our weather can be unpredictable, ranging from decades of drought to month-long storms that dump dozens of inches of rain. earlier this winter, california was recovering from a multi-week storm surge. we had trillions of gallons of rain and hundreds of inches of snow in only a few weeks’ time.

it was clear to anyone living here that we were and are not prepared for this amount of rainfall. here are four key issues that california is continuing to grapple with.

1. runoff pollution

as someone who lives on the coast, a common issue we face is the impact of runoff pollution. this runoff accumulates along the coast after storms, when contaminants from city streets, farms, and other urban areas are washed away and into the rivers, estuaries, and beaches. a common effect of runoff pollution is harmful algal blooms, these blooms are a consequence of increased nitrogen and phosphate in the water. in these conditions, toxic and nontoxic algae grow unchecked. eventually, they die and can suffocate the gills of fish and invertebrates.

helping to address this problem is the california cooperative oceanic fisheries investigations (calcofi), an affiliate of the california department of fish & wildlife, noaa fisheries service, and scripps institution of oceanography. i spoke with erin satterthwaite, who coordinates their program, and makes sure their research is accurately used, and accessible. satterthwaite said that calcofi values being inclusive and its data publicly accessible, using a holistic approach to solve questions we were once unable to answer, she called these “time machine questions.” we are now able to go back in time and answer questions from the past with the technology and information we now have access to. the goal is to be able to answer future questions, today.

satterthwaite and i spoke about how calcofi uses a holistic ecosystem approach, examining how elements of an ecosystem are impacted by changes in the surrounding area. they collect data up to 500 meters below sea level, testing the water for salinity, oxygen, phosphate, silicate, nitrate and nitrite, chlorophyll, phytoplankton biodiversity, zooplankton biomass, and zooplankton biodiversity. this data helps to paint a picture of what is happening to the ecosystem as a whole, and what may be changing within it.

2. flood management

researching for this article proved to be quite a feat, there are so many challenges facing water management in dense urban areas. currently, many of la’s rivers are paved entirely in concrete, an example is the los angeles river. the goal is to quickly move flood waters to long beach, and out of neighborhoods. while effective, this method ensures that no water is collected or recycled and flows directly into long beach.

this water is a mix of stormwater, street runoff, and trash. therefore, without filtration, it pours into the bay polluting the beaches and harbor. according to heal the bay’s beach report card, long beach is la county’s most polluted beach. long beach receives an ‘f’ rating after storms. to put it into perspective, the tijuana river slough receives the same score. this method of flood management is effective; however, it leads to water waste and pollution. 

3. drought preparedness

california is notoriously dry, with decade-long droughts that increase wildfire risks and damage, destroy crops, and turn the state a lovely shade of dusty brown. my family’s wild rice farm is in northern california, near mt. shasta. despite the numerous lakes, rivers, and dams in the area, we experience seasonal wildfires, some decimating thousands of acres of land. in fact, the largest reservoir in california is in shasta county, its water capacity is 4,552,000 acre⋅ft (5.615 km3). and while dams and reservoirs have their own ecological impacts, they are vital for collecting and storing rainwater. 

as for residential rainwater collection, it is not considered illegal in california to collect your own rainwater. some places even have rainwater harvesting incentive programs, but regulations may vary. when in doubt, collection of rainwater is best for plants and gardens, not for consumption. 

another form of water sequestration is infiltration basins, areas that allow water to naturally permeate the soil, filtering pollution, and refilling aquifers. cities like los angeles are far too dense and populated to have infiltration basins, but there are other methods of managing runoff and flood water that do not include water highways of cement and concrete. 

4. lack of gray infrastructure

last fall, i spoke to one of the researchers at tijuana river national estuarine research reserve, jeff crooks, ph.d. at the time, i did not realize that our conversation would be so relevant to my continued thoughts and research into statewide water issues.

we spoke about the importance of building gray infrastructure, and investing in better methods of collecting, treating, and diverting stormwater. i learned about the projects and goals of the estuary, and what we can do to solve the issues that the estuary is facing. crooks mentioned how the estuary can only filter so much stormwater before it flows directly into the ocean. therefore, it is vital that we build enough gray infrastructure to alleviate the pressures on the estuary. examples of gray infrastructure that would be beneficial are infiltration basins, stormwater storage, and water treatment plants. 

in 2014, california voted yes to passing the water quality, supply, and infrastructure improvement act of 2014, also known as proposition 1: water bond. a vote “yes” for this proposition supported issuing $7.12 billion in bonds for water supply infrastructure projects and allocating bond revenue. the goal of prop 1 was to allocate money to increasing gray infrastructure to better collect stormwater, protect drinking water, protect watersheds, drought preparedness, and flood management. but it’s 2023, and we’re seeing that a lot of work still needs to be done. 

there is a $19b-$24b dollar plan to transform the la river into a public open space and natural urban habitat over the next 25 years. it would help mitigate stormwater pollution, reduce drought impacts, increase public green spaces, and help to reduce the impacts of damaging and dangerous floods. amigos de los rios is one organization that is working to make this green infrastructure a reality.

they call these connected spaces of parks, gardens, and river paths the emerald necklace greenway. the goal is to connect the mountains and the ocean with public spaces that provide both public services and water sequestration via soil and plants. these areas are one of the best methods of flood reduction and are far more beautiful than entirely cemented washes and rivers

sustainable solutions for california

california is known as a dry place, with seasonal wildfires and never-ending droughts. however, storms like the ones we experienced last month are indicators that our weather is unpredictable. i believe that combining different methods and sciences to solve problems such as water management is key to finding sustainable solutions, preparing for droughts, and not polluting the ocean.

as erin satterthwaite said, look at a problem and see how the ecosystem interacts instead of looking at just one element. or as writer cj hauser says in the crane wife, “if you want to save a species, you don’t spend your time staring at the bird you want to save. you look at the things it relies on to live instead. you ask if there is enough to eat and drink. you ask if there is a safe place to sleep. is there enough here to survive?”

this is the takeaway: we must look at issues as whole entities, how we influence our environment, how their parts interact, and how they change, flow, and migrate. water is a vital resource that a state like california cannot afford to under-appreciate.

this story was featured in our series, slipping through our fingers: the future of water.

while abundant, inspiration can be fleeting and ungraspable. i lived in south texas, a region diverse in culture and ideology, but eternally linked to mistakes of the past; thus persists a narrative that leads some circles to resent science, even fear it. particularly within the latinx community in the region, against whom science and twisted methodologies have been weaponized.

making an impact

it is hard to be inspired to change the world for the better when the tools you are given are enshrouded with fear. but as a latina of that community, it fell upon my shoulders to erode that trauma that still resides deep in our daily lives, so my inspiration emerged as two objectives: 1) create pathways for students to become familiar with conducting research and normalized to the advantages and limitations of science, and 2) to create something impactful. 

in 2018, i developed a strain of bacteria capable of detecting the explosive tnt, and when it decomposes, dnt. in 2019, i founded herodotus research and development for my 17th birthday. the goal is to implement domestically in the united states to make a fool-proof highly resilient and uncompromisable product that can be shipped around the world to regions afflicted by war-related hazards. why? because of the number 17,000; that’s about how many people around the world are killed or injured by landmines and “remnants of war” each year.

also, because of the number 15 million; that’s how many acres of land in the united states are polluted by those “remnants of war” or munitions-related chemicals. i encountered these statistics as a descendant of veterans. these statistics are haunting, and they present a profound conclusion that innovation cannot right the wrongs of history, but innovation can right the future. 

an innovation for the earth and for community

i founded a program in which high school students accompanied me to the university to conduct their research on topics applicable to their interests. this grew into a class in which middle schoolers shadowed the high schoolers and conducted research. my community was eager to learn, but nobody tried to learn with them, and science became inaccessible. there was hope for technology changing lives for the better, and there was a desire to lead those discoveries. i went from presenting alone at the state science fair to accompanying a team of proud latinx students to their blue ribbons. 

the innovation in this video is not just a way of detecting and removing dangerous chemicals in the environment. this video was recorded in the av closet of my high school with my business partner and a few friends who all believed they were contributing to something impactful. my community felt the value of increasing accessibility to science education. this is a true innovation, empowering others to innovate, and it can be applied everywhere on the globe. 

this is a multifaceted problem, as the environmental protection agency (epa), states that these tiny particles come with a variety of characteristics including size, composition, and are of different densities within our environment.  this invasion of microplastics doesn’t just damage the quality of our oceans, it festers and grows in the air we breathe, our food and drinks, and the products we use. it is so pervasive that, according to science direct, a recent study showed that this army of microplastics has marched its way into people’s bodies, including our bloodstreams.

the result of this study showed that 80% (17 out of 22) of the study’s subjects contained these life-threatening particles in their bloodstreams, which suggests that microplastics are in fact commonplace in most people’s bodies. the damage is outlined in another study from rovira university, which states that microplastics can stretch the membranes of red blood cells to the point where the transportation of oxygen in our circulatory system is affected.

how do microplastics get inside of us?

some people may never consider where the objects in the recycling bins actually end up or if those objects are actually being recycled. according to upstream solutions, only 6% of plastics are recycled and more than one-third of plastic packaging finds its way into the environment. when plastics are left alone in the ocean or on land, they break down into microplastics that can be smaller than five millimeters, resembling the size of a sesame seed. the united nations clean seas campaign found that there are approximately 51 trillion microplastic pieces in the ocean alone.

a handful of these particles may seem harmless, but since they are hydrophobic, meaning of a substance that repels water, an accumulation of them can cover many surfaces and absorb various organic pollutants including pesticides and industrial chemicals. according to the national library of medicine, once these harmful chemicals are ingested by organisms, they can easily accumulate in their systems and threaten their gastrointestinal tract. these particles are often transferred from one organism to another through ingestion, and have been able to reach humans. this common process is known as trophic transfer.

“i would assume living in a place where you’re around a lot of people, you’d probably increase your exposure (to microplastics),” said laura markley, a ph.d. candidate studying plastic pollution at syracuse university. “i think it would really depend on where you live.”

living in a populated city like syracuse, new york, it’s no surprise that most of the residents produce plastic waste. in today’s world, plastic is an ubiquitous staple of grocery shopping that consumers of all ages have a hard time avoiding. “it’s very difficult for an individual to reduce their production when the system is kind of made to produce that way,” markley said.  

shopping bags are not the only significant way that we come into contact with plastics. when we store our leftovers from previous meals or have a craving for the remainder of our takeout, the most convenient way of storing and reheating our food is by microwaving it in plastic containers.

according to markley, there are many processing agents and chemicals that give plastics desirable characteristics, but when those plastics are exposed to certain conditions such as high temperatures, as significant amount of those harmful chemicals within the plastic can leach out into the food we consume. one way this problem occurs is by using the same plastic container over and over again which eventually leads to parts of the plastic shedding off into the food we look forward to eating.

markley also emphasized that leached chemicals can mimic estrogen, the hormone key to the female reproductive system. according to  breastcancer.org, bisphenol-as (bpa) is an industrial chemical commonly found in plastics such as water bottles and sold in stores, that mimics estrogen which can lead to various kinds of cancer in women. markley went on to say, “that was just crazy to me because i was like, how can something i’ve used my entire life, be the source of these toxic chemicals!” 

going to the source

i also spoke with marcus eriksen, ph.d., scientist and co-founder of the 5 gyres organization, who emphasized how recycling contributes to plastic pollution. eriksen mentioned how many of us have been fooled into believing that participating more in this process will solve this world crisis. in reality, more needs to be done than just tossing single-use plastics into the recycling bin.

many materials such as plastic utensils and take-out containers are placed in landfills or end up in our oceans because they can not be recycled.

in our interview, eriksen said that cleaning up a patch of trash in the ocean and on land will not fix the entire problem. rather, it will take strategies to address the source of the issue, such as creating better designs for products and implementing source reduction without plastic. 

at the individual level, we certainly can aim to reduce our use of plastics. but the microplastics issue also needs to be addressed at a higher, larger level – through laws and policies. organizations similar to 5 gyres collaborate with policymakers to form agreements that hold companies accountable for their plastic production and aim to reduce the consumption of plastic. this ongoing world crisis can only be improved by working at its source to truly see a positive difference in our future. 

our government has the choice of acting on this worldwide issue, we just have to push our politicians. this task is easier said than done. but if we, as individuals, begin to hold our own usage of plastics accountable and communicate the dangers of microplastics to our representatives, there is hope that broader change is yet to come.

this quote comes from bartlett durand, water quality partnership director of sand county foundation. he is talking about the agriculture system in the united states and the pressure that large-scale industrial farming puts on agriculture workers.

for decades, it has been the norm for farmers to use practices that can pollute our waterways. now, farmers are facing pressure from government officials to cut their polluting systems, but are under such financial strain that they can’t afford to change their land management practices.

this leaves many farmers stuck, all while officials continue to set more demanding standards and while water all over the country gets more polluted. durand’s job is to be a neutral ground between the city officials that set water quality standards and the farmers that must follow them. 

an excess of nutrients

the major environmental issue driving durand’s work is excessive algae growth, which can cause hypoxic zones, or areas in bodies of water that lack oxygen and are therefore susceptible to toxic algae blooms. all farming requires nutrients, whether through intensive soil management or added nutrients through manure or fertilizer. without careful management or buffering areas to contain the nutrients, rains can cause soil runoff and with that, the transportation of excessive amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus to local waterways.

just like nitrogen and phosphorus help crops grow on a large scale, they will also make the naturally occurring algae in ponds and lakes grow excessively. these overgrown algae can use up all of the oxygen in an area of water and leave none for the entire rest of the ecosystem, killing most living things in the area. the watershed becomes a dead zone.

this can happen small-scale, in local ponds, or large-scale, like in the gulf of mexico. the great lakes, which surround durand’s home state of wisconsin, also suffer from dead zones. in lake erie, for example, the hypoxic zone is sometimes as large as 3,800 square miles.

the nutrient pollution can also get into groundwater, which can be very harmful, even at low levels. nitrogen can percolate through layers of soil all the way down to aquifers. one third of all americans — and 95% of americans living in agricultural areas — get their drinking water from groundwater, so this poses a real threat if left unregulated. 

the role of regulators

officials want to set water quality standards that slow dead zone growth and keep our water clean. but behind the issue of nutrient runoff lies social tension between farmers and officials that must be smoothed over to create any progress.

“the clean water act gives authority to the epa to enforce (water quality standards,) and then the epa gives authority to each state,” durand says. “there are different state agencies, so it varies. the culture of each state is different, and the agriculture community is different.”

the clean water act can directly regulate pollution coming from point sources, meaning they can regulate pollution that comes from a single, identifiable source, like a wastewater pipe. the epa pushes the states to set limits on how much nitrogen and phosphorus pollution is allowed from point sources, and how much certain areas must cut their levels. most water treatment plants were built in the 70s and 80s — before we understood the harms of excess pesticides, says durand — and they aren’t advanced enough to filter out the nitrogen and phosphorus at the level the epa wants. it can be expensive if not impossible for some of these plants to meet the nutrient targets set.

but some states offer the option of partnering with farmers to “trade” nutrient reductions. the responsibility then falls on the farmers to cut their personal nutrient use, asking them to change their farming practices, or to implement ways to manage field runoff. 

“farming is a brutal profession,” durand says. “you’re running a small business with tiny margins, and you do not control your pricing. the pressure on farmers is intense. you can’t make a mistake, you have so much money invested in the equipment… to change a bunch of (equipment) at once is almost impossibly expensive. and then you have to change the management style. they say, ‘i have a rhythm. i know it. i grew up with it.’ so, it’s really a difficult thing (to change).”

farmers come to the table

clean water act administrators and farmers come to the issue of water quality with completely different backgrounds. the issue can get quite contentious, as durand explains.

“right now, you have engineers and regulatory people and the government enforcing a checklist, and you have people who are regulated trying to complete that checklist. every five years they redo it and they all have to sit down and haggle over what those numbers are,” durand says. “i come in and provide a neutral ground to help negotiate. it’s a big deal because it starts breaking down that adversarial relationship.”

substantial progress has been made in madison, wisconsin. the state’s clean water act administrators and the epa allowed a pilot project for adaptive management. the project takes place in dane county, which is predominantly an agricultural landscape. farmland covers over 500,000 acres of the county, more than two-thirds of all the land.

“the concept was, we’re going to give you (the wastewater treatment plant) 20 years to clean up your water, and you, the municipality, are going to take responsibility for your entire watershed. so they (dane county farmers) are committing to stop the pollution that’s happening, with a partnership approach,” durand says. the municipality provides the goals and funding, and the farmers figure out what works best on their farm to help improve water quality overall. 

the partnership approach was a game changer.

“it was irritating farmers that there wasn’t a single farmer on the committee discussing (water pollution). so one farmer leader formed a group called the yahara pride farms, after the yahara chain of lakes,” durand says. “and that gave him the authority to get a seat at the table.”

jeff endres, the founder of yahara pride farms, brought farmers’ voices to the forefront and set the record straight on their practices in the community.

“he started talking, ‘we need to keep nutrients on our land. we’re not just willy-nilly spreading stuff. we’re already doing a lot of sustainable things you don’t think we’re doing. we can probably do better, but you need to understand our costs.’”

most importantly, durand says, farmers can be part of the solution for preventing nitrogen and phosphorus runoff, and shouldn’t be treated like the enemy in water quality conversations. the enemy, durand holds, is the system of large-scale industrial agriculture that puts farmers in this difficult position.

yahara pride farms has been doing incredible work in partnerships with other organizations to reduce their nutrient runoff. the farmers get to choose how to spend the money they’re given from the city for conservation practices together, and share the benefits.

“the first thing they did was hire their own agronomist to work with them. instead of having to rely on the government,” durand says. “it’s been wildly successful. you get a group of farmers together, and ‘why don’t we all buy our cover crop seed in bulk? why don’t we all buy one piece of equipment together that we can share to do our cover cropping?’ once you get the farmers together, it is a huge plus. people can be so inspired by these partnerships.”

durand’s work facilitating partnerships and open conversation is essential going forward in the struggle for clean water and healthy watersheds.

“water is the most immediate system that is dramatically not working and that we have to make changes on,” durand says. “there are ways we can rally around that system to change it. because water is so fundamental to life.”

when i left chicago to embark on a month-long environmental reporting trip to sanibel island, florida, the fact that it is one of the nation’s premier birding destinations wasn’t one of its many appeals. in fact, i knew it would force me to confront my only tangible fear.

it’s a textbook case of childhood trauma. when i was 10, i was sitting on the toilet at home when i felt something rustle against my leg. i looked down to find a mourning dove that had entered the house through the chimney fluttering at my feet. i screamed, slammed the toilet lid closed and jumped on top. i was trapped at the end of my parents’ long and narrow bathroom, the bird flapping in my face every time i tried to step down. after continued wailing, my dad rescued me, scooping me up and carrying me horizontally out of the bathroom like a human battering ram.

needless to say, i wasn’t the biggest fan of birds after that. 

but it seemed like most everyone else on sanibel was. on my first day there, i faced down a gauntlet of squawking parrots lining the entrance to the jerry’s foods shopping center. later, a roseate spoonbill sighting on the side of the road stopped traffic. and at the sanibel-captiva conservation foundation (sccf) and j.n. “ding” darling national wildlife refuge, the organizations whose research i was covering, surveys of bird species shed light on population trends and habitat use to inform conservation efforts. alas, it seemed i had no choice but to face my fear.

for my first bird outing, i joined audrey albrecht, the shorebird biologist at sccf, and shorebird intern elsa wilson as they monitored the nesting activity of sanibel’s five pairs of snowy plovers. in addition to checking on the nests, they hoped to gain insight into the island’s role in sustaining the population of this state-threatened species. fortunately, these fluffy white birds roughly the size of a golf ball are no more scary than, well, a fluffy golf ball. 

at the beach, albrecht and wilson counted the eggs the plovers had laid and made sure the enclosures that protect the nests from people and dogs were still intact. flushing (or chasing away) the adult birds leaves the eggs vulnerable to overheating and being seized or eaten by crows, gulls and ghost crabs. the pair also picked up trash that can attract predators and fishing line that can entangle the birds. beachgoers should “remember that they’re a guest in the home of all the coastal wildlife that lives and nests on the beach,” albrecht said.

as we walked along the beach, albrecht encountered a double-crested cormorant that didn’t fly away as she approached. she was concerned it might be affected by red tide, a harmful algal bloom of the phytoplankton karenia brevis that produces a neurotoxic compound. this species, which fishes all over the region, serves as a canary (or, rather, cormorant) in the coalmine for red tide, albrecht explained. 

as she inspected the cormorant, it flew away, and with it the dilemma of whether to capture the bird and bring it to sanibel’s clinic for the rehabilitation of wildlife (crow) for treatment. when i spoke with breanna frankel, the wildlife rehabilitation manager at crow, in mid-april, she had seen about 112 patients with red tide symptoms so far this year, and all of them were shorebirds. these birds suffer a host of health impacts ranging from loss of function in their legs to tremors and twitching to total disorientation. “it could go either way for every single patient,” she said. “they walk through the door, and they maybe have a 50% chance of survival.”

we were all relieved the cormorant seemed to evade this fate. i was especially relieved to not be anywhere near a large bird being wrestled into a carrier.

as we piled back in the truck after a blissfully uneventful morning, i confessed my fear. “we won’t take you to see the terns,” albrecht replied. “they will dive bomb you.” 

with that very firm boundary established, i continued to join the team as they surveyed less… social… species. one day, i tagged along for a 3.6-mile leg of a monthly shorebird survey of the entire sanibel-captiva coastline and a breeding bird survey for the florida shorebird alliance to better understand declining shorebird populations. as she tallied a cluster of birds dancing in and out of the lapping water, albrecht pointed out the banded sanderling po3. i was immediately drawn to this bird because my french-canadian husband, pierre-olivier, often goes by po. when she told me po3 migrates to sanibel every winter from canada, i couldn’t believe it. 

“i think that birds connects us,” albrecht said. “people come here and they say ‘i’m from michigan,’ and i’m like, ‘okay, well, this little piping plover over here is banded, and it came from michigan, too.’ or our red knots connect us to people in central and south america because the same birds that are visiting our beach are going there. they connect us globally.”

as someone who had just migrated to the island myself, eating dinner alone every night unless my neighbor stopped by to chat through my screened-in porch, it was a comforting sentiment.  

we continued walking along the stretch of sand, which grew increasingly narrow until it gave way to a mangrove forest. “there used to be a beach here,” albrecht said. sea level rise and shoreline erosion are depleting shorebird habitat, and the construction of sea walls to protect infrastructure further restricts their nesting area, she explained.

we had just emerged from the forest when wilson pointed and exclaimed, “a rail!” without another word, she and albrecht took off, crouch-running in the direction of the bird. the clapper rail, i learned upon their return, is a secretive marsh bird that is often heard but rarely seen. “sorry, our bird nerd just came out,” wilson said. she told me she became interested in birding during the pandemic, describing the hobby as “kind of like pokémon go in real life.”

for someone who had actively avoided birds for much of my life, i was unintentionally making decent progress toward “catching ‘em all.” i added many species to my collection when i joined biological science technician avery renshaw for a wading bird survey at the j.n. “ding” darling national wildlife refuge. i could barely keep up with recording the identifications she rattled off as she scanned the landscape with her viewing scope, the far-off blur of feathers crystallizing as tens of distinct birds. as wading birds are an important indicator of the health and function of the estuary, the (hastily scrawled) data can be correlated with water quality measurements to help assess the impact of water management practices on the greater ecosystem, renshaw explained.  

as we strolled through the refuge after the survey, i recognized a lone bird perched on a branch, its wings half-outstretched like a glamorous celebrity being guided down a staircase by two dapper men on either side. in providing directions to her office for a meeting earlier in my stay, a “ding” darling staff member had said the door had an anhinga on it. i’d had to google it, expecting some sort of architectural feature, but instead seeing this bird with its striking stance.

i hesitantly asked renshaw if the bird was an anhinga. when she confirmed, i found myself eliciting a small fist pump. 

“i successfully identified a bird today! what is happening,” i texted my family group chat.

“maybe you’re going to be their friend,” my mom replied.

“next year, the big year!” my dad chimed in.

let’s not get carried away, dad.

i felt another twinge of excitement when albrecht told me the first snowy plover chicks had hatched. the next morning, i accompanied wilson to check on the chicks, whose miniscule size and camouflage against the white sand made them barely visible to the naked eye. many beachgoers were either entirely oblivious or overly eager about the new arrivals, both of which can lead to disturbances during their precarious first weeks of life.

one woman (who i’m fairly certain had come straight from the tipsy turtle bar) stumbled from the dunes at the back of the beach toward the water, threatening to plow through the chicks until wilson diverted her. while the sccf shorebird team erects enclosures around frequented foraging grounds, it’s impossible to rope off everywhere the chicks might go, wilson said. 

moments later, another beachgoer stomped over to the chicks, ogling as she hovered inches away. “ma’am, do you want to look through the binoculars so you don’t have to get so close?” wilson asked artfully. after admiring the newborn snowy plovers through the lenses and talking with wilson, the woman continued on her way, scanning the sand for any chicks that might follow as she walked, her footsteps cautious.

while they’re no match for humans, snowy plovers have the same instinct to protect their offspring. one pair that tried to encroach on another’s nest was promptly shooed away in an adorable little scuffle. “plover drama!” wilson sang, and i couldn’t help but feel a surge of fondness for this feisty, fun-sized bird. 

for my final bird activity, i joined “ding” darling staff members to monitor the nesting efforts of colonial nesting birds on the rookery islands that dot pine island sound. nests on these rookery islands face many of the same threats as those on the beach, as fishermen and recreational boats that get too close can flush the adults, leaving the eggs and chicks susceptible to predators and heat stress. 

at one island, the crew discovered a long trail of fishing line caught in the branches of the mangrove trees. fearing they would discover a bird ensnared by the line during the next survey, they removed it, trying to keep as much distance as possible. one bird started to flap its wings, though, and i immediately cowered.

i wasn’t entirely cured, apparently, and will probably always be afraid of birds flying within my personal bubble. but i made significant progress through this informal exposure therapy, appreciating the unique behaviors, personalities and stories of individual birds — from a distance. 

back in chicago, i descended the stairs into the l station, still giving the flock of pigeons at the entrance a wide berth. i perused twitter as i waited for the train, stopping on a tweet i would have scrolled right past before my time on sanibel. it announced the sudden death of monty, chicago’s beloved piping plover, which has since been attributed to a respiratory infection. 

i learned that monty returned to chicago the week before i did. i thought of all the people who knew this particular bird, who eagerly awaited his arrival at his wintering and breeding grounds, who were connected by his migratory journey. 

i considered the many threats monty faced — exposure to toxic algae fed by nutrient runoff, ingestion of plastic pollutants, shifts in the availability of food in migratory stopover locations due to climate change — and wondered if any might have contributed to his death. 

and i realized that, between the two of us, birds have far more reasons to be afraid.

in february 2021, while gw classes were held remotely due to covid-19, the university implemented a policy to eliminate single-use plastics on gw property. the policy guide states university affiliates should refrain from using university funds to purchase single-use plastics for which there are available alternatives.

the switch to reusable water bottles saves an average of 156 water bottles per person in the united states per year, according to earthday. the market for reusable water bottles was valued at 8.38 billion usd in 2020, according to grand view research, and is expected to grow in years to come.

the increase in popularity can inspire students to find stickers to encapsulate their personality, leading every water bottle to look different from the next. this act of personalization allows students to take ownership of their collective step towards more sustainable living.

liam macdermott, a senior at george washington university, said the personalized element to water bottles encourages students to make the switch. i asked him if he has seen a visual change on the gw campus since the plastics ban. 

“i have definitely seen a concerted effort to use recyclable or sustainable utensils in gw restaurants,” he said. “that was not happening my freshman year.” 

as a senior, macdermott’s perspective on the plastics ban is quite different than most; around half of the undergraduate students on gw’s campus this fall had not taken an in-person class prior to this semester, due to the switch to remote learning during the pandemic, and so have no reference point for the visible changes the university has made.

paige valego, a junior at gw who was on campus for a semester and a half prior to the single-use plastics ban, said she hadn’t seen many plastic changes on campus, though she may have noticed a change more significantly if the campus had a traditional dining hall.

indeed, gw’s dining plan poses a challenge in regard to the ban on single-use plastics. the university lacks a traditional dining hall on its main campus in foggy bottom and utilizes a “dining partner network” through which students use gw dining dollars at independent restaurants, grocery stores, and food trucks on campus. the university’s plastic elimination plan acknowledged the campus dining partners, and stated that the university will collaborate and encourage dining partners on or near campus to offer alternatives to single-use plastics.  

vallego explains that in efforts to live more sustainably on campus, she carries around a reusable water bottle and participates in sustainable gw’s student-led composting program. 

violet radmacher-willis, a sophomore, arrived on campus for the first time this fall. she finds being environmentally conscious at gw more complicated than at home in oregon, where she said an effort to live sustainably is common. she said that although using a reusable water bottle is probably the most popular environmentally-friendly effort shared by students, it is challenging to find refill stations. 

according to kimberly williams, interim senior associate at gw’s office of sustainability, the university aims to install refill stations in every residence hall and academic building. currently, there are 67 water bottle filling stations around campus. williams noted that she understands the lack of resources makes it hard to participate in this sustainable culture shift, so is hopeful that the investment in resources that the university is making is helpful to make that culture shift happen quickly and broadly.

radmacher-willis echoed this sentiment, saying, “i have hope that, because people are becoming more aware of the benefits of reusable material, that both gw and members of the community will turn to more sustainable practices.”

• here’s what happened so far at cop26, and what lies ahead. tune in to this 4-minute listen from npr’s dan charles to check in with the conference’s progress, published at the halfway mark of cop26.

• the cheap and easy climate fix that can cool the planet fast. at cop26, more than 100 countries signed the new global methane pledge with the goal of cutting 30% of their methane emissions by 2030. but why are methane emissions so harmful, and how big is the problem? what fixes could be done to reduce their effects? this article answers all your questions with easy scientific explanations and interactive graphs.

• 16 companies that are rethinking packaging. today at cop26, unilever is holding a panel on sustainable business practices, from biodegradable material in packaging to responsible business practices that respect natural ecosystems and reduce waste. food tank highlights 16 food and beverage companies to exhibit the industry’s various approaches to sustainable packaging.

check back tomorrow for more info on what is being explored at cop26 — and good reads to keep you informed!