Meet Expedition Leader Lawton Jeffords

By Anne Izard on April 21, 2016

What is your history with GRP? I was a camper at GRP for two years. I have been on staff going on five summers. Two of these summers were spent as a cabin counselor, and the past three have been spent as an Expeditions Leader.

What are you currently doing? I am currently working at Nature’s Classroom in Mentone, Alabama working with school groups teaching classes, leading hikes and facilitating team building and other large group activities.

What’s your favorite thing to cook in the backcountry? My all time favorite thing to cook in the back country is mashed potatoes with cheese and summer sausage.

Best GRP memory? My favorite memory as a camper is seeing the blue ghost fireflies for the very first time. My favorite memory as a staff member is teaching canoeing for the whole summer my first two summers on staff.

Where did you go to school? I went to Brevard College and majored in Wilderness Leadership Experiential Education (WLEE).
What’s your favorite outdoor activity? My favorite outdoor activity is boating wether it is canoeing, kayaking, sea kayaking, stand up paddle boarding… I enjoy all of them!

Why do you do environmental education? Environmental Education is very important to me in teaching it because if the younger generation learns to enjoy the environment it will keep our forests, beaches and other ecosystems intact.

Why do you want to spend your summer with a bunch of teenagers? I enjoy spending my summer with teenagers because not only do I get to teach them about the natural world but they also teach me usually in more ways than one.

Best outdoor adventure/trip? My best outdoor trip was on the outer banks in college we were out there for five days kayaking around Shackleford and Cape Lookout for these days and I will never forget it because of the group I was with.

What keeps you coming back to GRP? The main reason I keep coming back to GRP is because its like a second home and a second family and I never want to leave.

Tell us something unique about yourself. One unique thing I have done in my life is I have built four wood canvas canoes from scratch and I built them all in high school.

Anne Izard
Anne Izard

Anne has worked at Green River over the years at summer camp, expeditions, and the school programs as a counselor, expedition leader, mentor, and program director. Anne’s related camp experiences include working as a counselor and program assistant at Camp Ton-A-Wandah in North Carolina, an expedition leader for Wilderness Ventures and an environmental educator and expedition leader for the Teton Science School. Prior to returning home to GRP, Anne was the Director of Education for the Mountain Studies Institute in Silverton, Colorado. Anne and her husband, Steve, are both actively engaged in the American Camp Association, The Association of Environmental Education, and The North Carolina Youth Camp Association. When Anne is not working, she can be found trail running, paddling, cycling, or backcountry skiing with her husband Steve, their sons, Phen and Hawkins,daughter, Alida,and golden retriever, Irie Bird!