2019-20 SATW Foundation Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition
112 Environmental and Sustainable Tourism ( Newspapers,Travel Magazines,Travel Coverage in General Magazines,Travel Audio-Radio,Travel Audio-Podcasts and Guides)Back
Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Outside Entry Title: The Uncertain Future of the Boundary Waters Entry Credit: Stephanie Pearson Judge Comment: There's zero detachment in this exploration of the environmental threat facing the Boundary Waters, and that's what makes this piece a winner. It's one-part personal essay, one-part environmental reporting, one-part history. What holds it together so beautifully is the writer's deep connection to the place.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Aaron Teasdale Entry Title: Building an American Serengeti Entry Credit: Aaron Teasdale Judge Comment: The writer superbly balances the raw tension between wealthy prairie protectionists and the ranchers they are crowding out in a well-meaning but blundering attempt to develop a preserve in Montana. A delicious sense of irony overlays the piece as sources on both sides righteously defend their positions. The stakes are high here, and the writer meets the challenge with a meticulously reported and exceptionally crafted narrative.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Kevin West Entry Title: Too Much of a Good Thing Entry Credit: Kevin West Judge Comment: It's the $2.9 trillion question: how to travel without adding to the very serious problem of overtourism at some of the world's most attractive places. Kevin West ventures to one of those places, Peru's Machu Picchu, for a solid, boots-on-the-ground exploration of a question that has no credible, easy answers.
Place Name: Honorable Mention Contestant Name: Bob Howells Entry Title: Prairie Home Entry Credit: Bob Howells Judge Comment: What made this story exceptional is the writer’s obvious devotion to the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, a project that has set aside 51,000 acres of pristine grassland in northeastern Oklahoma. Told with clear and compelling language, the piece is a tribute to the wildlife, the land and the Native American culture that surrounds it. The reader is intimately involved in the journey until the final, moving observation.
