Meet the Crew: Emani Aikens, Jakobi Lundy, Madz Gerker and Mae Phillips, new staff

We couldn't be happier to welcome four new outdoor specialists to our team this fall!

You can hear from Jakobi Lundy about making the leap from student to staff member in his guest column for us. Madz Gerker has a similar story: They joined Adventure Crew as a seventh-grade student. 

"I love how AC always includes everyone and works so hard to show teens how awesome nature is," Madz said. "I think it's so cool I get to be a part of that and make it happen."

Madz said they've always loved being outside -- even as a baby. "My parents say that when I cried, they just took me outside and I stopped crying immediately," they said.

The family often goes hiking or camping together. "I love swimming, especially in natural bodies of water; it is one of my favorite things," Madz added.

For their senior project at Clark Montessori, Madz restored part of a trail in the woods behind the school and created a Trail Advisory Board to continue the work after their graduation this past May. Madz is now a freshman at the University of Cincinnati majoring in environmental engineering.

Madz has two siblings still at Clark and three cats and a dog at home. They love reading sci-fi and dystopian books.

Unlike Jakobi and Madz, Emani Aikens didn't grow up with Adventure Crew.

"I would have loved an organization like Adventure Crew when I was a teen," the Florida transplant said. "I wasn’t raised in a family that particularly enjoys being outdoors, so I didn’t have any of my first true outdoor experiences until I was an adult!"

Emani graduated from Florida International University with a bachelor's in sustainability and the environment. She relocated to Cincinnati five years ago.

"I’m a year and some change into being a Land Steward and have been absolutely loving maintaining nature preserves, building trails and controlling invasive plant species," she said of her role with Cardinal Land Conservancy.

Through her work at Cardinal, she connected with Adventure Crew and got excited about our mission.

"Community conservation and access to the outdoors is something that I’m passionate about -- specifically, creating and aiding in making outdoor spaces more accessible to marginalized communities," she said.

Emani is an Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist and a Wildland Firefighter Type 2.

When she's not working, you can find her "stomping around" area creeks with her children, crocheting or knitting, and tending to her less-traditional pets -- a crested gecko, a giant desert millipede, a striped knee tarantula and two jumping spiders.

"I’m also new to roller derby and have been enjoying finding another way to stay active and have fun!" she said.

A move from Price Hill to Brown County, Ohio at age 12 dramatically changed the relationship Mae Phillips had with the outdoors.

"I spent a lot of my early childhood in an urban environment without a lot of opportunities to access true nature," Mae said. "It wasn't until I was 12 that I was able to experience truly being in the outdoors. and it had a major impact on my world view and outlook on life."

"I didn't really learn to love the outdoors until I was a teenager and was able to learn all of the fun things that you can do outside," they added. "What really unlocked that passion for me was going kayaking for the first time with my friends in high school on a summer camp excursion."

Kayaking is still Mae's favorite outdoor activity; they love paddling the Little Miami in particular.

Mae was an avid Girl Scout and participated in numerous outdoor volunteering and counselling activities. They learned about Adventure Crew through friends who were former Crew teens or already volunteered with us.

"I love the idea of being able to help make the connection between youth and nature. It is a powerful connection that can set someone up for life, and I am very excited to help foster that," they said.

When Mae isn't not outdoors, you can often find the fiber artist with some sort of hook or needle in their hands, crocheting or knitting. They also work as a freelance executive administrative assistant while figuring out their "next big adventure." A proud "step parent" to their partner's cat, Alice, Mae also recently donated stem cells through the National Marrow Donor Program.

We're so glad these new staff members are part of our Crew!