there we were, hiking through the vast wilderness, or standing on the shores of remote beaches, or floating near the bases of staggering glaciers — and, yet, we didn’t feel separate from these unfamiliar surroundings. humbled; inspired; overwhelmed? absolutely. but not separate.

on the final day of our expedition, lindblad naturalist tim martin led a hike into the old growth forest of chichagof island. throughout our time in alaska, i’d had a camera in hand, filming our adventures and interviewing our planet forward cohort about the experience, with the intention of editing this very film upon our return. yet, we were warned that this particular hike was for those looking for a challenge and, sure enough, i found myself tucking my camera away in my pack to free two hands to brace myself on treacherous terrain and uncleared trails.

i nervously climbed up a steep, soily incline, steadied by the reaching hands of my human companions and the strong roots of the trees above. once at the top, we embarked deeper into the forest and tim stumbled upon a small, yellowish-green animal on the mossy floor. never one to pass up a teaching moment, tim picked up the banana slug and, at my request, handed it to me.

at first coiled into itself, the slug began to unwind once in my palm, revealing its four sensing tentacles and angling them directly toward me. i looked into the face of this seemingly alien creature, startlingly aware that, as it oozed protective mucus onto my hand, it saw an equally alien face looking back.

i beamed with pure joy.

in a time when so much of my life has been mediated through screens and one way interactions, when so much of my attention is pulled away from reality and toward something else, someplace else, the glance of this tiny, slimy being delivered a message. it said, “you are not a spectator on this planet. you, too, are part of the show.”

throughout our time in alaska, i got the sense that each of the storyfest winners had had their own parallel experiences: interactions with the landscape, its non-human inhabitants, and our human guides and companions, that viscerally reminded them of the ways in which we are all connected — the ways in which all of our actions are never truly ours, as their impacts stretch outward in ways we as individuals can never comprehend.

this, of course, is why we tell stories. we share experiences through stories with a deep knowledge that, in fact, all experiences are already shared.

will these heightened moments of connection with the earth and with each other, shared through stories, save our planet? 

no — but they remind us we have no choice but to keep trying.

––

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.

if you want to observe change and see how humans affect the world, go to the edges. whether it’s a natural landscape, a community, or a feeling inside you, spending time on life’s boundaries can transform your perspective. in ecological terms, edges are zones of transition from one ecosystem to another, where you can see dynamics and changes in species and activity that can explain, for instance, how some generalist plants thrive and others don’t. planet forward’s contingent traveled to the edge of southeast alaska, visiting its remote glacier-filled landscape, fjords, and islands with lindblad expeditions.

as a journalist covering environmental change and looming climate crisis over the past 23 years, i’ve hiked 100 miles along the continental divide in wyoming, accompanied a seedbank expedition in the andes of colombia, lived for two weeks at a remote biological research station in the peruvian amazon near bolivian and brazilian borders, sailed from the north atlantic to the caribbean, and walked through rice paddies of northern punjab, in india, reporting on the water adaptations near the pakistan border. in each instance, the location mattered. my stories covered the consequences of human actions on the people, food, and nature because these were places on some edge.

“whenever possible, go into the field,” i tell my science journalism students, “to a place where you can report what you see. what does it tell you?” place-based reporting has been harder in this time of covid-restricted travel, soaring fuel costs, and canceled flights. this trip with planet forward’s digital editor victoria middleton and our storyfest winners was a welcome return to the field, a chance to work with environmental storytellers to find their inspiration, and to experience a landscape where lindblad naturalists shed light on the world around us.

wild places are capable of making us feel small, yet they are places where humanity’s footprint is disproportionately large and visible.  
 
more of the world’s boundaries are at risk from human development and have proven to be at further risk from climate change, and so it’s important for those reporting on the natural world to spend time in it. alaska is being transformed by climate change at a rapid pace. temperatures have warmed more than 3 degrees fahrenheit, more than twice the warming seen in the rest of the united states. annual precipitation is increasing by 10%. late summer arctic sea ice has decreased significantly — it’s predicted that arctic waters in summer will be free of ice by 2050. still, alaska remains a source of resilience with its adaptation planning centered regionally.

we often turn away from news and images of climate destruction and environmental change, like the melting glaciers and dying animals that attest to the challenges of our sustainable future. but going to wild places focuses our attention on the forgotten beauty worth protecting, the precious intact environment teeming with life. that week in alaska, i saw a brown bear foraging for barnacles on the beach at dawn; humpback whales cooperatively feeding by forming “nets” by blowing bubbles; sea lions feasting on schools of fish; the marbled murrelet seabird, which takes its first flight to shore from its nest high in the old growth forest several miles away; and a mother sea otter diving for fish, surfacing with her pup on her chest to share in the catch.
 
this natural richness asks us — in all its beauty — to look at its strength of resilience and reflect on our own. wild places are capable of bouncing back. so are we. in 2015, the world came together and agreed to limit emissions that lead to an extreme and unpredictable climate future. it’s now time for us to deliver the goals we set to build a peaceful, more resilient planet — starting at the edges.

––

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.

it felt nice to feel so small. everyday i’m the center of my world, and it’s easy to get caught up in everything i have going on. but to feel tiny and insignificant gave me the freedom to slow down and take a breath. to walk through a forest that predates glaciers really puts my little life in perspective. and it feels so good to get lost in the wilderness (metaphorically, hopefully never literally). alaska is a place to go to lose yourself, and i think eventually find yourself.

––

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.

i was grateful to feel that on the boat as well. everyone on board had gratitude for the spaces we were able to explore and learn from. alaska has a long history of extraction where people have come to take advantage of the resources, animals, and people there, and before my trip, i was nervous about contributing to that. but now after talking to the naturalists and other guests, i’ve come to accept that humans, just like other animals do need and use parts of the environment. our responsibility is to not cause damage and be as subsistent as we can. along with the attention to not take away too much, i also realized i need to give back to spaces i’m in. i took away food, water, memories, and knowledge from alaska, and in return i made sure to pick up trash, spread seeds, and not bother animals when i could. going back to dc, i’m eager to grow the connections i have to the natural elements of my urban space so that eventually with volunteering i help can grow forests where we once had a yard; a river where we once had a stream; a family where we once had a group of strangers. i’m so grateful for this experience and am eager provide you with alaska’s story around lipids, from candlefish to whales to oil reserves.

––

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.

my intellectual curiosities were stoked by the seemingly endless knowledge of the many naturalists on board. the naturalists had incredible presentations about geology, glaciology, marine ecology, and even squid physiology (complete with a on-deck dissection of a squid we found on a beach)! i found myself falling deeper in love with the natural world and finding new exciting disciplines — like geology. i’ll be writing my story about the language of rocks — so stay tuned!

––

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!

––

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.

this year’s student storytelling was – in a word – exceptional, and the competition for the title of storyfest 2022 winner was incredibly tough. our finalists covered everything from musicians and scientists to farmers and community activists, and highlighted solutions on everything from new irrigation technology to mammoth resurrection. you can see all our amazing finalists’ pieces right here on planetforward.org.

after a great deal of deliberation from our committee of judges, we are excited to share our our 2022 winners:

most compelling character

plantita power: microgreens in the district

jennifer cuyuch, george washington university

the judges say:

through her warm interviews and vibrant use of music and graphics, the judges say jennifer not only conveys the character of plantita power’s founder, steph, but also their community and spirit of care and life – plants! – that they cultivate.

most creative story

‘coastal degradation through fresh eyes’: a picture book come to life

delaney graham, suny-esf

the judges say:

a thoroughly absorbing story built around storybook characters. amka’s friend, is a puffin who is homeless because of coastal erosion. they embark on a journey of discovery and hope. the story works and the characters pop. the judges were taken by the character – and the content.

best scalable innovation

farzona comnas, george washington university

the judges say:

beautifully written and photographed, this story is personal to farzona, focusing on deserts in her native country of jordan. they’re becoming hotter and drier as a result of climate change. farzona proposes planting forests in desert. sound impossible? she cites an initiative in lebanon that has done just that. the practice is called afforestation. project drawdown rates it 15th of the most significant steps we could take to reverse global warming. the judges say, this story delivers!

best science narrative

a tale of two mountains: battling climate change and wildfires at home and abroad

ryan bieber, ithaca college

the judges say:

ryan weaves a compelling narrative built on the science. it is a tale of two sierras. in california, the sierra nevada has experienced “nine out of ten of the state’s largest wildfires … in the last decade.” in spain, monoculture replanting in the sierra nevada became a fire trap. this story is a compelling narrative of learning and loss showing distinct ways that human activity has led to devastating wildfires. 

best use of science & data

hope flows through the heart of tucson: the santa cruz river heritage project

halley hughes, the university of arizona

the judges say:

halley brings the science and data to real-world life in her story about the santa cruz river heritage project. a “trickle of water” that represents “enormous change.” the story captures the heart and soul of the living desert. as halley writes, “making tucson more drought resilient, conserving water resources, supporting critical biodiversity, connecting a city to its heritage, and educating a new generation.”

––

congratulations to our winners — and a huge thank you to all the students who entered this year. we are so proud of the stories you are telling to 2022年卡塔尔世界杯官网 !