Chewonki's Wilderness programs are led by Registered Maine Guides and professional staff members who have background in the study of natural history and hold certifications in Wilderness First Responder, First Aid, CPR and water safety. They have years of experience on the waters and mountains of Maine and beyond.

Greg Shute has been Chewonki’s Wilderness Programs director since 1991. Greg received his B.S. in Outdoor Recreation from the University of Maine at Presque Isle in 1982. A Registered Maine Guide who serves on the board of the Maine Youth Camping Association, Greg is chairperson of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Trip Leader Program and a founding member and co-president of the Maine Wilderness Guides Organization. His wife, Lynne Flaccus, is Chewonki’s head naturalist.

Don Hudson is the president of the foundation and has had a long association with Chewonki as camper, counselor, and trip leader. Don graduated from Dartmouth College in 1972 and received his doctorate in ecology and evolutionary biology from Indiana University in 1983. Don enjoys leading trips to northern Quebec and Labrador and enjoys sharing his passion for plants and birds wherever he goes.

Chris Riley is Chewonki’s Assistant Wilderness Programs Director. He came to Chewonki as a participant in 1986 and has been on the Chewonki staff since 1997. Chris is a Registered Maine Guide and U.S. Coast Guard–licensed Captain. He is an avid outdoorsman and spends his winter weekends on ski patrol at Saddleback Mountain in Rangeley, Maine.

Ryan Linehan is Chewonki’s Summer Wilderness Programs director and provides logistical and management support for all of Chewonki’s wilderness trips. Ryan is a Registered Maine Guide, a seasoned trip leader, and an avid whitewater kayaker.

Megan Phillips came to Chewonki with years of outdoor experience. A Registered Maine Guide and an outdoor enthusiast in all seasons, Megan became an avid (and mildly obsessed) nordic skier while living in the interior of Alaska teaching environmental education. She has led trips for Wilderness Ventures, of Jackson, Wyoming, and the Audubon Expedition Institute at Lesley University, from which she received a Masters of Science in Environmental Education. A year-round Chewonki Outdoor Classroom teacher and wilderness trip leader, Megan has led Umbagog Whitewater and the George River canoe trip, which she considers the highlight of her lifetime thus far.

Alana Beard has been a trip leader for Chewonki since 2004. She was born and raised in Bar Harbor, Maine, and graduated from College of the Atlantic in 2003 with a degree in Human Ecology. She has taught various outdoor skills since 1998, with instructor training in both small-boat sailing and canoeing. She is a registered Maine Guide and member of the Maine Wilderness Guides organization. In addition to leading trips for Chewonki, she puts time in as a nordic ski/dog sledding guide during the winter and works as a personal chef during the summer and fall seasons on Mount Desert Island.

Paul Arthur has been working at Chewonki since 1994, where he is currently professor of English and assistant head of school. He is a Registered Maine Guide, a guitar and mandolin player, and a motorcycle fanatic. Paul has led a number of extended wilderness trips for Chewonki, including sea kayaking, boatbuilding expedition, whitewater kayaking, and the George River trip. He has also paddled the Rupert River, and spent two weeks solo canoeing in Quetico in Ontario, Canada. Paul’s most extensive trip was a ten-week circumnavigation of New England in a sea kayak, in 1999.

Dot Lamson has been directing environmental education at Chewonki since 1984. She received her B.S. in wildlife management and teaching certification from the University of Maine in 1979. Dot taught on Chewonki's Environmental Education staff for several years before taking on a leadership role at Chewonki. She is a Registered Maine Guide who helped start Chewonki's Maine Coast Sea-Kayaking program, and she continues to lead wilderness trips. In 2007, the Maine Audubon Society recognized Dot as its Educator of the Year.

Susan and Mark Adams. Susan and Mark’s time on the West Branch began 20 years ago as whitewater guides and photographers. They have owned their own photography business at Big Eddy as well as been residing and raising their son on the banks of the river during that time. In the winter, Mark is Ski Patrol Director for Sugarloaf Mountain and Susan directs the Sugarloaf Ambassador Program and Guest Satisfaction. Mark is a certified Ski Patroller, examiner for the Professional Ski Patrol Association, and has worked as a certified Maine whitewater guide and canoe instructor. Susan has worked as both a certified Maine whitewater guide and recreational guide. She was a Junior Maine Guide and member of the National Ski Patrol Association. She has spent all of her summers in the north woods since age eight and is an avid fly-fisher. Susan and Mark manage Chewonki Big Eddy Campground.