Kaitlin Erpestad (she/her)

I grew up exploring the parks, lake shore, and green spaces of Duluth and learning to ski on the ski trails of Hartley Park. It is an incredible honor to help children and families connect with this special place every day through my work at Hartley Nature Preschool. A bit about me~I earned a BA in Social Studies Education and a MN teaching license for K-6 elementary and 5-8 social studies from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. I then had the pleasure of living in the country of Finland for three years where I taught preschool for 3-7 year old Finnish and international children and explored the Finnish woods with my partner, Matti. I returned to MN and completed a naturalist training program at Wolf Ridge ELC and earned a Master’s degree in Environmental Education from UMD before I had the honor of working with a dedicated crew of HNC staff and community volunteers to start Hartley Nature Preschool, which opened in the fall of 2014. I love to be active outside in all seasons with my family biking, paddling, skiing, beaching, and camping… I also love to read, to drink my coffee while it’s hot, and to eat chocolate!