Meet Our Talented Team

Writing about responsible, sustainable ecotourism and promoting those stories on social media is our specialty.

Green Travel Media utilizes a talented group of experienced media professionals– journalists, editors, travel bloggers, photographers, videographers, marketers and social media experts– united to provide a powerful platform for promoting eco-conscious brands on a mass scale.

Our talent pool was hand picked by Green Travel Media Co-founder Bret Love and his partner, Mary Gabbett, to represent the very best content creators in the travel blogging industry. Several of our writers are currently ranked among the Top 40 Travel Blogs in the world. All of us have professional media backgrounds, and an active interest in promoting ecotourism and adventure travel through our work.

If you’re an experienced writer who believes in our mission, get in touch and see about joining our team!

Leadership

Bret Love

Managing Partner

Bret is a journalist/editor with 21 years of print and online experience, managing writers, coordinating editorial, meeting deadlines and delivering compelling copy that engages readers.

As a blogger, he’s built a niche ecotourism/conservation site, Green Global Travel, into one of the Top 50 Travel Blogs in the world by combining inspiring storytelling, sound SEO practice and innovative approaches to social media. He’s become increasingly in-demand as a speaker and thought leader, covering topics ranging from branding and social media marketing to responsible travel and how DMOs can work with bloggers.

He’s also made a name for himself as a consultant, advising companies such as the Adventure Collection and International Expeditions. Bret oversees all Green Travel Media projects personally, ensuring quality control, punctuality and professional execution throughout every stage of our campaigns.

Mary Gabbett

Owner/Managing Partner

Mary spent 10 years running an industrial psychology company, coordinating with Fortune 500 executives to define their corporate identity, providing technical support and customer service, and managing both clients and employees.

As the co-founder of ecotourism/conservation site Green Global Travel, she oversees all organizational aspects of running the business, manages an extensive internship program, coordinates social media strategy and website maintenance, and contributes photography and videography.

In addition, she freelances as a website manager, coordinating with executives, editors, writers and tech support; uploading stories; providing SEO; and overseeing all social media channels for the companies she works with.

Our Team

Leyla Giray Alyanak

Leyla is a journalist and former foreign correspondent with a passion for travel and improving people’s lives in developing countries. In addition to blogging at Women On The Road, Leyla works for an international development agency in Geneva. Always an activist, her past jobs have included being a spokesperson for World Wildlife Fund and the UN agency dealing with HIV/AIDS, and managing her own PR agency with a twist (the poorer the organization, the less they paid).

Chris Christensen

Chris is the owner of BloggerBridge.com, which connects bloggers and industry contacts. He is the host of the Amateur Traveler, an award winning online travel show that focuses primarily on travel destinations. It includes a weekly audio podcast, a video podcast, and a blog. In 2015, Chris won a Lowell Thomas Award for Travel Journalism from the Society of American Travel Writers and was called the “Best Independent Travel Journalist” by Travel & Leisure magazine in their annual SMITTY Awards. He has worked for years in technology startups in Silicon Valley.

Jonathon Engels

Jonathon is a US-born expatriate writer/teacher who has spent the last decade living, working and traveling abroad. In addition to blogging at Jonathon Engels: A Life Abroad, he is a regular contributor to Green Global Travel, One Green Planet, Permaculture News and Transitions Abroad. He has also spent lots of time engaged in work-trade exchanges constructing eco-friendly buildings, developing sustainable garden systems, and overseeing short-term volunteers.

Ethan Gelber

For 20 years, Ethan has wandered the planet as a responsible/local/eco/slow traveler. More importantly, as a professional writer, he has agitated tirelessly for responsible/sustainable travel practices, a focus on keeping things local, and quality and relevance in publishing and destination marketing. He started The Travel Word for the WHL Group, but has since taken the blog independent. Ethan is also a co-founder of travel content curation site Outbounding, as well as a member of the collective behind the weekly Responsible Tourism Twitter Chat (#RTTC).

Grace Harding

Grace is a freelance travel writer and photographer. She’s also the creator of the wellness travel blog, The Idyll, which focuses on exploring all of the ways that travel can make us happier, healthier, and stronger. A former book editor in London, Grace swapped the literary world for hiking trails, mountain getaways, and yoga retreats. She’s currently based in Ireland, where she freelances for clients all around the world. She has experience in both traditional and digital media, and has worked with travel companies such as Nomador and Hipmunk.

Matt Gibson

Matt is the Canadian-born outdoors and adventure travel writer/photographer behind the Xpat Matt blog. He’s also a former magazine editor who has worked in both traditional and new media for over a decade, and has been published in periodicals around the world. He currently splits his time between Southeast Asia (where he speaks at travel industry events and serves as an online travel marketing consultant) and Canada (where he spends his winters, babysits his niece, and does “research” for the About.com Snowboarding Guide).

Emma Higgins

Emma Higgins is a British travel writer with a penchant for stories. She has been traveling for three years and has lived in Spain, Canada, and Thailand, collecting tales along the way and sharing them on her blog, Gotta Keep Movin’. She has also worked in digital marketing and social media management within the travel industry for the last two years, helping brands and businesses connect with their customers.

Mike & Anne Howard

Mike and Anne Howard left on their honeymoon in 2012 and have been traveling the world ever since. HoneyTrek.com chronicles their adventures across 7 continents, 50 countries, and counting! Their writing, photography, and the story of the “World’s Longest Honeymoon” can also be found on Condé Nast Traveler, BBC Travel, Los Angeles Times, CBS, Microsoft Windows 2016 TV ad campaign, and dozens of international publications. To further inspire more people to travel the world, they are Smithsonian speakers and National Geographic book authors.

Nellie Huang

Nellie is a professional travel writer and editor specializing in outdoor adventures, wildlife experiences and unusual destinations. Currently based in Spain, the Singaporean writer has traveled to over 90 countries across seven continents, including Antarctica and Arctic. She is a Wanderer in Residence for Canadian adventure tour operator G Adventures and has traveled with them to many destinations including Brazil, New Zealand and Nepal. With over 100,000 followers across various social media platforms, she is also an influential online personality in the travel industry. As a writer, her work has been published in numerous publications including National Geographic Intelligent Travel, CNN Go, BBC Travel, Travel+Leisure Asia, Wend, Women Adventure Magazine, Food&Travel, International Lifestyle, TNT Magazine, and Explorer, amongst others. She is also the author of The Adventure Traveler’s Handbook. Click to see her portfolio.

Michael Huxley

Michael Huxley is a published author from Liverpool, England. He’s the founder of Bemused Backpacker, a blog devoted to independent, safe and responsible travel. He has degrees from Edge Hill University and Liverpool John Moores University, and is a qualified charge nurse by vocation with an interest in travel medicine. After 15 years of backpacking around the world, Michael is passionate about responsible travel and is a strong advocate for ethical wildlife tourism, and has been featured in the BBC, the Guardian, and other major media. Follow Michael on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Megan Jerrard

Megan is the Australian journalist behind Mapping Megan, an award-winning adventure travel blog. A professional blogger, social media manager and freelance journalist, Meg is a digital nomad dedicated to documenting her journeys and observations through candid articles and brilliant photography. She travels with husband Mike, an award-winning American wildlife photographer. From mountain biking the most dangerous road in the world (Bolivia) to skydiving over the Swiss Alps and summiting Mt Kilimanjaro, there is no mountain too high, and no feat too extreme for this dynamic duo.

Matthew Karsten

Matthew Karsten is a travel writer, photographer, and blogger specializing in adventure activities, budget travel and unusual places. He roams the planet while also sharing his unique experiences with others on his blog, Expert Vagabond. His work has been featured by GoPro, Buzzfeed, National Geographic and Travel Channel, among many others.

Jenna Kvidt

In 2014, Jenna Kvidt left the corporate world to focus on what she loves most– travel, writing, photography and video production. To fuel her passions, she co-created the travel website Wander The Map which focuses on adventure travel and cultural exploration around the world. Based in Minnesota, Jenna has worked with travel companies such as Hostelworld and Viator. She is also a contributor to Best Western’s YouTube channel and their blog, You Must Be Trippin’.

Larissa C. Milne

Larissa and her husband have been full-time nomads since 2011, when they sold their house, gave away their belongings and left their corporate careers to travel and write. Learning to live more simply, they exchanged a life full of “stuff” for a life rich in experiences—a recurring theme in their travel blog, Changes in Longitude. Committed to preserving heritage—whether cultural, ecological, historical or culinary— the Milnes promote economic development through sustainable tourism. They’re full-time travel writers, and chronicle their experiences for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Huffington Post and other media outlets.

Jennifer Miner

Jennifer Miner is a travel writer based in Los Angeles and the co-creator/editor of The Vacation Gals, a popular, multiple award-winning travel blog featuring family friendly destinations, tips for traveling with kids, romantic getaways, and more. She has been a speaker about travel and/or SEO at several national conferences including BlogWorld Expo, BlogHer, Type A Parent, the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show, Society for American Travel Writers’ (SATW) Western Chapter Conference, and TBEX. Her site has earned a Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award and multiple awards from the North American Travel Journalists Association.

Jim O’Donnell

Archaeology, beer and food have motivated award-winning author and photographer Jim O’Donnell’s 25 years of travel to over 40 countries on 5 continents, and are at least partially to blame for the 5 languages he’s sure he can stumble through. In addition to his blog, Around the World in Eighty Years, his writing and photography have appeared in National Geographic Maps, New Mexico Magazine, Matador Network, Perceptive Travel and more. A former archaeologist, Jim is has consulted on community natural resource planning issues, permaculture development projects and wilderness protection movements. He occasionally consults on web development, social media and sustainable tourism marketing.

Angie Orth

Angie is a rare breed of communicator, navigating both sides of the media fence as a freelance publicist, journalist, digital strategist and travel blogger at Angie Away. Today she blogs about the tensions between writers and the publicists who seek to reach them; represents travel clients from around the world; and covers travel and lifestyle for print, online and TV outlets. Past PR and social media consulting clients have included Universal Orlando Resort, The Islands Of The Bahamas, Canadian Tourism Commission, Beverly Hills, City of Atlanta, InterContinental Hotels Group- Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza, EMBRACE Resort and many more.

Margherita Ragg

Margherita Ragg is one of the creators of The Crowded Planet, a blog whose motto is “Finding nature and adventure everywhere.” The Crowded Planet takes the concept of nature and adventure beyond the obvious outdoor material, writing about urban adventures, city parks and alternative sightseeing. Margherita has an MFA in Creative Writing and a background of literary non-fiction writing. She also worked as an editor for National Geographic.

Laurel Robins

Based in Germany, Laurel Robbins is the founder of Monkeys and Mountains, an award-winning travel blog. She aims to inspire people to get outdoors more often and seek adventure, whether it be at home or when they’re traveling.She’s passionate about working with travel brands and DMOs to showcase adventures and unique places. Laurel is a sought-out speaker on social media for the travel industry, having spoken at WTM, ITB Berlin, NBE Finland and TBEX. She’s also a social media contributor to BBC Travel and BBC Earth.

Britany Robinson

Britany is a freelance responsible travel and culture writer based in Portland, Oregon. In addition to Green Global Travel, her works can be found in BBC Travel, Mashable, The Daily Dot and more. Her blog, Travel Write Away, shares her advice and musings on travel writing. She’s also the course director for Travel Blog Success. When she’s not planning her next big trip abroad, she can often be found scoping out Portland craft beers and local hikes.

Lavanya Sunkara

Lavanya is a writer, animal lover, and globetrotter based in New York City. Her love of adventure and animals has taken her all over the world. Over the past few years, she has spotted the critically endangered Black Rhino in Kenya, camped in the Serengeti, snorkeled with Sea Lions in the Galápagos, and cared for orphaned wallabies in Australia. As a writer, she cherishes her role as an animal rights and conservation advocate. Her work has appeared in several major outlets, including The New York Times. She was also the senior editor for TV Host/Naturalist Jeff Corwin’s Jeff’s Explorer Series: Sharks eBook. You can follow her adventures on her blog, Nature Traveler.

Michael Turtle

Michael Turtle is a television journalist who worked for ten years in the Australian media. He now runs the award-winning travel blog, Time Travel Turtle, which focuses on culture, history and people. Michael works with brands and destinations on storytelling projects and generating content for innovative and engaging digital campaigns.

Jessie Voigts & Ed Forteau

Author Dr. Jessie Voigts and marketing guru Ed Forteau founded Wandering Educators, an extensive travel library for people curious about the world, in 2007. They also created the Youth Travel Blogging Mentorship Program, to prepare teens for a global economy; and founded the Family Travel Bloggers Association. They are strong proponents of slow travel and living like locals.

Mariellen Ward

Mariellen Ward is a professional travel writer and content marketer based in Toronto and Delhi. Her award-winning site, BreatheDreamGo, is one of the world’s leading travel blogs about India. Mariellen co-founded the Toronto Travel Massive, Delhi Travel Massive and founded the WeGoSolo online community for female solo travellers. She’s a Kensington Tours Explorer-in-Residence and the recipient of an Explorer’s Grant, which she used to trace the life of Mirabai in north India. Though Canadian by birth, Mariellen considers India to be her “soul culture.”

Barbara Weibel

After years of working 70-80 hours a week at corporate jobs that paid the bills, but brought no joy, a serious illness made Barbara realize she felt like the proverbial “hole in the donut” – solid on the outside, but empty on the inside. In early 2007 she abandoned her career and home to travel the world for six months, documenting her journey on her blog, Hole in the Donut Cultural Travel. More than six years later, Weibel is still traveling and writing about her experiences on her website, which has become one of the top independent travel blogs in the world.