Mission
Nature Up North is a community-based organization based at St. Lawrence University whose mission is to foster a deeper sense of appreciation for, and connection to, the North Country environment and in doing so to create a bioregionally literate community that is committed to protecting the wild things and wild places that define this place we call home.
Long-term Vision
The goal of Nature Up North is to use technology to encourage and enhance outdoor experiential learning. In a world increasingly dominated by technology and defined by a growing sense of apathy toward the natural world, Nature Up North seeks to build an environmental community in northern New York using the technological tools with which people are most familiar. Using web-based technology, Nature Up North enables sharing of experiences and observations in nature through science, art, photography or writing. We seek to foster connections between the North Country landscape, the people who inhabit it, and the inextricable connections between the two.
Connect with Us
Interested in getting outdoors and learning more about the North Country environment? No matter what your age, interest, or ability level, there are many ways to get involved with Nature Up North:
- Get outside with us. We offer guided hikes, canoe paddles, naturalist walks, community campfires, and educational workshops that are free, open to the public, and led by our talented staff members!
- Citizen Science. Our citizen science projects will help you learn to become a scientific observer in your own back yard while contributing valuable information on the North Country environment. Have you ever wondered what flowers are the first to bloom in spring, what birds are first to migrate back to the North Country, or what trees are last to lose their leaves in fall? By helping us collect data about these events, you will be contributing to important scientific research that is going on across the country. Check out our Citizen Science page for more info.
- Join our online community. Create a free user account and start sharing your Encounters, download free trail maps, learn about the fun local outdoor events on our Events Calendar. Join the discussion by commenting on others' Encounter posts and clicking "Northworthy" on the posts you like.
- Become a community partner. Nature Up North is developing partnerships with individuals and organizations here in the North Country who are interested in environmental education, outdoor recreation, and healthy lifestyles. If you are interested in partnering with us, please e-mail info@natureupnorth.org.
- K-12 Programs. We are working with local teachers and enhance school curricula with more hands-on, place-based environmental learning opportunities. If you are a teacher or administrator, contact us to talk about ways we can work with you.
YOU are the roots that anchor this project to the North Country. Your questions, comments and suggestions are an integral part in helping us develop a project that meets your needs, and the needs of our community. So get outside! Explore, examine, share, and help Nature Up North become the project it is meant to be.
Our Team
Project Director
Nature Up North is the brainchild of Dr. Erika Barthelmess who is a vertebrate ecologist and conservation biologist. Erika works as an Associate Professor of Biology at St. Lawrence University. She earned her B.A. in Biology at Earlham College, her Ph.D.in Systematics and Ecology at the University of Kansas, and conducted post-doctoral research at Vanderbilt University before arriving at St. Lawrence.Her research interests are broad and include the biology of small, isolated populations, the intersection of behavioral ecology and conservation, road ecology, and the ecology and natural history of porcupines. Her longstanding interest in environmental education began as a college student when she worked in a local museum offering programs for local school groups. More recently, she has provided educational programming for State Parks and local North Country schools. In her spare time, Erika enjoys hiking, canoeing, and Labrador retrievers. She is also the past-president of the St. Lawrence Land Trust, a North Country conservation organization.
Project Manager
Dan French is a 2021 graduate of Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts. While there, he majored in Sustainability with minors in General Business and Management. As an undergrad he had the opportunity to intern with the National Park Service's Office of Policy in Washington D.C., conduct self-led research on the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid's impact on North American species of Hemlock, and was elected secretary of his universities ultimate fresbee team, Bentley Icehouse. A native of Potsdam NY, Dan spent many summers cultivating his love for outdoor education at 4-H Camp Overlook where he was a camper turned staff for a total of 14 years. In his free time, Dan enjoys hiking in the Adirondacks and skiing when the snow allows. Most recently, Dan returned to the North Country after a one year term of service as an AmeriCorps member in Montana. He served as the National Wildlife Federation's Garden for Wildlife (TM) Coordinator in Missoula and the surrounding area. Now that he's back, Dan hopes to expand his connection to the environment through marathon canoe racing, backpacking, and expanding access to the wonders of the North Country to anyone and everyone who wants to tag along.
Interns and Volunteers
Liz Anderson | She/Her/Hers | Digital Media and Community Science Intern
Liz is a senior at SLU from Andover, MA majoring in Conservation Biology and minoring in Statistics and Anthropology. She enjoys hiking, cross-country skiing, baking, and reading. She also loves teaching her cat, Andre, fun tricks! Liz's favorite place in the North Country is Huckleberry Lake, and she can't wait to explore more trails this year.
Sage Kehr | She/Her/Hers | Environmental Education Intern
My name is Sage Kehr, and I attend St. Lawrence University as a prospective Conservation Biology major and Native American History minor. I love to be outdoors and enjoy hiking, swimming, and being around wildlife and animals. I dream of working in an animal rehabilitation center and saving endangered species.
Cooper Olney | He/Him/His | Computer Science Intern
Cooper is a junior from Waterbury, Vermont, majoring in Data Science with a possible minor in Mathematics. He enjoys skiing at Stowe Mountain when he's back home, as well as hiking in the St. Lawrence and Adirondack regions. He loves spending time outdoors with his dog, Bo, especially on long walks
AJ DiFranco | He/Him/His | Digital Media Intern
AJ DiFranco is a Sophomore Conservation Biology major from suburban Philadelphia, PA. He enjoys learning about new kinds of wildlife, observing wildlife outdoors, canoeing, hiking, drawing and playing video games. He likes going on runs on various nature trails around St. Lawrence University as well. His favorite bird in the north country is the Common Raven.
Brooklyn Phillips | She/Her/Hers | Digital Media Intern
Brooklyn is a senior from Buffalo, NY, who is double majoring in Performing & Communication Arts and Digital Media & Film, with a minor in Global Studies. She likes crocheting, baking seasonal recipes, and exploring the outdoors. One of her favorite things to do in her free time is having picnics and spending evenings around a campfire with friends.
Rosalyn Leon Urbano | She/Her/Hers | Digital Media Intern
Rosalyn is a senior from Lima, Peru, majoring in Global Studies and Economics. She is passionate about human rights and environmental justice, with a particular interest in how different communities connect with nature. In her free time, she enjoys doing calligraphy, reading and searching for unique finds at flea markets and thrift stores!
Keady Azzam | She/Her/Hers | Computer Science Intern
Keady is a sophomore from Central New York who is double-majoring in Computer Science and Geology. She enjoys running, hiking, swimming, and doing her homework outside. Keady plans to pursue a career in conservation that utilizes technology, and is thrilled to be working for Nature Up North combining her CS skills with her passion for environmental advocacy.
Lala Sefale | She/Her/Hers | Computer Science Intern
Matlala (Lala) Sefale is a Sophomore from Lesotho planning to double major in Data Science and Finance. She is passionate about applying the power of technology to create effective solutions to interesting real-life situations. She is excited to be the computer science intern for Nature Up North as this will be an opportunity to collaborate with the NUN team to solve environmental education related problems.
Emma Rubin | She/Her/Hers | Environmental Education Intern
Emma is a Junior from Jericho, Vermont, majoring in Environmental Studies and Geology at St. Lawrence. Emma enjoys getting outside by going on hikes, long walks, exploring swimming holes, skiing, and riding her horse, Calvin! She is excited to explore the North Country environment more during her time with Nature up North, learning more about its wildlife, geology, and finding new nature spots.
Josie Dittman | She/Her/Hers | Environmental Education Intern
Josie is a sophomore from Syracuse, NY, majoring in Environmental Studies-Biology with a planned minor in Outdoor Studies. She enjoys hiking, skiing, and reading outside, and can often be found on long walks with her chocolate lab, Olive. Her favorite season in the North Country is fall, when she hopes to make progress on her 46er challenge and take pictures of the fall foliage.
Advisory Committee
Eric Williams-Bergen is the Director of Research and Digital Scholarship at St. Lawrence University. He brings together his knowledge of scholarly resources and emerging technologies to help the libraries and IT focus on the planning, implementation and support of digital projects such as LIT web resources, digital collections and institutional repositories. Also a homesteader, Eric has served as a board member for GardenShare and specializes in developing websites for local nonprofit organizations and cooperatives. He has played a key role in developing St. Lawrence University’s new Sustainability Semester. He received his undergraduate degree in Philosophy from St. Lawrence University and a Master’s in Library and Information Science from Simmons College. Outside of his work for the University, Eric enjoys spending as much time as possible in the natural world, including kayaking, hiking, and biking with his family.
Dr. Choong-Soo Lee attended Wesleyan University as an undergraduate where he majored in Computer Science, Economics, and Physics. In 2010, he earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science at WPI In 2010, and he joins St. Lawrence University after teaching at Gustavus Adolphus College for three years. His areas of research include multimedia, home networks, and human computer interaction. While earning his Ph.D, Dr. Lee took a leave of absence to complete his mandatory military service in South Korea where he worked with both Republic of Korea and U.S. military officers. His non-academic interests include classical music, hiking, and video games.
Lisa Torrey teaches in the department of Mathematics, Computer Science, and Statistics at St. Lawrence University. Her courses are about programming, algorithms, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and computational theory. She mentors student projects in a wide range of topics, though most often in machine learning.
Sara Ashpole is an assistant professor of Envionmental Studies, receiving both her undergraduate and masters degrees in Zoology and Tozicology from the University of Guelph, Ontario. Sara completed her Ph.D. in planning at the University of Waterloo, Ontario and is advising graduate students there. Since 1999, Sara's research has been collaborative with NGO, government, First Nation peoples, and private landowners examining cumulative impacts to amphibian, reptile, and turtle populations in the Great Lakes and South Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. Projects include long term amphibian population monitoring, wetland restoration and rehabilitation, road ecology, alien vertebrate species mitigation, agricultural eco-toxicology, landowner stewardship, community outreach and education.