Next up in our “Meet the PRLTeam” series, let’s meet our fourth and final staff member, Helen Catanese. In her part-time role as our Development Coordinator, Helen works to maintain our database systems and process all your generous donations to PRLT. She has also lent her expertise to upgrading our internal workflows as we expand our staff.
Helen is a recent addition to our team, joining us in the fall of 2025. She brings a background in software and database management, and holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Washington State University with a focus on applied bioinformatics. Originally from Florida, Helen moved to Maine to be closer to family and nature, and now cares for a 21-acre forest in Somerset County.
Get to know Helen with us:
Going for a summer walk with my 18-year-old cat, Loki. She has moved across the country with me not once, but twice.
Hanging out in a tree with my mom.
Setting out to kayak on the Snake River.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Clearwater Florida, a place that has rapidly developed over the last 50 years. We did a lot of camping when I was a kid, but I never thought of myself as “outdoorsy” or really connected to nature. When I moved to Washington for graduate school, I amended that belief. I don’t know exactly what shifted, but as I spent time out on the Palouse, and exploring the mountains of Idaho and Oregon, I began to understand what it means to exist as an inhabitant of the earth, and as a member of an ecosystem.
How did you come to work for PRLT?
In 2024, I moved to Maine to be closer to family on a 21 acre plot of beautiful forested wetland bisected by Fahi Brook in the Kennebec River Watershed. I spent my first year and a half in Maine learning as much as I could about the land and its inhabitants and about the organizations working to protect it here. I wanted to join PRLT to help contribute to protecting land beyond my own, and to learn as much as I could about supporting land management and conservation.
What’s your favorite PRLT property?
Rivermeadow Preserve, though I am reserving full judgement until I have seen every one of our properties. But Rivermeadow is an amazing place. I love that it is a little haven in what is otherwise a fairly urban area. I love how many different habitats you have all side by side. And I love seeing the variety of native wildflowers in the meadow areas. I am so excited to see that in the spring!
What’s your favorite way to get outside?
I love to go for a wandering walk, especially with my cat, Loki, or a friend. I like to stop to look at interesting mushrooms, or to watch a bumblebee climb in and out of flowers, or to try to figure out what kinds of trees are in an area. But I also enjoy a kayak trip or a more vigorous hike now and then.
How else do you spend your time outside of work?
I knit and do other crafts. I’m a notorious junk recycler. I play video games, especially with friends. I read and volunteer at our local public library. I love to visit thrift stores and yard sales.
Quick! What’s your favorite…
Mountain – They all have my respect and admiration equally.
River – The Carrabassett, which meets the Kennebec in Anson, where I live. It has some very majestic rocky vistas, as well as remote pebbly beaches where you can soak in the summer and watch the fish go by.
Craft project – In the winter, knitting. In the summer, learning a new one.
Podcast – After all these years and so many great new podcasts, it’s still This American Life. I started listening to it with my uncle in high school, and it has just gotten better every year.
Poet – Emily Dickenson
Travel destination – Honestly? My back yard.
Coffee shop – I would really, really like to find one nearby. Accepting nominations!
Native Plant – Hopniss (but the competition is fierce)
In one sentence, why PRLT?
Because connecting people with nature is the best way to serve both.
How do we reach you?
helen@prlt.org