Our Summer Camp - Director's Message

Jim and Beigette met while counselors at Camp Fernwood in the summer of 2002. They worked together for two summers and in their second summer were married at camp during the summer. When the opportunity arose for them to be the directors and owners of Fernwood Cove, they jumped at the prospect of working in the environment in which they had met each other and come to love.  This was destiny at its finest hour. With both Jim and Beigette’s love of camp and children, combined with their knowledge and affection for nature, animals and the outdoors …it was an opportunity they couldn’t pass up. They know each and every girl personally and spend as much time as possible with the campers—at meals, on the waterfront, at campfires, visiting the bunks in the evenings, reading stories, etc.  They like to operate “out in the field” and not behind closed doors.  Their mission is to provide children with a safe, simple living and memorable summer experience. They look forward to many happy years together with Fernwood Cove!!!

Jim Gill was raised in a small town in northern Maine called Lincoln. Many of his childhood memories reflect the great adventures he had exploring the surrounding wilderness.  At the age of eighteen he left Lincoln to serve his country in the United States Navy Seabees. After five years of service, one war and over a dozen countries visited, Jim returned to Maine to attend college. Jim has spent his adult life traveling and enjoying the great outdoors in many of the United States and in many countries around the world. His passion to fly fish and study the world around him lead him into a career of fisheries biology, where he spent may years in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, working as a biologist on boats in the Bearing Sea. Although Jim spent many years in Alaska his heart never left Maine, the state he will always call home.

Jim has a bachelor degree in environmental science from Unity College in Unity, Maine and a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Southern Maine, in Portland, Maine. Jim began his career in camping in 1994 as an archery counselor at Camp Fernwood, an all girls camp located in Poland, ME. Jim built up the archery program from a basic level to a program that became nationally recognized. With Jim’s experience in Maine’s many outdoor wonders he has lead numerous extended trips from white water kayaking to hiking, biking and canoeing. Jim was also a “Bunk Uncle” for many girls of all ages during his time at Camp Fernwood.

In 1998 Camp Fernwood purchased a former boys camp, Camp Chickawah in Harrison Maine. The property was a beautiful setting for a girl’s camp with rolling meadows, strawberries on the hill, and a secluded lake… perfect for what is now Fernwood Cove. All of the buildings needed restoration after 13 years of being vacant. During the fall and spring months Jim spent time living at Fernwood Cove developing trails, and renovating many of the buildings in order for the camp to open in the summer of 1999

In 2004 after 10 summers at Camp Fernwood Jim joined the Fernwood Cove staff as an archery and trip counselor. Jim prepared trips for leaving camp, packing out the appropriate equipment and organized the logistics involved for a successful trip day. In August, after his first summer at Fernwood Cove Jim was promoted to Associate Director; in November of that same year Jim and Beigette purchased Fernwood Cove.

Jim feels as though he has come full circle with Fernwood Cove beginning in the fall of 1998 when he was imagining what a special place this was going to be for campers to ensuring that it is an extraordinary and safe place for over 200 campers and 100 staff.

Beigette Gill is originally from Baradine, Australia a small town located in New South Wales. Beigette has a Bachelor of Nursing from the University of Sydney, Australia. Beigette’s career in camping began in 2002 when she came over to the United States to work at Camp Fernwood on the recommendation of a friend who had previously worked there. In her first summer at Camp Fernwood, Beigette, an American Red Cross Life Guard and Water Safety Instructor, taught swimming. By her second summer, she was elevated to head of the swimming department. For both summers, Beigette was a bunk mom to campers between the ages of 8 to 12. In 2004 with Jim, Beigette came to Fernwood Cove. In her first summer at Fernwood Cove, Beigette was the head of swimming and waterfront programs. She was responsible for all waterfront activities including canoeing, swimming, waterskiing, sailing and more.

On September 5th, 2011, a family bike trip changed the lives of Jim and Beigette Gill forever. Watch their amazing and inspirational story here!
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Marran Linsky / Assistant Director
Marran is originally from Newton, Massachusetts and started her life in camping at a very young age. Marran is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis where she received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. At age 4 she began attending day camp where her love of camp first began. She remained at this day camp for 4 years until the age of 9 when she began her time at Camp Fernwood. Marran was a camper at Camp Fernwood for 7 years, until she could no longer go back to camp due to the age limits. She took a year off from camping and then came back in 1995 to work for two summers at a local Boston day camp, Meadowbrook Day Camp. In 1997, Marran returned to Camp Fernwood where she was a marksmanship counselor and bunk counselor for 4 years.

In the fall of 2000, once graduated from college, Marran put her camping career on hold and worked as an IT consultant for CGI Information Systems for 4 years. In 2004, Marran came back to the world of camping as the Assistant Director of Fernwood Cove. Marran is primarily in charge of hiring, retaining, training, and managing the staff at camp. Along with Jim and Beigette, Marran, knows each and every camper and staff personally and spends as much time as possible with the them—at meals, on the waterfront, at campfires, visiting each bunk in the evenings, reading stories, etc.  Marran also likes to operate out in the field and not behind closed doors. (back to top)

Alicia Theriault/ Program Director

Alicia is originally from a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern Virginia.  She now lives in Montreal, Canada. Alicia received a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Medicine- Exercise Science from Elon University.

Alicia’s camping years began at W.E. Skelton 4-H Center on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia when she was 9 years old.  She returned to camp every summer as a camper, a teen volunteer and as a staff member.  During college, Alicia also instructed and held leadership positions in aquatics activities including canoeing, swimming and kayaking. Alicia also completed a semester-long internship at the 4-H Center where she instructed Environmental Education.

In the fall of 2001 Alicia moved to Manchester, New Hampshire where she worked in an outreach program for at-risk youths with the Boy Scouts.  Much of this work consisted of leading the students on outdoor adventure trips that included mountain biking, cross country skiing, low and high ropes course, rock climbing, canoeing and overnight camping.

In 2002, Alicia came to Fernwood Cove where she was a bunk counselor and head of the canoeing department and continued into the off season as the office assistant and became the Program Coordinator for the summer of 2003.

In fall of 2003, Alicia returned to Virginia where she was the Interim Program Director back at the 4-H Center.  Alicia supervised all of the educational and camping programs including Environmental Education, Adult Education, Ropes Course, Specialty Camp and Summer Camp programs.  Alicia also assisted in the development of the first ever statewide 4-H Camping Handbook which is used by the five Virginia 4-H centers and all Virginia 4-H employees and volunteers when planning overnight camping programs.

In 2004, Alicia returned to Fernwood Cove as an Assistant Director, responsible for hiring, training and supervising staff, in the programming aspects of camp.

After a year off from camping, Alicia returned to Fernwood Cove for the summer of 2006 as the Program Coordinator, responsible for leading Fernwood Cove through a successful American Camp Association (ACA) accreditation, supervising the scheduling of camper activities and assisting in counselor training and supervision.  At the completion of the 2006 season, Alicia was promoted to a year-round position as Program Director. In this position Alicia is responsible for research and development of programs in camp including the Counselor In Training (CIT) program. (back to top)