during my time in alaska, i was in awe in many moments. but nothing felt as breathtaking — and unexpectedly alarming — as being in a sea of ice.

i always hear about the glaciers melting and that coastal areas will be underwater in a couple of decades. while that statement alone is terrifying, being in alaska raised some questions. what other visible changes can we see now due to climate change? how can we tell the story of climate change without words?

i learned more about the science and history of glaciers in alaska. for example, while they melt, they also tend to advance and retreat throughout the valley. so, when we went out into a fjord, i began connecting the dots — the glaciers leave imprints on the mountains, and that’s one of the ways scientists and environmental enthusiasts can study glaciers.

as i photographed ice and the mountains, i noticed some rusted terrain. these are called trimlines. as glaciers advance and retreat, they leave the rock bare, causing a line to form an iron-colored surface. what is alarming about this is how fast it’s occurring. tim martin, a lindblad expeditions naturalist aboard the national geographic sea lion, said some glaciers had advanced and retreated in the last five to 10 years.

before traveling to alaska, i would always note ongoing studies and research regarding climate change and the environment. yet, the clear visualization of trimlines brought me to realize that climate change doesn’t just exist in data but before our eyes.

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editor’s note: lindblad expeditions, our planet forward storyfest competition partner, made this series possible by providing winners with an experiential learning opportunity aboard one of their ships. all editorial content is created independently. we thank lindblad expeditions for their continued support of our project. read all the stories from the expedition in our astonishing alaska series.

another highlight of the trip was the experiences lindblad scheduled for the passengers. we were able to pack crusading by the glaciers, kayaking, and hiking into one day — and that was only on day two! my favorite excursion was biking in lutak. i would never have imagined saying i biked 9 miles watching the snowy mountains and the vast oceans in alaska, but now i can!

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editor’s note: lindblad expeditions, our planet forward storyfest competition partner, made this series possible by providing winners with an experiential learning opportunity aboard one of their ships. all editorial content is created independently. we thank lindblad expeditions for their continued support of our project. read all the stories from the expedition in our astonishing alaska series.

they now form part of the food sovereignty movement, aiming to increase access to producing, consuming, and preserving cultural ties to vegetables and fruits.

while little research exists on the qtbipoc community specifically, separate data shows that 19% of the lgbt population and 16% of the latinx community in washington d.c was experiencing food insecurity in 2019. meanwhile, the average cost of a meal was $4.09, almost a dollar above the national average. the pandemic has only perpetuated existing structural problems, and the qtbipoc community lacks access to resources like food banks. in addition, these communities often experience discrimination, housing insecurity, and malnutrition, affecting their access to produce and consume healthy foods. 

“it’s not that we didn’t exist. it’s that misgendering happens. the cycle of violence promoted in urban agricultural spaces is rampant. we were just mad, and i said let’s do something about it,” niaupari explained. 

plantita power addresses food insecurity by providing resources and knowledge to grow microgreens. these sustainable plants thrive in urban areas and have small production needs, making them accessible for individuals experiencing housing insecurity or fearing discrimination in community gardens.

however, niaupari and the plantita power team face obstacles like access to soil and space. but they are motivated to empower and alleviate the barriers their community endures, so they create innovative ways to distribute seedlings and grow their presence.

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editor’s note: this short film was produced as part of the planet forward-comcast nbcuniversal sustainable storytelling fellowship.