Meet the Crew: Katie Kemme Hazlewood, Board President

Whether she was fishing for catfish and sunfish at a local lake, climbing trees and running through the grass in her backyard, or turning over rocks in Sharon Woods creek to look for creatures on the other side, Adventure Crew Board Chair Katie Kemme Hazlewood spent much of her childhood outside.

As she grew up, so did her adventures. First came hiking, camping and paddling excursions with friends; then, later, international travel.

"No matter where I am or how old I get, a simple walk in nature is my go-to for clearing my mind and easing my soul," she said.

Kemme Hazlewood, who holds an MEd in Literacy and an MA in Zoology, has been a high school teacher in Cincinnati Public Schools for 22 years and currently teaches at the Zoo Academy. Her love of the outdoors, and her desire to share that passion with her students, is what attracted her to Adventure Crew in 2014, when she became an advisor. She began her second term as board chair in August.

"It is imperative that we help students make connections with nature and empower them to care for it," she said. "By taking students kayaking on the Little Miami, rock climbing at Red River Gorge, hiking at Mount Airy, et cetera, Adventure Crew not only provides an opportunity for teens to find enjoyment and peace, but we are also exposing them to outdoor areas that oftentimes they never knew existed. Teenagers today will soon be charged with preserving and restoring the natural spaces of our country. How will they even desire to perform that duty if they don’t feel that those areas belong to them?"

That feeling of belonging in nature has other benefits as well. Kemme Hazlewood recalls hiking with a 17-year-old Crew student a few years back. As they walked, the student turned to Kemme Hazlewood, opened her arms and said, "I love being outside. I feel normal here."

As it turned out the student had ADHD and often had trouble in school. But in the woods, she felt "normal."

"That stuck with me, and the memory of that brief but powerful conversation helps to remind me that our kids need nature," Kemme Hazlewood said. "Being indoors, walking on concrete, riding in cars -- these are all advancements that have made our lives more comfortable. But we can't forget that we are part of nature, and we need to incorporate it into our lives for our own well-being."