredible experience last year, and is looking forward to doing it again!

Gretchen Robertson

Gretchen is a rising sophomore at the Austin Waldorf School. She loves to read about languages and wildlife. One of her favorite parts of ninth grade was spending two weeks on an organic farm in the Hill Country, where she assisted with the vegetable crops, flowers, and ducks. As a Houston Zoo Crew volunteer, she gives discovery cart presentations at the animal exhibits. She also enjoys caring for rescued baby birds at the Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Coalition.