Just Checking In: Emma Hobbs

Today we check in with staff member Emma Hobbs.

Where are you right now?

Snowy London, ON at the University of Western Ontario.

 You’re in the first year of your Masters.  What are you studying?

Ecology, specifically how chickadees are affected by predators.

 Do you think camp influenced your desire to study nature, or did a love of nature keep you coming back to camp year after year?

I definitely grew up loving nature, and that is what led me to start attending summer camps at a young age. Wanapitei has had a huge impact on my appreciation of nature and has made me realize how lucky we are to have untouched wilderness in Canada, and how important it is to explore and protect it.

 You led a four-week Pioneer and a River Adventure last summer.  Do you have a favourite memory from the summer?

It’s hard to pick one moment out of an incredible summer, but I loved the whitewater on both trips. Some of my favourite memories are definitely the Pions running their first set perfectly and impressing a group of older paddlers who were watching us, and running absolutely massive water on the Missinaibi with the River Ads.

What do you do during the year when you start to miss camp?

Keeping in touch with my campers and the rest of the staff is really important during the year, and I especially look forward to attending the fall reunions. I love looking through photos and videos from previous summers as well, and I try to get outside as much as possible to make me feel like I’m at camp, even in the city.

What are you most looking forward to next summer?

Reuniting with my campers, seeing new places, and paddling more whitewater!

Hobbs has been on staff at Wanapitei for four years.