Dr Janet Rith-Najarian is a biogeographer living in the northwoods of Minnesota, among the Sky-Blue Waters of her home state's storied 10,000 lakes. Although she has conducted professional survey work and research for many natural resource agencies over the years, she is also an enthusiastic educator, storyteller, and explorer.
As a certified National Geographic Educator, she has been a long-time teacher-consultant for the Minnesota Alliance for Geographic Education. In addition, she is a Minnesota Master Naturalist and is certified as a a Wild Wonder Foundation naturalist-instructor. For many years she was a group leader for a local Young Explorer program, as well as a Scout leader and Outdoor Skills Trainer for the Land of Lakes Girl Scout Council. Most recently she has become a Teacher-Ranger with the National Park Classroom program, and in that capacity she has visited and explored many U.S. National Parks and Forests, State Parks, and Canadian Provincial and National Parks to lay the groundwork for future educational collaborations.
Janet also has a particular passion for the history of expedition science and the art of illustrated maps. As a Fellow of the Royal British Geographical Society, she is active in its Arts in Exploration collective and has exhibited and presented at the annual RGS Explore Festival. She is currently developing several documentaries and character presentations on the expeditions and expedition art of several notable explorers and natural scientists. She also creates her own expedition art and maps, most recently using her work as an Artist in Residence to create and illustrate historic educational maps for the visitor center at Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada.
In her free time, she loves camping with her family and exploring new places with her adventurous Geo-Dog.
