Alex grew up in Keene, NH with a passion for sports, playing baseball, football and downhill skiing. During college, his interests drew away from a corporate life to wanting to work in outdoor education. Alex’s love for nature grew while volunteering his time in a local garden, and exploring the local wilderness. While coaching youth baseball teams, he found purpose in working with kids. Alex believes in accountability, humility and cooperation and is thrilled to play his role in the operations of Kroka and the facilitation of outdoor education.

EMILY TURNER was born and raised in the town of Starksboro, VT. She first came to Kroka at the age of 11 and has been a devoted Kroka-ite ever since. She completed the 2004 Vermont Semester and was the first ever Kroka Apprentice. She then took time to study at Fosen Folk School in Norway, where she lived for three years shoveling manure, sailing boats, and strapping her skis to her bicycle so she was always prepared. Her time abroad continued for another three years spent living outside of London studying theater, and exploring Europe as a traveling milk maid. In 2011 Emily rejoined the full-time Kroka community as the School Programs Coordinator.

A New England native, Ezra grew up in an intentional community in Amherst, Massachusetts. Highlights from his childhood include a semester abroad in the Basque country in northern Spain, making maple syrup, and building forts in the woods. Ezra attended Kroka’s Ecuador Semester as a high-school student and went on to graduate from Sterling College in Craftsbury Common, VT where his studies focused on sustainable food systems. Before returning to Kroka as a member of the year-round team in 2016 Ezra spent time in Ecuador, Israel, Mexico, and Lopez Island in Washington’s Salish Sea. When not working in the office, you can find Ezra exploring the underground world and performing in a local theater group. Ezra recently completed an MA in Regenerative Economics at Schumacher College (UK).

Linda Fuerderer always steps up to do many tasks above and beyond her job description around the Kroka campus. Until it’s sale in 2007, she worked alongside her family in the family business, Jack’s True Value Hardware in Keene, New Hampshire. While working there, she received a Bachelor’s Degree at Keene State College, where she deepened her passion for archaeology. Linda has participated on many digs and regularly volunteers with the New Hampshire Archaeological Society. She is a resident of Marlow, NH and sits on the conservation commission as well as ARLAC (Ashuelot River Local Advisory Commission).

Lindsay grew up in the forests of both southern Vermont and New Hampshire making maple syrup and exploring the wilderness. She studied leadership and silversmithing at Hampshire College where she then went on to teach jewelry making to students in Pennsylvania. Seeking to go back to her outdoor roots, Lindsay went on to work as a therapeutic guide at True North Wilderness Program in Vermont since last summer. Her passions are creating things with her hands, rock climbing, and helping others grow into their fullest selves through introspection and challenging themselves to try new things.

Liz grew up exploring the woods and waters behind her house in the D.C. suburbs, rehabilitating injured animals, and donating all of her allowance to conservation groups. In college she dove into outdoor education and began leading trips and managing gear for VCU’s outdoor program. After college, Liz worked for the Student Conservation Association as an Americorps volunteer in the Adirondacks then as a trail crew leader. She led a variety of wilderness and service trips in California, Washington, Alaska and all around the East coast.Liz worked at North Country School for over a decade as a farm intern, science and English teacher, houseparent, coach, trip leader, mask maker, costumer, 9th grade team leader, secondary school placement coordinator, and reading specialist. She pursued graduate credits from Goddard College, earned her MA in Applied Educational Psychology as a Reading Specialist from Columbia University, and received her teaching certifications for English and as Reading Specialist. Liz has managed a high altitude farm and goat cheese cooperative in Telluride, Colorado, ridden her bike 1500 miles across the West, and was a field researcher for a loon conservation program in the ADKs (one of her all time favorite jobs). She lives in Westminster West, Vermont with her husband and two kids, is a student and teacher of yoga and meditation, and tends to her two very wily lady goats and her beloved 3-legged dog.

Nathan has enjoyed a variety of roles at Kroka during the past 14 years, including Summer Director, Capital Campaign Coordinator, Cartographer, and Managing Director. Prior to coming to Kroka, he had served as a communications officer in the US Navy, taught English for a year in Nicaragua, and worked as a 4th grade classroom teacher in rural New Hampshire. Nathan has also held leadership roles at the Food Project in Lincoln MA, and the Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership in Rockland, ME. He is the proud parent of two Kroka semester program alumni, and partner of long-time expedition leader and educator Hanah LaBarre. He is thrilled to be returning to full time work at Kroka at this unique moment of transition in the organization.

Sasha grew up in the Monadnock region at The Folkway in Peterborough, a restaurant, folk music venue and community hub which was founded by her parents. She has deep roots in the area and loves to spend time with her friends and large extended family, especially when music is involved. Sasha's daughter has done several programs at Kroka, including the 2017 Ecuador Semester which was life changing for her. Sasha learned to appreciate the woods and outdoors from her grandmother who was an avid outdoors person and scout leader, as well as an environmentalist and a founder of The Clamshell Alliance. Having a sense of place and roots is very important to her, as is constantly learning and growing and being part of a community. She lives in Marlborough, NH with her husband and children, as well as assorted cats and a dog.

While studying at UNH, Tricia went on a NOLS semester in Patagonia that changed her life. She was not only exposed to the harsh elements on extended sea-kayaking and mountaineering expeditions, but the magic that comes from living in nature with community. Driven to be a part of and create these transformative experiences for others, Tricia went on to guide groups of students with Windsor Mountain, Global Routes, True North and NOLS before finding her perfect fit with Kroka Expeditions. Tricia joined the Kroka team in 2018 and has worked as the school program coordinator, interim food manager and has coordinated and led the Fall Semester Program since 2020. Favorite Things About Kroka: The thought, care, love, intention that goes into EVERYTHING at Kroka. The community of supportive, creative, passionate staff. Raw milk & yogurt, pressing cider, skiing on winter lunch breaks, exploring wild places together. The students and children that fill this place with JOY! Personal Passions: Wildflowers, swimming in alpine lakes, laughter with co-leaders 100 days into semester, learning about plant spirits, all the magical seasons of New England, learning new crafts, mountain biking, a cup of tea by the fire, making a beautiful meal with loved ones

Cecilia is a college student at New York University studying Studio Art and Environmental Studies.

Chris Knapp has been with Kroka since 1999. He spent many years as a student of Ray Reitze, and as a teacher at Earthways School of Wilderness Living. He has a wealth of wilderness knowledge and experience to share. Chris and his wife Ashirah have been an integral part of Kroka’s development, designing and creating curriculum, as well as teaching the Vermont Semester in 2004, 2006 and 2008. Chris and Ashirah have recently started a family—Owen is now 1½ years old!—as well as “Koviashuvik Local Living School.” Based on their homestead in Temple Maine, Koviashuvik teaches a blend of folk arts, wilderness crafts, permaculture, and sustainable technologies.

David Silva Alvarez, a father a rambling rock climber and a builder, originates from Columbia, but has lived and raised his beautiful daughter, Violeta, in Ecuador for the last decade. At the age of twelve, he earned enough money selling hot dogs on the street to buy his first pair of climbing shoes. He has gone on to become a professional mountaineering guide as a member of the IFMGA International Federation of Mountain guides Association. In Ecuador, he works as a high-altitude mountaineering guide for Nahual Expediciones. Around Kroka, Davicho can be found collecting poison ivy, while exploring new heights and terrain.

Emma has been hiking/backpacking since she was young, and joined Kroka's Ecuador Semester Program in 2018. She is thrilled to be bringing her experience back to Kroka as a teacher.

I absolutely love the wilderness. My home is amongst the trees and I am hoping to learn more about the natural world. My time with Kroka has changed me profoundly as a person and I come back hoping to surrender fully to the experience of awakening.

Gracie comes from southern California to bring music, adventure, and spirited soulful leadership to every program she leads!

Grant has been both a Semester Student and Apprentice, and returns now to lead programs in his own right. He grew up in Southern Maine with his four siblings building forts and crafting in his backyard. As a young homeschooler he began studying with Chris and Ashirah Knapp at Koviashuvik Local Living School, where he apprenticed and worked, furthering his wilderness and crafting skills.He enjoyed three years of summer trips at Kroka as a camper before becoming an apprentice and completing the Winter Semester. He has a strong belief that everything he uses should be beautiful as well as functional and strives to apply this philosophy to all of his pursuits. Grant enjoys canoeing down quiet rivers, carving wood, tanning hides, blacksmithing, and singing songs. He can often be found wandering the wild woods, a handmade knife on his belt and an axe in hand, throwing a song to the wind. A masterful craftsman, he infuses every project with a reverence and wonder which are felt by all around him.

Jo grew up skiing in the woods of Maine, paddling the lakes and rivers of Northern Ontario, and living under the trees on a retired salt-marsh farm on the coast. She has spent the past fourteen summers in a canoe, typically guiding sixteen-year-olds on summer-long whitewater canoe trips through the Canadian bush to Hudson Bay, and recently with Kroka in the lakes of Maine. After studying ancient languages, linguistics, and poetry at Amherst College, Jo returned to the forest as a wilderness therapy guide with True North Wilderness Programs, skiing nooks and crannies in the snowy mountains when not on shift and beginning a life of year-round outdoor living. Jo has a great love for the transformative powers of extended travel through wild spaces, and is often found skiing the trails around campus, singing in circle, and writing.

MARGA comes to us all the way from Cuenca, Ecuador to share with us her amazing talents on the cliff face and in the kitchen. She is one of the top climbers in South America, and is always looking to share her knowledge.

Max is excited to return to Kroka as a new staff member - to expand his skills and knowledge of new geographies. When not adventuring outdoors, Max also enjoys making films, building props, sewing and designing costumes, and constructing 3D computer models. 

Monica is a nationally recognized Waldorf Teacher Trainer and consultant with 40 years of Waldorf classroom teaching experience. As a class teacher on countless school field trips, Monica helped develop Kroka’s progressive outdoor curriculum for Waldorf schools. Now retired from full-time teaching, Monica runs a curriculum development and evaluation consultancy for schools worldwide. For many years Monica has been an advisor, mentor, and trainer for Kroka staff, and in 2020 she joined Kroka as the main lesson teacher for our Community School. Monica’s passionate and disciplined teaching has brought strength of quality to our programming. Outside of the classroom, Monica enjoys singing, gardening, and bicycling with her husband Ken – including an impressive resume of bicycle tours of European cities!

Rachel grew up in southern New Hampshire and spent her childhood romping around the woods and climbing anything in sight. She started her Kroka journey as part of the MC2 wilderness leadership team. After spending three years with this program, she apprenticed with Kroka in the summer of 2018 and then went on to work as an intern for Kroka’s year-long community homeschool program. She has returned to teach in the summers since then and is an alum of the 2020 Winter Semester Program.

Rebecca grew up outside of Seattle, Washington and spent much of her childhood exploring the Cascade mountains and their foothills. She loves spending time in the mountains on foot in the warmer months and on skis in the winter! Before coming to Kroka, Rebecca taught math and science at the middle and high school levels, and led backpacking and kayaking trips for teens. She is excited to develop the Community School as a place for younger students to experience the rich, place-based education that Kroka offers.

Roberto is from the indigenous community of San Clemente in the beautiful South American country of Ecuador, a place of much culture and biodiversity. He has had the opportunity to participate in Kroka programs since 2009. Roberto enjoys biking and hiking in the mountains.

Ruby grew up exploring the hills and surfing the coast of Northern California. Her experiences as an outdoor educator in California began at a young age, and include: teaching summer and afterschool nature programs; working as a forest preschool teacher; contracting with Waldorf Schools to lead backpacking trips; teaching in a Kindergarten; and teaching surf clinics and lessons in the summers. An educator by day and an artist by night, Ruby spent six years professionally crafting handmade and custom leather shoes, as well as making her own clothing, experimenting with local plant dyes, and dipping innumerable beeswax candles. Always passionate about food and agriculture, Ruby worked on farms and at farm stands in the Bay Area, cooked for several families, and volunteered her time at Salmon Protection and Watershed Network. After teaching her first semester at Kroka Expeditions (Roaring Canyons 2019) Ruby had a brief sojourn working full-time on farms in Santa Cruz and the Big Sur Mountains: tending bees, milking goats, and harvesting rows and rows of lettuces. Upon returning to Kroka, Ruby taught summer programs and designed and taught the humanities curriculum for the Legends of the Rio Grande 2020 Semester. When she’s not teaching (and sometimes when she is!) you can find Ruby dancing on her longboard in the waves, munching on wild edible foods in the woods, or playing irish fiddle tunes somewhere with a view.

Thomas was born and raised on horseback at Palugo Farm. Through wrestling his brothers, roping horses, climbing trees, hunting, shooting bows, and racing wooden boats, he developed an understanding of community and a love for nature. He has an independent personality and a great talent for different sports; he is a passionate paddler, climber, biker, and an overall adventurer. He has done much traveling and has dedicated a great deal of his life to being outdoors, guiding, and working with young people in nature. The practice of permaculture encompasses much of his interests, with bio-construction as part of it. Thomas has been teaching at Kroka since 2004.

Tom Rosenberg is a senior Kroka instructor and has guided many advanced expeditions including the George River and Uapishka Canadian expeditions. Tom is a graduate of American Eurythmy School and is a professional carpenter. He has guided dog sledding trips at Mahoosuc Guide Service in Maine and in Alaska for Arctic Wild. Tom and his wife Lily (also a veteran Kroka instructor) live with their daughter in Northern California at the foot of Mount Shasta.

Will is a student at Wheaton College, MA, studying liberal arts, psychology, and math. He attended many Kroka programs as a student at the Montclair Co-op and during multiple summers through high school. He is a true lover of the natural world and its creatures.