Writing Awards and Organizations

Society of American Travel Writers' 2010 Western Chapter Travel-Writing Awards 

Gold, Adventure Travel Article

"Close Encounters," appeared in The Best Women's Travel Writing 2009 (Travelers' Tales)

Judge's comments: "...The story has elements of a real adventure. The author could have drowned or been injured while sea kayaking. The stark beauty of Quirpon Island (Newfoundland) and the icebergs made this tale stand out."
- Sean O'Reilly, editor-at-large, Travelers' Tales

Gold, Newspaper, Self-Illustrated Travel Article

"Picture-Perfect," appeared in The Boston Sunday Globe

Judge's comments: "It would be almost impossible not to want to read this story after seeing the block of 16 evocative color photos on page one of this Travel section... A strong scene-setting lede describing a welcome by three Embera Indians in Panama pulls the reader into the story of a photography theme cruise and its ports of call."
- Millie Ball, former travel editor, Times-Picayune

Bronze, Newspaper Self-Illustrated Travel Article

"Kauai: Beyond the Beach," appeared in The Boston Sunday Globe

Judge's comments: "...The writer side of this travel journalist uses a lot of factual details about the island and tells us about some unusual optional activities (a cattle drive - who knew?). They give us even more reasons to return - or visit for the first time - the Garden Isle."
- Millie Ball, former travel editor, Times-Picayune

Bronze, Newspaper Travel Article (longer than 1,000 words)

"A woman traveling alone? The world can be your oyster, too," appeared in The Boston Sunday Globe

Judge's comments: "...This is a must-read for any woman who yearns to travel solo, and much of the insight provided is useful to other travelers, too. Any reader can benefit. It's not easy to produce a 1,000-word-plus "self-help" report without risking boredom or the temptation to preach. But this article excels."
- Harry Shattuck, writer and former travel editor, Houston Chronicle

Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition (2009)

Bronze, Service-Oriented Consumer Article

Kari's article, “A Woman Traveling Alone? The World Can Be Your Oyster, Too,” appeared in The Boston Globe's Travel section.  

Judges' comments: “A unique look into traveling alone abroad as a female provides plenty of good tips and personal advice from the author.”

Society of American Travel Writers' 2009 Western Chapter Travel-Writing Awards 

Gold, Adventure Travel Article

"On the Dark Side: Two kayakers test their moxie on a windswept adventure in Patagonia," appeared in The Best Women's Travel Writing 2008 (Travelers' Tales)

Judge's comments: "The best adventure travel stories ideally contain three facets of adventure: an "adventurous" setting, adventurous characters and, most important, actual adventures. This story boasts all three... Add to that a well-paced yarn, a deft touch with details and description ("...the river looked like a trail of speed bumps") and good humor that's organic (rather than forced), and you have a fun page-turner that, unlike the Rio Grey, is over before you know it.
- Jeanne Cooper, guidebook author, travel writer, and former San Francisco Chronicle travel editor

Gold, Newspaper, Self-Illustrated Travel Article

"Wild, handled with care," appeared in The Boston Sunday Globe

Judge's comments: "...(T)he first three paragraphs, combined with the beautiful photos, tempted me to drop what I was doing and arrange a trip instead."
- Harry Shattuck, travel writer and former Houston Chronicle travel editor

Society of American Travel Writers' 2008 Western Chapter Travel-Writing Awards 

Gold, Adventure Travel Article

"In Hot Water," appeared in The Best Women's Travel Writing 2007 (Travelers' Tales)

Gold, Newspaper, Self-Illustrated Travel Article

"Honeymoon? Yes! By rail, land, and sea, newlyweds sample rugged, beautiful Alaska," appeared in The Boston Sunday Globe

Silver, Newspaper Travel Article (1,000 words or more) 

"Free-heel and backcountry with danger in mind," appeared in The Boston Sunday Globe

Bronze, Newspaper Travel Article (Fewer than 1,000 words)

"Light-headed in New Brunswick: Cliffs, kayaking, a keeper's house," appeared in The Boston Sunday Globe

 
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Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition (2007)

Bronze, Newspaper Article on U.S./Canada Travel

Kari's article, Upwardly Mobile, explores the sport of recreational tree climbing. This story appeared in The Boston Globe.  

Judges' comments: "This article about tree climbing as a tourist attraction wins points for originality alone, but the author lifts it into the canopy of the category’s best stories with thorough interviews, an easy writing style and loads of practical information."

The competition, judged by Professor Daryl Moen and members of the Missouri School of Journalism faculty, is open to all North American journalists and is considered the most prestigious honor in the field of travel journalism.

Society of American Travel Writers' 2007 Western Chapter Travel-Writing Awards 

Silver, Adventure Travel Article

"Awash in the Jungle," appeared in The Best Women's Travel Writing 2006 (Travelers' Tales)

Bronze, Adventure Travel Article

"His Every Delivery is Out Back: You can Fly Along to the Middle of Nowhere," appeared in The Boston Sunday Globe

Bronze, Magazine Travel Article (more than 1,500 words) 

"Low-Ridin' Fish Findin'," appeared in Hooked on the Outdoors magazine

Bronze, Newspaper Self-Illustrated Travel Article

"Boothbay Harbor, Maine: Low Season Highs," appeared in The Boston Globe

2006 New Brunswick Freelance Travel Journalist Award

First Place, U.S. journalist

This award recognizes the value and quality of travel articles written about New Brunswick by freelance travel journalists. Prizes are awarded to one U.S. travel writer, a Canadian travel writer for an English-written article and a Canadian travel writer for a French-written entry.  

Kari's story, Canadian island and its lives rest on seaweed, explores the whole art and culture of harvesting "dulse," a type of seaweed, on the island of Grand Manan off New Brunswick's southern coast. Grand Manan considers itself "the dulse capital of the world." The story also takes a look at local life and things to do on this fun and quirky little island.

Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition (2004)

Gold, Personal Comment

Kari's essay, Mission to Rwanda, won the gold award for Best Travel Personal Comment in the 2004 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition. The essay appeared in Christopher Newport University's journal, Points of Entry: Cross-Currents in Storytelling.

Judges' comments: "In this intensely personal and emotional essay, the author tells of her mercy trip to Rwanda and her fear as she helped deliver medicines to several places in the country. She writes as though she is carrying on a conversation with a good friend."

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Canada's Northern Lights 2003 Journalism Awards

1st place, Independent Journalist (Newspaper) category

Kari's article, Natural Selection, won first place in Canada's seventh annual Northern Lights awards program for excellence in travel journalism. The article, published in the Boston Globe Sunday Travel section on May 11, 2003, tells about two Newfoundland adventures: kayaking around icebergs off the province's northernmost tip, and exploring one of the only spots in the world where the earth's mantle has surfaced. 

3rd place, Photography

Kari also won third place in the Photography category for a shot that ran in Hooked on the Outdoors magazine, also on kayaking around Newfoundland's icebergs. See Pure Ice.

The competition, judged by faculty at the School of Journalism and Communication at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, is open to North American magazines, newspapers, independent writers and photographers, Internet reporters and radio broadcasters who have covered Canadian destinations.

2004 Bill Muster Photo Showcase
Special Award, Animal Category

North America's most prestigious travel photography competition draws entries from professional photographers nationwide. The 2004 contest was judged by Luis Rios, Director of Photography of The Miami Herald; Wilfredo Lee, an Associated Press photographer; and Rhona Wise, Florida Pictures Editor for the European Press Photo Agency. Kari's winning photograph (right) was taken in County Clare, Ireland.

(Click here for larger view)

(Click here for larger view)

New England Press Association (NEPA) Award for Human Interest Feature Story in Rwanda refugee series, 1994

During Rwanda's civil war in 1994, Kari organized a fundraising and clothing drive through the Community Newspaper Company (CNC) in Eastern Massachusetts. Readers of CNC's 15 newspapers, as well as local schools, hospitals and organizations, donated one ton of new clothing and $10,000. In November 1994, just several months after the civil war "officially" ended, Kari traveled to hospitals, refugee camps and orphanages around Rwanda and Eastern Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) to report on the distribution of medical supplies purchased with the donated money. Kari's final story (left) on her Rwanda experience earned her a NEPA award in 1994, in the Human Interest Feature Story category.

Society of American Travel Writers (SATW)
Member since 2000

This professional association promotes responsible journalism, provides professional support and development for its members, and encourages the conservation and preservation of travel resources worldwide. The group's 1,300 members include writers, photographers, editors, electronic media and journalists, film lecturers, broadcast/video/film producers and PR representatives.

The Writers' Room of Boston
Member, 1999 - 2002

This not-for-profit, members-only corporation supports the creation of literary works by providing affordable, quiet and safe workspace for writers in the Greater Boston area.

While sitting at a cubicle in the Writers' Room of Boston, Kari researched and wrote stories for LIFE: The Greatest Adventures of All Time and crafted dozens of travel articles for newspapers, magazines and websites. She also spent time working on Tales from A-Broad, a book about her 18-month solo journey around the world.

Kari's work as a reporter for her school newspaper from 5th to 12th grade—when she profiled teachers and wrote movie reviews, including a write-up on the original Star Wars release, a long, long time ago—earned her the Deborah Shilale Journalism Scholarship in 1986. This award, in part, enabled Kari to pursue journalism, English literature and art history at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and Sheffield University in Sheffield, England, to write for the Greenfield Recorder in Western Mass., and to eventually work as a general assignment reporter for several newspapers in Northwest London (where she earned more than just brownies at recess and high-fives from her classmates). Here, at London's Barnet Borough and Hendon Times, she covered everything from pro-choice rallies and monumental artwork finds to restaurant and film reviews.