Jill Fredston, 2008 Women of Discovery Earth Award

"Compose your own life. Be curious, pay attention and keep evaluating." — Jill Fredston

Avalanche Specialist, author and motivational speaker

Born: 1958-01-01

Hometown: Anchorage, Alaska

Education: Masters in Polar Studies/Glaciology

Achievements

Discoveries: Finding a whale that had lived in Shakespeare's time frozen into the side of a mountain (on the arctic island of Spitsbergen).

Expeditions: 25,000 miles of rowing along the coasts of Alaska, northern Canada, Greenland, Spitsbergen Island and Norway.

Biography

Jill Fredston has logged more than 20,000 miles exploring the rivers and coastlines of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Norway in a 20-foot rowing shell. She is also considered one of the world's most recognized avalanche educators, having spent countless hours suspended above avalanche fracture lines to examine an icy world that is in constant change. Fredston is the author of two books, "Snowstruck: In the Grip of Avalanches," and "Rowing to Latitude: Journeys Along the Arctic's Edge," as well as co-founder of the Alaska Mountain Safety Center.

Fun Facts

Favorite Item to have in the field: Dark Chocolate and good books.

Heroes: Pioneering environmentalist, Mardy Murie