Irving Feller
Nature Counselor, 1962-1968
Irv's legendary status as a THC icon is not to be understated. He was known affectionately as "Uncle Irv," A science teacher in the NYC school system, Irving came to camp following the recommendation of his good friend, Sy Sundick. Irving had a very distinctive look, with his Buddy Holly glasses and his bug-net in hand, he was always easy to spot. Irving, sometimes known as "Irving Nature" was Tyler Hill Camp's very own "force of nature".
Apart from the remarkable menagerie of animals that graced the Nature Shack (and then lived with him for 10 months out of the year), Irving enjoyed a near-cult status as he imparted a unique connection to the natural surroundings that people would have otherwise taken for granted at THC. There are countless tales from former campers and counselors not only of the animals, but the hikes to the abandoned camp across Laurel Lake in search of Sassafras roots (that he used to make real root beer with the kids). He blazed trails--literally and figuratively--that opened up the minds of even the most athletically inclined campers, including those who fondly recall hunting for and catching large bullfrogs in both lakes.
During free play and selective activities, he often endured a crush of campers of all ages, many of who showed up with cameras to take pictures of his many zoo-quality creatures (a now famous photo of his 2-year-old daughter, Robyn in a cage with Sen-Sen, the skunk, is seen here). His good friend (and fellow Hall of Fame member), Dr. Herb Roth enjoyed spending so much at the Nature Shack, that some people thought that Herb was Irving's assistant.
From Pygmy Marmoset monkeys, a two-foot long alligator, a Great Horned owl, a tortoise (the size of a toilet seat), a Mynah bird, a raven, geese, a skunk, rabbits, frogs, toads, hamsters, salamanders, a full-sized boa constrictor (which people often donned as a scarf!) to the other animals that lived in the woods and other parts of camp, Irv was friend and guide to all living things (including those in THC uniforms). Irving and his wife Mary Lou (who passed away in 1999) had many good friends at Tyler Hill Camp, and their children; Michael and Robyn were both campers for many years. The staff and the campers lovingly regarded Irving as an intelligent, kind and gentle advocate of the environment and nature's beautiful creatures.
One cannot emphasize more greatly the need to remember and honor this very special and very unique part of Tyler Hill Camp's history. No camp had a nature program like this and Irving Feller was truly a pioneer in the camping industry, having single-handedly formed a program that began with him and lasted for over twenty years after his departure--although it was never as good as the original. Decades before Al Gore made concern for the environment a common part of our culture, Irving was making a point of it right here in Tyler Hill. He helped us to realize that Tyler Hill Camp was an ecosystem with endless species of animals and plants; and that we were just visitors in a world that they lived in year round.
Irving's induction into the Tyler Hill Camp Hall of Fame serves as a reminder to the campers and counselors the importance of our environment and the fascinating world of nature in Tyler Hill Camp's backyard.
