Ilana Copel

Ilana (she/her/hers) came to Vermont in 2009 to study natural resource ecology at UVM’s Rubenstein School and has been here ever since. Her adventures outside the Northeast include a semester traveling through Queensland, Australia, studying public management and ecological research programs, and four months as a Student Conservation Association Interpretive Ranger intern in Canyonlands National Park. Though she grew up hiking, Ilana discovered trail work on a VYCC Wilderness Crew in 2010. Working for a month with VYCC at Griffith Lake and meeting the GMC Caretaker there inspired her to through-hike the Long Trail in 2011. That hike, in turn, inspired Ilana to become a GMC Caretaker for the summer of 2012. Over the years she has served as a Caretaker, Lead Caretaker, and Field Assistant, and since 2017 has served as Field Supervisor. When she’s not on a hiking trail, she can likely be found on a chairlift, in a swimming hole, or at a concert.