Ria Brejaart
Programme Director, Lecturer, Co-founder, Trustee
Ria holds a Diploma in Parks & Recreation Management [Park Ranger], with distinction, (1988) and a MApplSc in Ecology, with distinction, (1994) from Lincoln University, New Zealand. Her area of expertise is alpine ecology. Ria is an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the Department of Natural Resources at the University of New Hampshire.
Ria grew up in the Netherlands, where she studied social and pedagogic sciences. She settled in New Zealand in 1981. As part of her training as a park ranger, Ria worked for the (then) New Zealand Forest Service. For five years, she conducted research on the ecology of the kea (Nestor notabilis) and alpine ecology, and was a teaching assistant in ecology and biological sciences at Lincoln University. Ria was the deputy chairperson of the Canterbury Environmental Trust (1990 - 1995) and a co-founder of the Environmental Education Centre of New Zealand at Craigieburn (1994). Ria worked for several years as an independent ecologist. Her active interest in conservation biology and ecosystem management, from both the research and teaching perspectives, led her to become one of the co-founders of EcoQuest in 1996.
Ria is responsible for programme development, scheduling and delivery, curriculum development, and maintenance of academic standards. Ria delivers lectures, field exercises, supervises Directed Research Projects, and is the liaison with the UNH - EcoQuest Academic Coordinator (Dr. Kim Babbitt). Ria is co-principal investigator in EcoQuest's study of the ecology of the Firth of Thames Ramsar Site, funded by Environment Waikato and three district councils.