Environmental studies graduate completes 1,200-mile canoe journey to promote public lands conservation

After she graduated from Ohio University in May 2025, Helena Karlstrom had a busy summer.

Her summer wasn’t filled with job interviews or an internship, though, instead, she spent it in the wilds of Northern Minnesota and Canada. The Honors Tutorial College and Environmental Studies major—and Voinovich Undergraduate Research Scholar—joined three friends in an all-female crew, dubbed the Hudson Bay Girls(opens in a new window), for an epic 1,200-mile canoe trip to highlight stewardship of public lands and to inspire young girls to engage in paddle sports.

The entire trip took 85 days, starting at the Grand Portage near Lake Superior, through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA), one of the most remote nature areas in North America, then onto Lake Winnipeg before ending at the southern mouth of Hudson Bay in central Manitoba. The conditions were rugged, with volatile weather and whipping winds constantly dictating their daily route. They had to navigate through open water, canoeing through choppy waves and navigating rapids on certain rivers. And they did all of this while carrying 115-pound bags of gear.