After an impactful tenure as director of Timberlake, the oldest of Farm & Wilderness' camps, Jarod “W” Wunneburger is embarking on a new role as Director of Camps for the entire organization. This transition marks both an end and a beginning - the culmination of years of dedicated leadership at Timberlake, and the start of a new chapter overseeing all of F&W's camp programs.
Reflecting on his time leading Timberlake, W expresses pride in how the camp evolved under his guidance while staying true to its core identity. "I think we are overall kinder and more intentional with a lot of things we do with kids," he notes. "But for any alumni, they could walk in and see the big rocks are still there. We're still doing trips and singing songs and doing silly pranks and kids are chopping wood and swimming around the lake."
Key accomplishments W highlights include strengthening cabin routines and rituals to create a sense of safety and belonging, dramatically increasing staff diversity with around 50% of staff identifying as people of color in recent years, and successfully navigating challenges like COVID and flooding.
Perhaps most meaningfully, W feels he's leaving Timberlake in a strong position for the future. "I've been caretaking this thing that is ready to be handed off to someone else," he explains. "I've held it with love--I've invested a lot of time and energy and effort."
As he steps into his new role as Director of Camps, W is excited to apply his on-the-ground camp leadership experience to support all of F&W's programs. He sees his position as one of "making sure all of our camps are performing to their highest level, that they are creating epic programming for all of our kids and that our kids feel safe and held."
Key focus areas will include helping camps adapt to climate change, enhancing environmental education, expanding socioeconomic and racial diversity, balancing camper desires for privacy with community living, and strengthening connections between F&W's different camps. W also looks forward to being a support system for camp directors, available to step in and help with everything from crisis management to driving staff on days off.
For W, this transition is bittersweet but ultimately feels right. His final summer at Timberlake was filled with meaningful moments, culminating in an emotional goodbye ceremony where he received beads from 27 community members - a touching adaptation of a cherished camp tradition.
"I was going through, ‘This is the last time that I'm going to do this, this is my last opening day of session one, this is my last changeover,’" W recalls. "The thing that broke me that I didn't expect was...to say goodnight after that final candlelight ceremony. That's what really got me - the last time wishing everyone goodnight."
Yet even as he said farewell to his beloved Timberlake community, W felt ready for this next step. His passion for Farm & Wilderness and its mission clearly extends beyond any single camp. As he puts it, "I'm grateful for the ride and ready for what's next."
In his new role, W will continue to shape the F&W experience for future generations of campers across all programs. His blend of hands-on camp leadership experience, strategic vision, and deep commitment to F&W's values position him well to help guide the organization forward while honoring its rich history and traditions.
