Daughter, sister, aunt, colleague. Died March 26 en route to Samburu National Park, Kenya in a traffic accident, aged 32.
Karen Blinkhorn loved life to the fullest and up until the day she died, it loved her right back. A passionate environmentalist and talented communicator who was also known for her commitment to “knitting the perfect sock”, Karen was taken tragically and far too young from her family, friends and colleagues who loved and valued her deeply.
To niece Emily, 11 and nephew Jordan, 12, Aunt Karen was their “Indiana Jones”. Their adored aunt had traveled more of the world than everyone else in their family combined. The children treasured Karen’s postcards and letters postmarked from Cuba, the Inca trail, England, Greece and every point in Canada.
When she died, Karen was about to fulfill a life-long dream of seeing the great elephants of east Africa in their remaining natural habitat. She had planned and saved for the safari to Samburu National Park for years. Family and colleagues shared her enthusiasm in the months before her departure as she emailed photos of the amazing nature reserves she planned to visit.
A close family from southeastern Ontario made even closer by tragedy when Karen’s older brother John died at 19 in 1989, mother Gloria and dad Dave, “little brother” Jim, 31, and older sister Alison are buoyed by memories of the love Karen shared so freely with them, and the outpouring of affection after her death from her friends and colleagues.
Karen knew what she believed in from a young age. According to Alison, Karen had a strong independent streak and even as a child, she stood up for what she believed was right. Fortunately for her colleagues at the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), Karen’s strong beliefs and spirit moved her to first volunteer in Ottawa and then to seek a job with the organization in British Columbia.
After graduating from high school in Athens, Ontario and earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science at the University of Western Ontario, Karen knew she wanted to combine her academic background with her creative skills to benefit wild spaces and conservation. She decided to gain public relations skills, and moved to Ottawa where she completed her diploma at Algonquin College in 2003.
A skilled writer with the ability to turn “a file folder full of emails and other documents” into a news release or a feature story, Karen blossomed when she became the communications coordinator for CPAWS’ British Columbia chapter. She moved to Vancouver in 2004 to take on the job, and walked daily, rain or shine, from her West end apartment to the downtown office.
A gentle soul, quiet and understated, with a dry sense of humour, Karen was always the first to greet colleagues visiting from other CPAWS’ offices with a hug and a query about how they were doing, and she was the one who remembered every office colleague’s birthday. A dedicated chocaholic who spoke of visiting all the best chocolatiers in Paris, Karen was also a vegetarian who loved Vancouver’s Bo Kong Restaurant. But most of all, Karen loved to share a meal with family, friends and colleagues.
In the years before she died, Karen created websites for CPAWS and other community groups where people could post pictures of their favourite BC parks, or promote the establishment of new protected areas for endangered habitat. She also organized innovative public events to help people re-connect with our country’s great natural heritage.
Although she lived only 33 years, Karen Blinkhorn’s contribution to wilderness conservation and her love for her family will be felt for generations. Her legacy will live on in a memorial fund CPAWS is establishing for future projects in her name.
CPAWS - British Columbia Chapter