Hayden grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is currently a student at the University of New Hampshire working towards a B.S. in Wildlife Conservation Biology. Before becoming an Invasive Species Intern for the Conservancy in May of 2026, she worked the previous summer for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources as a Fisheries Intern. Hayden has a natural love for the outdoors and is passionate about conserving nature through a holistic lens of combining ecological fieldwork with public education. She is excited for the opportunity to apply her experience and combine both of these practices this summer to help protect both the natural and human life that are dependent on the St. Croix River.