The Arizona Press Club is pleased to announce the winners of the 2018 Nina Mason Pulliam Environmental Journalism Awards are Donovan Quintero of the Navajo Times (community winner) and Joshua Bowling of the Arizona Republic (statewide winner).
Quintero was honored for his story “Making it rain.” Judges said his work “offers a perspective on drought and climate change that often goes ignored. Using historical documents and traditional knowledge accumulated over generations in Native American communities, (Quintero) draws a link between the current problems caused by the ongoing drought and historical oppression of indigenous people.”
Bowling was honored for his story “In Flagstaff, restoring forests to prevent fire and disaster.” Judges said: “The story covers seemingly all aspects of the growing threat of wildfires, using real-world examples from past infernos to highlight future risks and what is being done to mitigate them. For a long piece about a complex topic, the author did a fantastic job of keeping the reader’s attention with strategically placed details and compelling characters. The story relies on expert testimony throughout, but reads more like a well-paced novel than a story on the intricacies of forest management policy.”
The awards, sponsored by the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, recognize the best reporting on natural resources, ecology, environmental policy or human interaction with nature in the state in 2018. The prize includes a $1,000 award for each winner and trips to the annual Society of Environmental Journalists conference.
The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust seeks to help people in need, especially women, children, and families; to protect animals and nature; and to enrich community life in the metropolitan areas of Indianapolis and Phoenix.
The Arizona Press Club additionally thanks the judges:
- Tony Bartelme, a three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, is the senior projects reporter for The Post and Courier in Charleston, South Carolina.
- Eric Lipton, a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner, is a reporter at The New York Times based in the Washington Bureau.
- Oregonian reporter Kale Williams won the gold prize from the AAAS Science Journalism Awards for his series “The Loneliest Polar Bear.”