Staff

Jackson Saul, who goes by Jack, is a graduate of Williams College and holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of Alabama. He grew up working on his family’s tree farms in Massachusetts and New Hampshire and has worked in publishing for about a decade, most recently as managing editor of The Kenyon Review. He is a birder and lives in West Fairlee, Vermont, with an indoor tortoiseshell cat named Valli.

J Cantrell is the Director of Finance and Operations for Northern Woodlands.  He has six years of nonprofit experience. You will most likely find him running and biking in the forest.  He lives in Lebanon, New Hampshire with his wife and three kids.

Jen Durgin is the Vermont state coordinator for the nonpartisan organization Citizens’ Climate Lobby and volunteers with her town’s climate action team. She brings decades of experience in editing and fundraising communications, gained in her many years working for Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine. A long-time admirer of Northern Woodlands magazine, she’s fascinated by the natural world and how people care for forests. She enjoys swimming in cold fresh waters, growing vegetables, cross-country skiing, and reading about fungi, plants, and critters big and small. She lives in Wilder, Vermont, with her husband, two teenage children, a fluffy dog, and a sassy cat.

Nancy’s background in design, library science, and education lends well to her role as advertising ace, information curator, and community outreach champion. She has lived in the Upper Valley region for over 20 years – mostly in New Hampshire, but recently a house prompted her to move to Vermont. Nancy is an avid knitter and side gig crafter who enjoys downtime outdoors to walk, hike, or XC ski. She belongs to the office mascot, Percy, who is frequently featured in our merchandise ads and social posts.

Meghan McCarthy McPhaul, associate editor for Northern Woodlands, is a lifelong woods wanderer. She was a contributing writer for Northern Woodlands for several years before joining the staff in 2020 and has written for regional and national publications on a variety of topics ranging from skiing and paddling to gardening and local treasures. When she’s not tapping away at the keyboard, Meghan is likely to be wandering the woods or mountains by foot, ski, bike, or snowshoe – often with kids and dog in tow – beseeching vegetables to grow in the rocky soil of the backyard garden, or lost in the pages of a good book. Meghan lives in Franconia, New Hampshire, with her family.

Since 2010, Emily Rowe has been part of the Northern Woodlands team, where she now serves as Communications and Circulation Director. She keeps the magazine moving – on the page, online, and in the community. A Hampshire College graduate, Emily grew up roaming old farms and woodlands in New Hampshire and Maine, developing a deep curiosity about the lives of those who came before. She also has a long-standing fascination with Shaker history. Emily lives with her family in Corinth, Vermont, and delights in exploring historic landscapes, old newspapers, and hidden stories in the forest.

Catherine Wessel is an admirer of things in surprising places and an appreciator of early morning hours. She comes to Northern Woodlands with an MS in Plant Biology from University of Vermont's Field Naturalist Program, and an abiding interest in how we communicate and connect with others and the more-than-human world. She loves being in and on the water and making soup, and is always planning her next visit to a bog. She lives in the Champlain Valley, where she is thankful to never be too far from a maple creemee stand.