Days are getting longer, butterflies and dragonflies are out, and it's swimming weather by North Country standards - summer is here! At the start of June we welcomed our three summer interns Alyssa LaCoy, Maggie Jensen, and Jess LaMay to the team here at Nature Up North. They'll be with us through early August, and are looking forward to spending their summer visiting farmer's markets, organizing community events and workshops, and leading hikes and paddles around the region.

Read below to get to know a little bit about each of them, and keep an eye out for them around the North Country this summer!

Hi everyone! I’m Jess LaMay, and I’m working as a Senior Summer Naturalist for Nature Up North this summer. I graduated this spring from St. Lawrence University with a degree in biology and environmental studies. I enjoyed doing my senior research with Nature Up North over the past year, and am excited stay on for the summer season. I’m looking forward to organizing community programs and contributing to social media, and will also be taking lead on the community outreach for our Community Ash Tree Survey project, an initiative in response to the invasive emerald ash borer. As a local to the North Country, I’m thrilled to be spending the summer paddling and hiking with friends and family. In August 2018, I plan to start at American University in Washington, D.C. to pursue a Masters degree in Global Environmental Policy.

Hi, I'm Alyssa LaCoy! I’m thrilled to be living in the North Country this summer after a chilly spring semester. As a summer naturalist, I look forward to getting to know a community outside of St. Lawrence University and exploring the beautiful North Country nature. I can’t wait to share my curiosity and love for the natural world and am eager to learn from everyone involved, as well!

Hello! I’m Maggie Jensen, a junior at St. Lawrence University, and I’m majoring in conservation biology and minoring in outdoor studies. I fell in love with the North Country after spending a semester living in a yurt village on Lake Massawepie as part of St. Lawrence’s Adirondack Semester program. As a Summer Naturalist Intern at Nature Up North, I’m excited to share my love of the North Country by leading paddles and workshops, as well as learning as much as I can about North Country ecology, citizen science, and whatever else I can get my hands on. I am from Bow, New Hampshire. When I’m not outside with my camera exploring whatever ecosystem I find myself in, I’m probably reading, working on my fantasy novel, playing my violin, or making something out of yarn or wire.