Written by Amanda Arbogast

Caley is a 30-year-old 1st-grade teacher from Virginia, Minnesota. Caley currently resides in Hibbing with her husband and 7-month-old daughter. She spends most of her time with her family fishing, hunting, and boating around Lake Vermillion. After going to college in Bemidji, Caley always knew coming back to the Iron Range and teaching was always something she wanted to do. “I have so much family on the Iron Range, and there’s such a strong sense of community here, I always knew I would come back. Lake Vermillion specifically means so much to me and my family we’ve made so many memories there which I hope to continue.“

Connecting with nature has become a way to bond with her family. “I’ve been taking my daughter outside for fresh air daily and you can really tell how much she enjoys it and sleeps great at night”. Becoming a new mother has made Caley really think about the future of the environment. From planting milkweed for the butterflies to picking up trash that she sees outside, it’s the little things that anyone can do that can make a difference.

“Being a teacher makes me really hopeful for the future”. She hears about her students enjoying the outdoors and caring for it all the time. “The community of a small town is unlike anything else. We are all truly lucky to live in such a beautiful place with great people”.