Rebecca Latson has been voted onto the board of directors for National Parks Traveler.

A photographer who has captured many amazing national park images, and a National Geographic Young Explorer, have been elected to the board of directors for National Parks Traveler.

Rebecca Latson, a long-time contributing photographer to the Traveler who writes popular "how to" articles about photographing national parks, and Erika Zambello, a Young Explorer who holds a Master's Degree in Environmental Management from the Duke Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University, were elected to three-year terms during the board's recent annual meeting.

Latson, who was born 24 miles outside of Glacier National Park in Montana, inherited her love of photography from her father. She has photographed portraits, portfolios, weddings, and other events, and was the staff photographer for The Merchant Prince, a vendor at the Texas Renaissance Festival, for 10 years.

She has written for, and provided photographs to, the Traveler since 2012. She authors monthly Photography In The National Parks columns for the website, as well as 3-day national park itineraries and a popular series of Armchair Photography Guides. Her work has been featured in the Traveler's seasonal Essential Guides, and her images have been published in Alaska and Seattle Met magazines, as well as in other media. 

As a National Geographic Young Explorer, Zambello completed four trips to the Maine North Woods in each of the four seasons from fall 2015 through summer 2016. Along with contributing to the Traveler, she has in the past written for The Conservation Fund, the Triangle Land Conservancy, and Sarah P. Duke Gardens. She was hired on a contract basis to write a birding guide to Northern New England for Wilderness Adventures Press.

Erika Zambello at Moosehead Lake in Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument

Among her articles for the Traveler was one that explored Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, another that chronicled the recovery of Virgin Islands National Park from devastating back-to-back hurricanes in the fall of 2017, and another that explained the return of "super colonies" of wading birds to Everglades National Park.

"These two women bring a wealth of talent and experience to the Traveler," said Kurt Repanshek, founder and editor-in-chief of the website that draws 1.5 million readers a year to its editorially independent coverage of national parks and protected areas. "With her words, photographs, and insights, Becky will help us evolve our visual presentation and interpretation of the parks, while Erika brings a younger generation's perspective to our coverage, as well as strong reporting, writing, and photography skills."

Kristen Brengel Hajibrahim, the vice president of government affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association who had been an original member of the board when Traveler was organized as a nonprofit media organization, has taken an ex officio position on the board.