the 2024 storyfest competition and winners

this year over 154 stories were submitted from 60 universities within six categories: 

• best story written by a media student 
• best story written by a non-media student
• best multimedia story written by a media student 
• best multimedia story written by a non-media student
• best video by a media student
• best video by a non-media student

additionally, two of the 32 finalists were selected for the gw award for excellence in storytelling and the spotlight award for community storytelling. 

on april 18th, at the planet forward summit the 2024 winners were announced. joy reeves, ayah mahana, and mickki garrity were selected to accompany frank sesno and aaron dye on a nine-day trip to the galápagos islands where they worked to create additional stories to be published on planet forward. sesno and dye serve as the students’ editors-in-residence by helping the students shape their stories, answer questions, conduct interviews, and coordinate with lindblad expeditions and galápagos naturalists.  

these trips have become part of the planet forward tradition, sesno believes the trip helps “incentivize and recognize great student storytelling around the planet and gives students a once in a lifetime awesome experience to travel the world.”

the 2024 trip marks the first time a gw president has accompanied the team on the trip. in 2023, former gw president mark wrighton began to speak with university leadership and trustees about planet forward and the storytelling expedition which led to four trustees joining the 2023 trip to iceland. trustees grace e speights, michelle rubin, judith lane rogers, and donna hill staton self-funded their trip. they found the trip wonderful and enjoyed interacting with the storyfest winners while they sought out new story ideas. upon hearing from the trustees about the trip, president granberg decided she would join the 2024 trip in order to experience planet forward and watch the students create stories as well.

the winners’ stories

joy reeves joined planet forward during her second year of graduate school at duke university. reeves has a background in environmental management and environmental economics and policy. despite having no formal journalism training, she decided to apply for storyfest because she was inspired by innovative initiatives in her field. reeves spent her practicum working in community based environmental management with local environmental justice organizations. this eventually allowed her to connect with the north carolina environmental justice network. this network is where she learned about the “spider web initiative” where scientists are using spider webs to track air pollution and particles in the air. reeves’s submission “your friendly neighborhood spider-party: community scientists use spider webs to monitor air pollution” uses her cartoonist background to create a visual and textual hybrid, found here. 

reeves went into the trip to the galápagos knowing she wanted to write about a community science initiative, and chose iguanas. this initiative uses drones and aerial technology to crowdsource the counting and monitoring of the iguana population through zoom. during covid-19 people had to stay home and work remotely, however this counting still needed to occur. drone technology made this task possible. reeves says “there is no way to prepare yourself for the splendor of the galápagos islands, in all my studies i have never felt the environment instead of just seeing it.” to learn more about this innovative tracking technology check it out here.

ayah mahana, who graduated from gw in december of 2023, took professor sesno’s sustainable reporting class which inspired her to get involved with climate reporting. she said “sesno taught me a lot about journalism, storytelling, and sustainability which brought me into planet forward.” her first story was written about a youth climate organization called zero hour, which can be found here. zero hour is entirely run and funded by people under the age of 30 and based in the metro dc area. they believe that we can turn anxiety about the climate into actions that can change the world. mahana felt the trip was “a once in a lifetime opportunity and privilege”, because “there is nowhere else in the world as pristine and preserved. the animals are happy in the galápagos, and they are much more relaxed versus the rest of the world.” mahana went into the trip unsure about what she was going to write about, and decided to take the route of exploring the island and its people before coming to a conclusion. 

eventually mahana landed on writing about the experience of one naturalist who grew up in the galápagos. celso montalvo has been working as a naturalist for the past 21 years, and is planning on retiring from his role in the galápagos next year. montalvo, while sad to be leaving the galápagos, hopes he is not present for the next el niño. el niños are a periodic warming of sea-surface temperatures that affect the central and eastern tropical pacific ocean, near the equator. el niños usually occur every two to seven years, and can have a variety of impacts on the climate including increased rainfall, droughts, and hurricanes. montalvo believes that with increasing temperatures and growing pressure in the atmosphere the next el niño will be devastating, and could seriously impact the wildlife in the galápagos. montalvo says “i have cherished my time in the galápagos encountering both the ugliness and the beauty of nature, and through it all my love for it has endured.”

president granberg’s impressions

president ellen granberg found the trip equally as meaningful and impactful as the students. granberg believes the work that has been done to protect the land and wildlife of the islands is unmatched anywhere in the world. granberg feels the storyfest winners taught her a lot on this trip. she said, “i am from a different generation. growing up in the 60s and 70s we were taught about climate change, but it was a far off thing not to worry about. the students of the world today are experiencing climate change and they see it as a problem for right now.”

granberg believes the trip will have a lasting impact on her, particularly due to witnessing sustainable tourism and the galápagos’ long term commitment to treating their land as a reserve. granberg thinks that other tourism locations can learn from the prominent and sophisticated role that tourism plays in the galápagos. “they are not taking away from the environment, but actually strengthening it through tourism,” said granberg. she also believes the efforts to not hunt animals and to restore the wildlife to the way it existed before human impact is inspiring. when asked what she would write if she were to write a story for planet forward about the trip she stated, “what really hit me the hardest was the behavior of the wildlife. because there has been no hunting for over 70 years, they were not afraid of us. i became intrigued by the relationship between these interactions and the sustainability of the species on the island.”

president granberg views planet forward and gw’s alliance for a sustainable future as “innovative thinkers on campus who are helping to bridge the gap between departments and solve problems that require an interdisciplinary approach. these organizations are helping to make information available to others about the work we are doing here at gw.”

the storyfest cycle begins each year as schools reconvene for the fall semester, with the deadline to submit stories in late winter. any interested students should keep an eye on planet forward for more information.

on july 18, 2024, four planet forward storyfest winners embarked on a 10-day circumnavigation of iceland, where they discovered unique and powerful stories to tell. the students were joined by dr. imani m. cheers, director of academic adventures at planet forward and elena mantilla, program coordinator and assistant editor. aboard the national geographic explorer with lindblad expeditions, they engaged with naturalists and photographers, who shared their expertise on marine life, geology and the history of iceland.

after boarding the ship in reykjavík, the crew set off to explore the westfjords region for a few days, where they stumbled upon the tallest waterfall any of them had seen, dynjandi.

as the ship moved around the island, they stopped at the towns of siglufjörður and húsavík, where the students witnessed a herring salting demonstration at the earlier stop and later explored lake mývatn to the south.

they journeyed through the waves up to the island of grímsey, where they entered the arctic circle. finally, the boardwalk at the fjord, borgarfjörður eystri brought the most immersive puffin sighting of all, where students were close enough to have staring contests with the thousands of puffins around them.

just when the sights couldn’t get more beautiful, the most wonderful surprise came. one afternoon on the ship, the voice of expedition leader michael jackson emerged over the speakers notifying everyone aboard that there was a pod of killer whales at the ship’s bow. guests jumped out of their seats and raced to the front of the ship, bursting out the door to climb the stairs to the top deck. there was one dorsal fin, then two, then many more surrounding the ship.

“ooohs” and “ahhs” filled the ocean air as guides shared facts about these animals, including how their dorsal fins, saddle patches and eye patches can be used to identify individual whales. suddenly, a creature much larger than the orcas broke the surface in the middle of the pod. a humpback! guests gasped in unison as they heard the voice of their expedition leader again.

more humpbacks popped up out of the water as the group journeyed onward having seen over 20 killer whales and at least four humpbacks. it was easy to tell how special and rare of a sighting this was, as the captain of the ship and the naturalists themselves could hardly believe what they were seeing.

whether it was this once-in-a-lifetime moment, or engaging interviews with scientists, or the quiet reflection as they gazed over fields of lupine, the students lit up at each new sight and experience.

iceland is rich with beauty and offers so much for us to learn from, and the students took every opportunity to ask crucial questions, take photographs of numerous “oh wow” moments, and begin to craft the compelling stories that they came to tell. the planet forward team is so grateful to have had this vibrant experience and we cannot wait for you to see what the students are working on.

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. we thank lindblad expeditions for their support of our project.

these digital volunteers use the “zooniverse” forum to click through aerial photographs and count the number of iguanas in order to inform future conservation practices. such conservation practices matter for marine iguanas, who can lose anywhere from 10 to 90% of their population to starvation during warm-water el niño years. in this story, naturalists explain how “imps of darkness,”  in spite of their extreme boom-and-bust population cycles, offer crucial insights into adaptation, resilience, and evolution.

to continue reading, click on the full story below!

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. we thank lindblad expeditions for their support of our project.

on friday, june 14, 2024, three planet forward storyfest winners, along with founding director frank sesno and multimedia editor aaron dye set out for the galápagos islands aboard the national geographic endeavor ii with lindblad expeditions.

in the galápagos, the winners worked on new stories, reporting straight from the islands of baltra, isabela, fernandina, rabida, north seymour, and more. from investigating the role of local ecuadorians in leading the conservation of the islands, to the use of drone technologies to count marine iguana populations, the students’ stories will capture both the timeless results of evolution, and the next chapter of conservation. 

george washington university president ellen m. granberg and her spouse, sonya rankin, joined the expedition. they spent time with the students during the storytelling process and learned more, alongside the rest of us, about conservation, climate change, and the extraordinary efforts to protect the biodiversity of the galapagos. gw trustee michelle rubin and her sister, caren, joined the expedition as well. trustee rubin and her sister traveled to iceland with planet forward last year.

as they hiked the islands and dove into the clear waters to see sea lions, sea turtles, iguanas and fish, the planet forward students experienced this unique and abundant “natural laboratory of evolution.”  at the same time, the students had moments of somber reflection as they saw the iguana die-off caused by el niño and visited the final resting place of the famous lonesome george, the pinta island tortoise who was the living specimen of his subspecies. 

still, hope abounds at the fausto llerena breeding center where lonesome george is preserved.  the center has had amazing success at breeding and reintroducing the remaining tortoise subspecies back into their respective islands. 

with masterful guidance from the endeavor ii’s team of naturalists and lindblad expeditions‘ attention to crafting a rich, educational experience, we could not be more grateful for the continued support for our students to have these amazing opportunities. 

just as the islands seem to sprout from the ocean that surrounds them for hundreds of miles, the galápagos national park serves as inspiration for what can be accomplished when humans take conservation seriously and implement rigorous environmental policies. 

this was a trip that we will never forget.  the students are working on their stories now. you will see them soon. we think you will find them fascinating, informative, and inspiring – like the galapagos themselves.  

our panel discussions brought together speakers, students, and creatives from grist to national geographic to discuss the power of harnessing creativity in storytelling and how to communicate complex data in compelling formats.

an exclusive screening of the cnn documentary film “blue carbon” told the inspiring story of how combining music and science is key in averting climate change, followed by an informative discussion with the director.

on friday, attendees took part in workshops, followed by networking and lunch, generously sponsored by chaia tacos. the day was capped off with demonstrations from science and filmmaking students from rutgers university as they presented their dynamic and impactful science stories, as well as a collaborative planning session for future pillar and 2022年世界杯亚洲预选赛结果 school programming.

the summit brought together leading voices in environmental storytelling and provided two days of insightful discussions, inspiring stories, and innovative ideas to 2022年卡塔尔世界杯官网 .

katrina nicole green, of the indigenous youth climate resiliency through public policy program, gives a powerful land acknowledgement at the beginning of the summit.

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george washington university president ellen granberg delivers a welcoming statement, celebrating the work of planet forward student contributors and correspondents.

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planet forward founding director frank sesno and director of academic adventures dr. imani m. cheers recount the experiential learning trips that students have taken with planet forward over the past year.

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from left: kaitlyn yarnall, chief storytelling officer, national geographic society; farron taijeron, university of guam; owen volk, suny-esf; and libby mohn, middlebury institute of international studies; discuss storytelling from the field.

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dr. imani m. cheers onstage at the 2024 planet forward summit.

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from left: tyler hickman, university of colorado boulder; jessica stahl, editor for creative storytelling, grist; rachel frazin, energy & environment reporter, the hill; and jesse j. holland, associate director smpa; discuss the future of environmental journalism.

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from left: matt scott, project drawdown, director of storytelling and engagement, project drawdown; juan declet-barreto, union of concerned scientists; dr. neelu tummala, co-director, climate health institute, george washington university; and anna shah, george washington university discuss the use of data in storytelling.

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frank sesno; jaime perez-bedmar merello, new venture competition semi-finalist, center; and liam perry, new venture competition semi-finalist.

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frank sesno and cassandra garber, vp, corporate sustainability & esg, dell technologies; admire a planet forward mug on stage and discuss the role of complexity and science in solving the world’s most pressing problems.

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joshua panganiban, renewables lead project manager, nextera energy resources (center); and artealia gilliard, environmental leadership & sustainability communications & advocacy, ford motor company (far right); discuss corporate responsibility to sustainability.

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students and faculty from around the world gather together for a delicious vegetarian lunch provided by relish dc.

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frank sesno and aparna mukherjee, executive director, society of environmental journalists, lead the lunchtime keynote discussion.

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from left: ivey camille manybeads tso, mentor and editor, ilíiaitchik: indigenous correspondents program; and ilíiaitchik indigenous correspondents: mickki garrity, university of minnesota; nizhoni tallas, university of arizona; and abby burgess, dartmouth college.

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andrea bruce, national geographic photojournalist, educator, artist & writer; delivers a keynote speech on using photography for impact.

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from left: michelle mccauley, provost, middlebury college; mykah scott, tuskegee university; joy reeves, duke university; and chris zatarain, university of arizona.

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from left: danielle nierenberg, food tank; nicholas brown, director blue carbon; jennifer howard, vice president, blue carbon program, conservation international; and angela fritz, senior climate and weather editor, cnn; discuss the cnn documentary, blue carbon.

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from left: dr. imani cheers; joy reeves, duke university; micah seidel, rutgers university; delan li, university of connecticut; mickki garrity, university of minnesota; amy berquist, lindblad expeditions; isabella lindblad, director of brand advocacy, lindblad expeditions; and frank sesno.

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]]> //www.getitdoneaz.com/story/congratulations-2024-storyfest-winners/ sun, 21 apr 2024 00:15:10 +0000 //www.getitdoneaz.com/?p=38894 the planet forward 2024 summit culminated on thursday, april 18 with the annual storyfest awards. eight students were awarded for their work in environmental storytelling and their excellence in communication across a variety of mediums.

this year, storyfest entrants were judged in six categories: best written story by a media student, best written story by a non-media student, best video by a media student, best video by a non-media student, best multimedia story by a media student, best multimedia story by a non-media student.

planet forward staff also selected the winners of the spotlight award and the gw award; given to the stories that best profiled the environmental work of a member of a disadvantaged community, and to the work that best captured the values of george washington university, respectively.

a special thanks goes out to this year’s storyfest judging panel, which included phil frank, john sutter, elizabeth joy herzfeldt-kamprath, melanie wallace, gina murphy-darling, jake meyers, deepti bansal gage, tik root, lauren risi, and our judging chair, larry evans.

this year’s storyfest winners will travel with lindblad expeditions to the galápagos or iceland this summer to report on stories from the field.

congratulations once more to this year’s storyfest winners!

best written story by a media student

the climate necessity defense: how activists are using civil disobedience to fight climate change

by delan li, university of connecticut

the judges said, “delan moves into the focus of her story seamlessly and has a good flow, balance, and overview of the opportunities and challenges presented by this defense of civil disobedience. she did plenty of research and talked to many people, and her work paid off in a carefully and clearly written story.”

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best written story by a non-media student

making home: a story of beaver and babies

by mickki garrity, university of minnesota

the judges said, “mickki garrity has written a compelling story about our relationship with the natural world and with each other.  she begins by sharing a creation story of the nishnabek people, the story of the first man and his first teacher, the beaver.  she describes how the beaver lives in the world and how we can learn from the beaver’s example.”

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best multimedia story by a media student

looking back on alto maipo: hydropower and controversy in the chilean andes

by laura isaza & sachi kitajima mulkey, uc berkeley

the judges said, “the added element of voices gives the viewer a feeling of actually knowing who is impacted by this environmental issue and is the type of storytelling that helps one learn more through local voices. one of our judges stated that, as a spanish speaker, it was great to hear the voices of the speakers interviewed first hand. for all of the above reasons, this was our number one choice.”

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best multimedia story by a non-media student

your friendly neighborhood spider-party: community scientists use spider webs to monitor air pollution

by joy reeves, duke university

the judges said, “one of the most impressive submissions we have seen during our collective time with planet forward. clearly, so much effort went into this story from the research to the process to build out the story with very impressive drawings. the editorial quality is top notch. the three of us also loved the attribution at the end that provided a way to engage the audience to act.”

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best video by a media student

sweltering saguaros: survival in a changing desert

by jason marmon & daniel stipanovich, arizona state university

the judges said, “it took us to a place we had not been, told us things we did not know, and did so with beautiful photography, humor, creative editing, and fun music. the featured speakers were diverse, knowledgeable, and interesting. a high quality endeavor.”

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best video by a non-media student

growing gigas: farming giant clams in kosrae, micronesia

by micah seidel, rutgers university

the judges said, “micah seidel takes viewers to a place most have never been – a giant clam farm in micronesia. drone footage gives geographic context to this distant paradise, and a well-planned combination of original and acquired footage explain the intertwined plights of giant clams, corals, and entire marine ecosystems.”

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spotlight award

namé recycling: combining revenue, jobs, and sustainability

by beverly ndifoin, notre dame university

the staff said, “beverly’s story expertly shows how one person can make a gigantic difference in their community. by profiling the innovative work of namé recycling in her home country of cameroon, beverly captures how one business can make a significant impact in the fight against plastic waste pollution, while creating new, useful products in the process.”

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gw award

gen-z’s calling: one youth-climate org works to turn anxiety into action

by ayah mahana, george washington university

the staff said, “ayah’s story captures the fears, dreams, and energy of a group of young people who came together to create climate action. ayah chronicles the genesis of zero hour, whose members came from across the country, to descend on washington dc for a historic climate march in 2018. her story captures the power of young people to organize, have their voices heard, and create change.”

]]> //www.getitdoneaz.com/story/eco-gratitude-anacostia-river/ tue, 09 apr 2024 16:27:39 +0000 //www.getitdoneaz.com/?p=37323

if you’ve been to washington, d.c., the capital of the united states, chances are you’ve explored prominent landmarks like the national mall, the library of congress, and various others. but have you ever ventured to anacostia park?

enriched with a complex and nuanced history, the contemporary anacostia river exhibits significant transformations from its earlier existence as a nacotchtank settlement between the 1000s and 1600s. enduring a series of ecological and social transformations over the years, including significant events like european settlement in the 1600s, the establishment of the district’s capital in 1790, the civil war from 1861-1865, and the civil rights movement from 1954-1968, anacostia serves as a compelling illustration of how historical events and exclusionary practices can shape a city.

the community endured several years of being used as both a human and industrial waste dump as discussed in madeleine dwyer’s “forgotten by the clean water act.” then, it faced significant changes with the desegregation of local schools and the construction of the anacostia freeway in 1957. these events have deeply influenced the community leaving a lasting impact that continues to affect future generations. bruce holmes, a lifelong resident of anacostia and community liaison at friends of anacostia park, is among those whose lives have been shaped by these events.  

despite the passage of the clean water act in 1972, the anacostia river, having endured years of neglect, continues to rank among the 10 most polluted rivers in the country. this stands in stark contrast to the potomac river, situated in affluent neighborhoods like georgetown, which is often regarded as a success story for the clean water act. the disparities between these neighboring water bodies underscore the ongoing challenges faced by anacostia and highlight the persistent environmental issues that demand attention and concerted efforts for remediation. 

in recent years, numerous organizations, including friends of anacostia park – a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing the lives of dc residents by helping them build a stronger connection to the park and feel more empowered to use it – have played a crucial role in bringing attention to the anacostia river. by providing a range of recreational activities such as skating and fishing, they have contributed to the steady improvement in the river’s water quality, marked by its first passing grade in 2018, discussed in potomac conservancy report. 

while exploring the historical events that have shaped environments like anacostia, where residents have faced significant environmental injustices, maintaining a positive outlook is often difficult. this challenge is amplified by many developers seeking to profit from the river’s recent improvements. nevertheless, interviews with sophie liebel, americorps vista member at friends of anacostia park, and holmes challenge the notion that such historical events inevitably evoke only eco-anxiety.

liebel and holmes both said they are worried about the future of the park, but are also exemplifying eco-gratitude. signifying an individual’s appreciation and thankfulness towards their environment, kim-pong tam in his article on “gratitude to nature” explained how eco-gratitude involves recognizing the natural world’s inherent value by acknowledging the myriad benefits it bestows upon us and expressing gratitude for the ecosystems, resources, and biodiversity that contribute to a thriving planet.

practicing eco-gratitude can be difficult, however, holmes explained to me how showing our love and appreciation for nature can be as simple as knowing the name of a tree or the history of the land you are on. 

in weekly fishing lessons, holmes teaches fellow community members how to fish, his biggest joy in the park. during his lessons, he emphasizes the importance of knowing what kind of fish you are catching and teaching the history of the land to fellow community members. holmes “wants you to get to your recreational activities through information,” he said. when he isn’t teaching others how to fish, he said his second favorite activity is educating the public about the history of anacostia. 

in the future, holmes said would like to see the park focus more on the education of the land’s history and the public to see nature as “beautiful, powerful, and something that belongs to all.” he said doesn’t want anything decided for the park by just one person, rather the collective public needs to come together and decide what they all want as well. 

contemplating anacostia’s future restoration, including the opinions of residents like holmes, can indeed be daunting. liebel described this as she explained the hardest thing for improving anacostia will be incorporating all the good ideas.

“people don’t really realize how much knowledge there is within the community,” liebel said. however, eco-gratitude compels us to adopt a positive and appreciative perspective concerning the efforts and initiatives dedicated to enhancing the river’s condition and sustainability. this, in turn, fosters a sense of thankfulness for positive environmental actions and advances, even in the face of persistent challenges.

in 2021, the national parks service started to develop preliminary management plans for anacostia park. although the developed plans have yet to be released to the public, they rely on public input with public comments recently ending in december. these plans will offer a range of actions to improve access to trails in the park, support recreational and community use, and many other important aspects. additionally, external companies and organizations, such as rei, are working alongside friends of anacostia park on environmental restoration programs and helping to fund events such as late-night roller skating events.

moving forward, it’s crucial to acknowledge that not every environmental challenge should deter us. instead, we should embrace a perspective that combines gratitude with eco-anxiety, understanding that balance is key in all aspects of life. despite the overwhelming environmental issues and negative news, recognizing the positive steps taken and expressing gratitude for nature’s beauty is essential. holmes’ optimism and eco-gratitude toward his home provide valuable inspiration for future environmentalists confronting various injustices worldwide.

anacostia park has the potential to establish a precedent for addressing environmental injustices as community engagement continues into the future. it’s crucial to recognize, as exemplified by holmes’ inspirational story, that seemingly simple activities like fishing and appreciating the land’s history can serve as very powerful tools for practicing eco-gratitude. as efforts continue in anacostia park, holmes said he eagerly anticipates the day when the river will become both swimmable and fishable – optimistically aiming for this transformation within the next two years.

in the middle of a solar panel array in north carolina, the grass rustles with movement. a raccoon wanders between the panels. a fox wriggles through the permeable fencing and darts around the site. a cluster of turkeys stare accusingly into the wildlife camera. eventually, a curious bobcat prowls outside the fence, slinking inside and outside of the site boundary. 

the animal sightings were made possible by a carefully-placed camera trap used for conservation research. the project is part of efforts from the nature conservancy to investigate how solar development influences animal movement and work with solar developers to preserve the small corridors — or wildlife passageways — that allow for that movement. 

the sight of wildlife lingering at a solar facility between crystalline panels is an unusual one. but in north carolina, a state that ranks fourth in the nation for solar energy production and ninth for biodiversity, scientists and developers are realizing that the choice between renewables and biodiversity doesn’t have to be a trade-off.  

solar energy in the energy transition and climate crisis

amid national efforts to decarbonize the u.s. energy sector and achieve current emissions reductions goals, the u.s. is increasing its buildout of renewable energy. in the last decade, the solar industry saw an average annual growth rate of 24%, according to the solar energy industries association. 

as more and more renewables projects gain traction in states like north carolina, biologists have raised concerns over potential impacts on wildlife populations, especially amid overdevelopment and fragmentation. scientists have begun to research those impacts, but many studies have focused narrowly on bird deaths, habitat conversion,  pollinator habitat, or soil ecosystems, with fewer insights on migration and movement specifically. with climate change exacerbating the need and scale of future migrations, this research gap is a pressing one. 

while people often think of climate change as the biggest threat to biodiversity, the answer is actually habitat loss. liz kalies, the lead renewable energy scientist at the nature conservancy, spreads this message in her conservation work. “we can’t justify poor siting of renewable energy in the name of biodiversity,” said kalies. 

“but similarly, if we ignore climate change, that will also have severe consequences for biodiversity. so, we just really need to keep the two in our mind simultaneously, and not sacrifice one for the other,” she said.

strategies for building wildlife-friendly solar

fortunately, solar developers haves several options to avoid making those sacrifices: selecting sites responsibly (including repurposed mine land), building in wildlife passageways (small corridors to allow animals to pass through)—which could mean splitting a site down the middle—and letting nature reclaim parts of the facility by growing wildflowers, planting native species, or building pollinator habitats. a simple change, such as mowing the lawn in september or october instead of august, after breeding season, can make a difference, according to a research team in new york. 

one of the most promising strategies so far is permeable fencing: swapping out traditional chain-link fencing for larger-holed fencing, which is meshy enough to allow small-to-medium sized mammals to slip through. animal monitoring reports show the early promise of this fencing, as camera traps capture foxes, birds, and coyotes navigating around the fencing. in one study, wildlife-permeable fencing increased the probability that ungulates (hoofed mammals) successfully crossed through the fence by 33% — and they were able to do so in 54% less time.

camera trapping and bobcat tracking: the research behind wildlife-friendly solar

kalies and her team have launched several projects to study solar-wildlife interactions, including the camera trap project, direct site visits with developers, and even a bobcat-specific project. kalies and her team are currently working on the latter, which involves locating, sedating, radio collaring, and tracking bobcats to generate visual maps of their meanderings. bobcats are secretive, elusive animals who prefer uninterrupted vegetation, making them good candidates to study the challenges that animals may face in in solar landscapes. 

surprisingly, bobcats are interacting with the solar facilities. from the videos kalies played, it appears some of them are even drawn to the facilities for unknown reasons. in their preliminary data, one bobcat appeared to cut through a solar facility that didn’t even have a permeable fence. the team hopes to increase their sample size of bobcats in order to predict impacts of solar buildout on their populations through simulation alone.

do developers really want foxes and bobcats roaming through their facilities?

sometimes, the answer is yes, according to developers. medium-sized predators may help quell rodent populations, and rodents have been known to gnaw through the panels’ wiring, breaking the solar array.  

wildlife passageways offer other benefits to developers. at face value, building wildlife-friendly infrastructure is great for a company’s brand image and public relations — especially when local opposition to renewable projects is so prevalent, and sometimes stems from animal conservation concerns. additionally, installing wildlife-friendly fencing is economical, according to kalies. it costs roughly the same as a chain-link fence and holds up just as well structurally, based on her reports from developers. 

“i love the idea of wildlife friendly fencing,”  said scott starr, co-founder of highline renewables. 

“you’re going to be a partner with the community for 30 plus years. so, you want to do things like screen it with evergreens or use wildlife friendly fencing […] and even if it’s a small upcharge, you are looking for things to make the project work that don’t just show up in the pro forma but are also a benefit to the community.” 

as a developer who specializes in small-scale distributed generation,  starr notes that it’s common to screen for endangered species early on as part of choosing a site. “we are very careful as developers towards critical species, critical habitat, wetlands, things like that. that is part of the process.” 

but, when it comes to sharing land with wildlife, the territory is more unfamiliar. starr elaborates on the policy gaps in how governments incentivize wildlife-friendly buildout. 

“the only things that i’ve really seen are ‘we’ll give you adders to put it on this rooftop!’ and ‘we’ll give you adders if  you put it on a brownfield or co-locate with some kind of agricultural operations!’ said starr. “there never is really anything about wildlife corridors—we just don’t know.” 

while developers can’t claim that solar sites are equivalent to wildlife refuges, they do share some compelling similarities: they’re quiet, isolated, fenced off, and relatively low-disturbance on the landscape. whether or not a site is wildlife-friendly often comes down to what’s adjacent to the facility, says kalies, meaning rural sites typically have better luck than urban, overdeveloped, already-degraded plots of land. 

challenges and limitations of building wildlife passageways

some of the biggest research-specific challenges for kalies’s team include accessing sites in the first place, finding partners willing to collaborate, and hours of challenging fieldwork. another difficulty lies in data interpretation. even with data from camera traps, for example, seeing an animal onsite doesn’t mean it’s necessarily benefitting. the animal could be migrating, breeding or nesting, foraging, lost, or simply hanging out. 

starr adds that, from a developer’s perspective, even if you support wildlife-friendly fencing,  you may get a ‘no’ from the county, from financiers, or from any long-term owners of the project who might consider wildlife a risk to their multi-million dollar asset. (some developers are even concerned about bird droppings reducing the efficiency of their solar panels.)

overall, the solar industry’s ability to become “wildlife-friendly” may depend on the level of discussion happening in government. “we need clear guidance and policymaking that incentivizes these kinds of considerations,” said starr.

the future of wildlife-friendly solar 

despite these challenges, pursuing wildlife-friendly solar in north carolina may be a promising step toward preserving biodiversity. the state ranks the 13th highest in the nation for risk of species loss. while wildlife movement patterns are being studied in the western u.s. (such as pronghorn migration), more research is needed on patterns in eastern states.

the first step to preserving biodiverse populations is ensuring that animals can continue to move freely across landscapes. through siting adjustments, permeable fencing, planting wildflower pollinator habitat, and actively collaborating with scientists, the solar industry has a chance to protect wildlife. energy developers and biologists alike can take part in this initiative, giving a new meaning to “energy conservation.” 

picture this: you’re a montauk local on dec. 18 2023 and as you and your loved ones watch the news, a winter storm is expected. when hearing the term, “winter storm,” one immediately thinks of a blizzard. unfortunately, this close-knit hamlet and other long island towns experienced a storm resembling a hurricane.

it shrank many of the cherished beaches and caused major flooding, damage to coastal homes, and even a flood of trash on the shorelines. that’s not all. three more storms rolled in like turbulent waves within the next month. this destruction (to my hometown) brought perilous risks for the future of the local’s livelihoods. it’s a devastation that came to the attention of people of all ages. local instagram stories revealed ditch plains beach, webster beach, and main beach swept away by chaotic waves, leaving bare sandbags and trash for miles. 

some of the best waves come from storms like these, attracting surfers within the montauk community and outside of it, but there is a downside to this that the locals and the rest of eastern long island continue to struggle with. even though montauk is a small community, there is no doubt of its resilience when it is faced with hardships like this. we look back at hurricane sandy, a storm that ravaged the dunes, destroyed homes, and even took lives. despite those hardships and the loss of loved ones, these events have also prepared us for future ones by realizing how fragile our coastal environments truly are.  

as someone who grew up with the ocean — watching the waves crash against the coarse sand, doing the polar plunge, fishing with my family, and learning to surf — i want to protect my home. if none of us did, we wouldn’t have the lives we have now. from the moment my little self met the ocean, it immediately became a part of my life. it’s like one of your first friends that you can always go to, but the ocean will never leave. like a friendship, you need to protect it by safeguarding it and respecting how important it truly is. if you don’t, it weakens over time.

my family and i surf here, my dad takes my siblings, friends, and me out to fish. my two best friends and i paddleboard every summer, and those i graduated with from montauk public school and east hampton high school have a unique and special connection to montauk. everything in this town is interconnected because of the locals and those who visit.

click the presentation below to read the full story:

america’s solar industry is in trouble. 

who and what’s the cause of this are questions not easily answered. some point to complex supply chains. others point to problems with domestic innovation. and a few point to mamun rashid, the ceo of auxin solar, which the wall street journal calls “the most-hated solar company in america.”

the reasons for this are several. auxin filed a petition with the commerce department in 2022 accusing several chinese solar manufacturers of evading u.s. tariffs. last august, the commerce department ruled that four companies in southeast asia circumvented american tariffs on chinese made components. as a result, sweeping new solar tariffs are set to face the industry in june 2024. the countries in which those tariffs will be levied account for “nearly three-quarters of solar modules imported to the united states.”

tariffs are taxes on the import of foreign goods. they are paid by the domestic company who is purchasing those goods. 

“we are facing an unprecedented moment in american solar. many companies have relied on cheap foreign labor for their products. what we’re doing is shedding light on faulty business practices that favor china and harm american workers. we’re fighting for energy independence,” rashid said.

yet, many clean energy advocates have resoundingly criticized auxin. secretary of energy jennifer granholm stated in an interview with npr, “at stake is the complete smothering of the investment and the jobs and the independence that we would be seeking as a nation to get our fuel from our own generation sources.”

such advocates anticipate the ruling will make solar projects in america far more expensive and lengthy. according to cnn, the ruling has apparently stalled many u.s. solar projects, upending an industry critical to a clean energy future. 

this frustration, rashid claims, reflects just how reliant america’s solar industry is on foreign supply chains, many of which seep through china. according to the wall street journal, “chinese manufacturers make around 63% of the polysilicon used in most solar panels globally, and more than two-thirds of the wafers that are the next step in the manufacturing process.”

“what a decision like this forces businesses to do is rethink the way they conduct business,” said rashid. “many companies wouldn’t be as angry as they are if they hadn’t made the mistake of relying on china, so now the band-aid is peeled off and they need to develop new long-term plans. we need to incentivize companies to play by the rules and produce in america.”

rashid notes that covid exacerbated already dangerous supply chains, shedding light on american manufacturers’ reliance on foreign labor. that is what inspired him to pursue the investigation with the commerce department. now, he says, america’s solar industry bears the burden of re-shoring the supply chain. that is a process he believes tariffs will set in motion.

clean energy advocates in america believe in the need for a robust domestic solar industry. it’s an urgent policy priority. but they say in order to achieve this, we need the global supply chain in the interim.

they say it will simply take too long to accomplish energy independence to afford shattering the global supply chain, an outcome that would undoubtedly impede a clean energy future. one of these advocates is abigail ross hopper, the ceo of the solar energy industries association (seia), the trade association representing america’s solar industry. she vehemently opposes auxin’s investigation.

“the bottom line is that we all want energy independence and for america’s solar industry to thrive. but in order to achieve those long-term goals, we’ll need to rely on the global supply chain in the short-term to continue building and supporting solar projects in america over the next three to five years.” hopper said.

to re-shore america’s solar supply chain and meet this critical moment, both rashid and hopper note it will take time. but there are important steps being taken right now to bolster america’s industry. among these steps is the inflation reduction act, which offers economic incentives for solar companies to produce in america. 

and while rashid applauds the ira, he still says at the heart of the debate is the need for american companies to re-evaluate their best practices and no longer rely on imports from southeast asia. 

“for far too long, american companies have benefited from foreign producers that violate american law. the ira is an important first step, but we need long-term solutions from the businesses themselves, a commitment that they will no longer rely on unfair and, quite frankly, illegal activity in the supply chain.“