Chelle Koster Walton has lived on Sanibel Island since 1981. She is a freelance travel and food writer and editor who has authored and co-authored more than a dozen guidebooks and apps, including Fodor’s guides, the Sarasota, Sanibel Island & Naples Explorers Guide, The Bahamas Explorer’s Guide, DK Eyewitness Florida Family Guide and Fun with the Family in Florida. Her work has appeared in publications from USA Today to CruiseCritic.com along with documentaries and lifestyle segments for WGCU Public Television. She serves as media liaison for the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society and SanCap Chamber. For many years, she authored the Sanibel Public Library’s Palm Reader newsletter.

Chelle has written thousands of articles for local and national publications and Web sites and produced segments for the local PBS station, WGCU-TV. Her WGCU documentary Sanctuary Islands: The Sanibel Legacy won a Telly Award in 2010 and her 2013 Pink Gold Rush documentary won an Edward R. Murrow Award. She is a member of the SATW (Society of American Travel Writers).

Chelle has served her community as a past Sanibel Public Library board member and active member of the Sanibel School PTA, Sanibel-Captiva Cares, and Sanibel Historic Preservation Committee. Her husband of 41 years, Rob, recently passed away. Her son, Aaron, grew up on Sanibel and is currently Operations Manager for the SanCap Chamber. He lives in Fort Myers with his wife, Laura, and daughter, Layla, whose favorite thing to do when visiting Grammy is to go to the library (closely followed by the beach).