2024-25 SATW Foundation Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition
113 Environmental and Sustainable Tourism ( All)Back
Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Bing Lin Entry Title: Miles to Go Entry Credit: Bing Lin Judge Comment: This thoughtfully reported account of Bing Lin’s 500-mile hike along Northern California’s Pacific Crest Trail is at once funny, moving and thought-provoking. Lin answers a frequent question posed to committed, long-distance hikers: Why do you do it? In particular, he paints a memorable picture of the “trail angels” who, along with the majestic views and bragging rights, make the pursuit worthwhile. Ultimately, Lin reflects on what society might learn from trail enthusiasts: Maybe widespread doses of “trail magic” could create the community necessary to combat climate change.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Crai Bower Entry Title: Starry, Starry Nights at Dark Sky Preserves Entry Credit: Cria Bower Judge Comment: This immersive, engaging look into “dark-sky tourism” opens with a tale from an Indigenous Knowledge Keeper from the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, describing the roots of a grizzly bear constellation. Writer Crai Bower’s commitment to capturing what makes the night sky so important to so many communities is woven throughout the narrative, which blends personal insights with important scientific perspectives on the increasing loss of night-sky views free of light pollution. It’s a tourism story with a clear conscience.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Anna Fiorentino Entry Title: Could Eelgrass Be the Next Big Bio-Based Building Material? On the island of Laeso in Denmark, one man is reviving the lost art of eelgrass thatching and, in doing so, bringing attention to a plant that has great potential Entry Credit: Anna Fiorentino Judge Comment: Anna Fiorentino’s deep dive into the use of eelgrass to create roofs in Denmark is a detailed, fascinating account of a centuries-old building technique that, as Fiorentino describes, holds environmental “superpowers.” The article effectively captures the long history of eelgrass, its current applications and supporters, and its intriguing potential as a sustainable building material.
Place Name: Honorable Mention Contestant Name: Stanley Stewart Entry Title: Nature's Keepers Entry Credit: Stanley Stewart Judge Comment: Readers join Stanley Stewart on his journey to three eco-lodges in Brazil that offer visitors a life-changing experience while also seeking to preserve the areas’ wildlife. The article is full of detailed, vivid anecdotes of Stewart’s up-close-and-personal encounters with pampas deer, a maned wolf, a giant anteater, jaguars and more, all effectively integrated with thorough descriptions of the lodges’ alluring amenities.
