“reading sea creatures & corals: a penghu story” (esri story map) is my love letter to the coral reef ecosystem and the organisms it supports in the penghu archipelago, taiwan. i collaborated with the foundation of pescadores citizens, a local ngo, to organize volunteer sessions on penghu’s main island for scleractinian coral rehabilitation.

while stationed on the island, i was inspired by the terns soaring through the sky and the sea turtles swimming freely in the ocean. this inspiration led me to write two short stories featured in the story map, looking into their challenges living under anthropogenic impacts. by the end of last summer, i had helped transplant over 90 coral stems with volunteers and mapped live coral coverage across five sites (2020–2023) on penghu’s main island and in south penghu marine national park for long-term monitoring efforts. the map integrates underwater footage, photography, film and digital photos, gis maps, and figures from the scientific literature to immerse the audience in the underwater world.

the story map is divided into five sections, beginning with my short stories on greater crested terns and sea turtles, an introduction to the biology of corals, and the restoration work i carried out with the ngo in penghu. my story raises awareness of the urgent need to preserve coral reef ecosystems and inspire a deeper love for the ocean.

click on the presentation below to read the full story!

milan, italy is recognized as a global leader in design, art, and business. in the city’s bustling center, one can see leonardo da vinci’s last supper alongside the fashion houses of prada and giorgio armani — all while cooling off with a cup of gelato.

but talk to the city’s residents and they’ll reveal a secret that will make you drop your spoon. behind milan’s glitz and glamor lies a difficult truth: the city suffers from the most polluted air of any eu metropolis, a status that threatens the city’s future.

numerous factors make milan vulnerable to elevated levels of air pollution. italy’s second-largest city is home to much of the country’s heavy industry and agriculture. both sectors produce substantial amounts of pollution from waste and burning. milan is also situated in northern italy’s po valley, a low-lying area surrounded by mountains that trap dirty air. with a lot of pollution with nowhere to go, milan’s unique economic and geographic features turn it into an air pollution pressure cooker.

polluted air isn’t just a cosmetic issue. valentina bosetti, a professor of climate change economics at milan’s bocconi university, notes that air pollution can have a lasting impact on our mental and physical health. the world health organization (who) agrees, stressing that exposure to particulate matter can increase the risk of strokes and heart disease. the american lung association echoes these claims, while also linking air pollution to higher rates of cognitive impairment and alzheimer’s.

it’s health concerns like these that compelled anna gerometta, founder of the milan-based nonprofit cittadini per l’aria (citizens for the air), to push for change. as an adult, gerometta recalls that she was aware of milan’s air pollution but didn’t give it much thought. that changed when her daughter experienced dermatitis and allergies that worsened with exposure to milan’s polluted air. newly motivated, gerometta threw herself into the issue of air pollution in northern italy and started cittadini per l’aria.

after founding cittadini, gerometta launched her groundbreaking no₂, no grazie! (no₂, no thank you!) campaign, one of the first air pollution citizen science projects in italy. gerometta began by gathering over 200 milan residents — a process she described as “not easy” — and helped them place small air quality sensors near their homes, schools, and workplaces.

she then collaborated with researchers to transform the sensor data into moving visuals. cittadini’s interactive maps show not just air quality, but also the estimated increase in hospitalizations, heart attacks, and other conditions expected due to pollution.

in 2023, the no₂, no grazie! campaign exploded to 1500 volunteers across italy, with a motto of sai cosa respiri? (do you know what you’re breathing?) gerometta’s success has won the support of international environmental organizations, with patagonia and wwf italy supporting her fight for clean air.

despite cittadini’s achievements, gerometta notes that air pollution remains an “invisible issue.” individuals can rarely see, smell, or feel particulate matter in the air — as a result, it’s easy to ignore. a generational divide also exists.

at a recent cittadini event, several young activists discussed their decision to leave milan because of concerns for their children’s health. however, the science surrounding air pollution has accelerated past the ability of researchers to communicate said science to people of all ages.

professor bosetti at bocconi university has witnessed this gap firsthand. bosetti is a leading climate change researcher, but she has often heard air pollution described as a “fifth-order problem.” she has since abandoned her air pollution research, describing the results as too depressing.

however, bosetti notes that progress is possible towards cleaner air. milan’s city government has already implemented notable changes: when air quality declines, the city introduces low emissions zones and lowers speed limits. but air pollution is not a tangible issue, and these measures have resulted in pushback from italian citizens.

this three-way tug of war between activists, the government, and the public can make the issue of air pollution feel intractable. the success of the no₂, no grazie! model lies in its ability to assemble disparate groups of people — including nonprofits, researchers, and citizens — to make a change.

in 2023, the city of milan sponsored cittadini’s data collection efforts. this raises the hope that the no grazie! campaign will be used not just to inform and educate, but also to improve local policy.

milan is a place that never stops running, as if the city is constantly indulging in italian espresso. but at night, the city’s tension fades. it’s times like these that i ask locals how they feel about the air. it seems everyone knows someone who has moved away because of pollution.

anna gerometta’s activist friends have moved. professor bosetti lost a colleague who became fed up with long stretches of unhealthy air. i’ll leave this city eventually, too, as part of a cohort of young people leaving partially due to pollution.

we aren’t alone. from mexico city to lahore, india, air pollution represents an under-discussed threat to public health.

if what you see concerns you, talking to a friend or neighbor can help raise awareness. for those looking to make an even greater difference, the no grazie! campaign offers a model as radically collaborative as it is impactful. it only asks us to consider a future of smog and respond: no, thanks. no, grazie.

there are countless examples of unequal access to the outdoors among marginalized communities. in the united states, communities of color are three times more likely to live in nature deprived areas than white communities. in this essay, i spoke with two individuals about their perspectives on access and diversity in outdoor recreation.

this essay also explores several organizations that are engaging youth and underrepresented communities in different forms of outdoor recreation to expand the circle of access.

click on the image below to view the full presentation!

biting back documents the efforts of an interdisciplinary team of scientists working at rutgers university (new brunswick, nj) to study the catnip plant’s usage as an insect repellent that could prevent the spread of disease. the team uses and develops approaches in disciplines including chemistry, genetics, and agriculture to harness the plant’s potential.

the film traces their scientific research and personal, human journeys as scientists. we seek to interest the broad public, and students in particular, in learning about who scientists are, what they do, and what drives them to dedicate years of their lives to a research project.

the calf began to propel the fluke of his tail and glided upward towards the surface. and all of a sudden, i found myself peering into the eye of a baby whale. it felt like stepping into another world — a moment of profound interconnectedness that brought tears to my eyes beneath my mask. to my surprise, the baby began to pursue me, while rolling, frolicking, and splashing. it felt as if he was smiling at me, and i could sense his curiosity and joy while we played. 

after what felt like 10 minutes but was really around an hour, we hopped back onto the boat. the captain guffawed in vicarious joy, as we rejoiced in awe about what we had just experienced. we called him ‘crazy baby,’ a name the captain said was fitting for a calf so spirited she’d only seen its equal once in 14 years. i couldn’t believe my luck: to connect with such a magnificent creature so intimately, to share a fleeting but unforgettable moment.

video by chloe malouf.

around two weeks later, in moorea, french polynesia, rachel moore, a conservation photographer and social media influencer, experienced a similarly incredible encounter with a 3-4 year old juvenile humpback whale, who she nicknamed ‘sweet girl.’

“in the six seasons that i’ve swam with humpback whales, i’ve had numerous encounters with curious whales, especially calves. however, none were quite like sweet girl,” moore said. “unlike many young whales, she approached humans with a calm, almost playful demeanor, allowing us to interact with her in ways that were both rare and awe-inspiring.”

however, on october 8th 2024, a boat presumed to be going six times the legal speed limit rammed into sweet girl off the main island of tahiti, severing her upper jaw off and inflicting hours of suffering upon her before she was euthanized. “at first, i didn’t want to believe it was her. it wasn’t until i saw the distinctive markings on her body that i was certain,” moore said. “when i realized it was her, i was utterly heartbroken. it was difficult to process the fact that this incredibly gentle, curious whale had suffered such a tragic end.”

sweet girl’s death sparked a newfound sense of urgency to reduce vessel speed limits in french polynesia during whale season, and moore spearheaded a petition calling for this measure. unfortunately, this tragedy is not an isolated incident. all over the world, whales are threatened by ship strikes, especially great whales (baleen and sperm whales).

whales face growing problems

experts estimate that around 20,000 whales are struck and killed by cargo, cruise, and shipping vessels each year. ship strikes are emerging as one of the primary threats to whale populations around the globe, despite being largely undiscussed. 

the reason for vessel strikes is simple: whales don’t see boats and boats don’t see whales until it’s too late to safely maneuver around them (or they just don’t see them at all). ship strikes occur most frequently in areas where human and whale activity overlap. increasing maritime traffic, vessel sizes, and ship speeds are among the leading contributors to whale mortalities resulting from ship strikes. by 2050, maritime traffic is expected to increase by up to 1200%, indicating this issue will only continue to worsen unless widespread mitigation measures are implemented.

see the map below to visualize the extensive overlap between global shipping routes and whale superhighways. 

the international whaling commission (iwc) has identified whale populations that are most vulnerable to/threatened by ship strikes, as seen below.

according to the iwc’s strategic plan to mitigate ship strikes, “human-induced mortality caused by ship strikes can be an impediment to cetacean population growth. populations of whales in the low hundreds of individuals are at risk of continuing declines even if only a small number of ship strikes occur per year.”

of particular concern is the status of north atlantic right whales, whose main threats are entanglement in fishing gear and ship strikes. “unless we get successful management measures, right whales will probably be extinct with your lifetime,” said david wiley, ph.d., the research coordinator for noaa’s stellwagen bank national marine sanctuary.

what’s more, as the climate is changing, whales are adapting, feeding in areas closer to coasts with more human activity, staying in areas longer than expected, and altering migration routes. kathi george, the director of cetacean conservation biology at the marine mammal center and an advisory council member for the greater farallones national marine sanctuary in california, speaks on this phenomenon below.

i spoke to george about public awareness of shipping collisions with whales. listen below:

“(the whales) didn’t evolve with industry. they don’t know to necessarily get out of the way of a ship when it is nearby. but they’re here to eat, and they’re going to go where the food is. and unfortunately, the food is in areas where there are high human activity,” george said.

current mitigation measures

research and monitoring is key to separating whales from vessels across time and space. we have to first understand where the whales’ critical habitats are located, how long they are staying there, and what migratory routes they are taking to get between them. this requires extensive research, international collaboration, and consistent funding.

in collaboration with dan zitterbart, ph. d., from the woods hole oceanographic institute, wiley’s lab is quantifying dimethyl sulfide (dms) abundance in seawater and using it as a predictor for right whale presence. dms is a sulphur compound produced by zooplankton called copepods, a key food source for several types of whales. dms acts as a sort of invisible breadcrumb trail that whales can follow, leading them to areas where food is plentiful. see how this works in more detail below.

surveying the prevalence of dms can also be used to predict the distribution and abundance of sei whales, which feed on copepods and are endangered.

higher efficiency in tracking whale movements paired with streamlined communication is especially crucial considering whales’ increasingly dynamic foraging behaviors. wiley provided an example of right whales suddenly switching habitats due to changes in copepod abundance.

during our interview, wiley expanded on the research around dms:

there are also monitoring efforts to map whale occurrence and identify hotspots where whales aggregate. developed by university of santa barbara’s (ucsb’s) benioff ocean science laboratory, whale safe combines marine science with technology to monitor whale occurrence off the san francisco coast and in the santa barbara channel. the program integrates whale sightings, acoustic buoys detecting whale calls, and a predictive model of blue whale occurrence. daily updates about whale activity in these areas are vital given the rapid changes in whale occurrence with the climate.

regulations on ships and moving shipping lanes

the best way to prevent ship collisions with whales is by separating them from ships entirely. the national oceanic and atmospheric administration (noaa) fisheries division implements various regulations to prevent vessel strikes of whales, shown below.

in our interview, wiley discussed re-routing measures on the us east coast. listen below:

mandatory approach regulations require vessel operators to maintain a specific distance, depending on the species, between their boat and any whales in the area. 

“vessel speed reduction is the most effective tool currently available to reduce lethal collision events,” a noaa fisheries spokesperson said. research shows that the probability of large whale mortality due to ship strikes jumps from 21% at 8.6 knots to 79% at 15 knots (vanderlaan & taggart, 2007). thus, noaa implements both voluntary and mandatory 10-knot vessel speed restrictions in areas designated as slow speed zones along the u.s. east and west coasts. 

aside from the united states, many other countries have similar mitigation measures. the world shipping council (wsc) created the wsc whale chart in november 2023, which “offers mariners, managers, and policymakers a survey of all (governmental ship strike reduction) measures, across the globe, ranging from speed restrictions, routing measures, and areas to be avoided.” 

outreach and collaboration with the fishing industry

most ongoing mitigation measures are voluntary, leaving it up to mariners and the shipping industry to comply, which poses some significant problems. to address this, noaa fisheries and other organizations grade shipping companies based on their compliance with voluntary measures. 

wiley discussed how noaa does this on the east coast and how effective it has been below.

the stellwagen bank national marine sanctuary has also piloted a new technology, using an antenna to send notifications directly to the ship’s ais receiver screen, informing vessel operators if they are non-compliant with noaa’s speed restrictions when inside seasonal management areas (smas).

“we’ve developed a method that we can send a message to a ship in an sma that’s going too fast. and, so it appears on their navigation screen that says, you know, you’re in an area that’s (about to be a) seasonal management area for right whales,” wiley said.

the system is designed to alert vessel operators, but it also allows wiley’s team to track compliance. “so if you send it out once and they don’t get another message, they’ve complied. if you send it 10 times, then they haven’t complied at all,” he said.

funding the notification system is costly, however, and wiley notes that despite the project’s success rate, widespread coverage across the east coast is not yet feasible.

“right now, we’ve got some money that noaa has provided, and we’re targeting particular locations. we’ve got a location in provincetown. we’ve got some along the mid-atlantic, new york, and new jersey. there’s a couple now in tybee island, georgia. again, we’re putting a few of these up, but the more the better.” – dave wiley, ph.d.

off the california coast, whale safe uses its vessel analytics platform, which is an automated system allowing near real-time tracking of vessel activity and was recently scaled all over north america, to grade shipping companies based on their compliance. since its launch in 2020, there has been a gradual increase in compliance in both santa barbara and san francisco. 

rachel rhodes is a project scientist at the benioff ocean science laboratory and leads the whale safe project. rhodes spoke on how outreach with shipping companies has contributed to increased compliance. 

using the vessel analytics platform, rhodes’ team works with the shipping companies to create plans to deliver weekly reports on their compliance. “our hope is kind of this exact example of our data could help companies make those changes if they want to,” she said.

the tool is free and accessible for vessel operators to see whale occurrence on any given day. the platform integrates three complex data sources into a whale presence rating, categorized as low, medium, high, or very high. 

meanwhile, kathi george chairs a work group for the san francisco harbor safety committee, adding guidelines for safely navigating around whales to the san francisco harbor safety plan. george works closely with the shipping industry to spread awareness, share mutual perspectives, and develop mitigation strategies collectively.

next steps

a recent study generated global whale distribution models and compared them with shipping activity to create a global estimate of whale-ship collision risk.

these alarming findings highlight that current management areas are dramatically insufficient to mitigate ship strikes on a global scale. barriers include a lack of coordinated multinational collaboration, insufficient funding, and low public awareness.

looking ahead, scientists like george are encouraging multinational collaboration to work towards expanded management areas for full coverage of risk hotspots. one recent example is the whales in a changing climate workshop hosted in january, 2024 by the greater farallones and cordell bank national marine sanctuaries.

the workshop brought together government representatives from across the eastern pacific basin, ranging from canada to columbia. the resulting plan emphasizes the importance of collaborative management of marine protected areas, harmonized data sharing, and increased investment in research and mitigation measures.

technology too, will continue to adapt. satellite detection of whales offers a new way to track movements efficiently, even in remote areas, and infrared cameras on ship bridges can detect whales earlier. 

another important step forward is scaling whale safe’s vessel analytics platform globally, especially to current management areas and high-risk ship strike zones. in doing so, researchers like wiley can better monitor compliance with speed restrictions and target conservation efforts.

while there’s still hope for reducing ship strikes, the stakes remain deeply personal. as i reflect on the urgent need for global action, i can’t help but recall crazy baby and his mom. revisiting the magical memories of our encounters, i find myself conflicted, torn between awe and trepidation. i lay restless at night pondering the haunting question: where are they now? did they manage to pass through the busy shipping lanes along their journey, like a thread through a needle? it’s unsettling knowing that i will never know their fate, but i will always maintain hope they both mother and son made it to their destination safe and unharmed.

the short film interdisciplinary innovation showcases the transformative power of collaboration while addressing environmental challenges. this conservation research project captures the efforts of an interdisciplinary team working on a diy water quality sensor initiative in madagascar. by uniting students from the institute for integrative conservation at william & mary, universities in madagascar, local community members, and conservation international, the project highlights a shared commitment to water conservation and sustainable solutions.

the film delves into the project’s innovative aspects, combining interviews with team members and partners to illustrate the initiative’s impact on both water quality and community empowerment. it emphasizes the value of cultural exchange, with careful attention to representing malagasy perspectives authentically.

this narrative not only underscores the technical achievements of the team but also celebrates the importance of cross-cultural collaboration in conservation efforts. interdisciplinary innovation offers an inspiring look at how collective creativity can drive meaningful change for communities and ecosystems alike.

now, gentleman will join the planet forward team as the education lead, where he will build and maintain strong relationships with our pillar and 2022年世界杯亚洲预选赛结果 schools and work to expand planet forward’s reach around the world. 

gentleman, who has a ph.d. in chemistry, brings to planet forward not only his immense experience in the scientific world, but also his work teaching scientists and others how to better communicate their ideas, research and findings with the public.

“we are absolutely thrilled to add darcy, with his expertise as both a communicator and a storyteller, to our team,” said kim ossi, planet forward associate director. “there’s nothing more important to planet forward than our relationships with our schools, and darcy’s going to take that engagement to a new level.”

“science and sustainability need to be as much a part of [societal decision making] as economic policy or urban planning or what type of government you want to have,” gentleman said. “it’s how we learn how to live, to have the life expectancies that we do, to use the technologies that we do. so whether people consider it on a daily basis or not, it is on a daily basis considered and applied in many of the things that touch us.”

gentleman graduated from the university of toronto in 1999 with a bachelor of science in planetary science, a degree program that he helped create, convincing faculty from the astronomy, physics, geology and chemistry departments to work with him on crafting the coursework. he went on to earn his doctorate in analytical chemistry from arizona state university in 2003, where he conducted nasa-funded research using spectroscopy involving fiber optics to measure salt content in water.

after finishing his research at arizona state, gentleman’s career pivoted to telling others about science and the impact that scientific research has on government policy and the public’s daily lives. as a managing editor at the american chemical society, gentleman shepherded editorial content for the journals environmental science & technology, and the journal of agricultural and food chemistry.

he later began offering science communication workshops to students around the country, eventually leading one for george washington university professor chris cahill’s class in 2018. cahill, who is now the chair of gw’s chemistry department, was impressed, and gentleman began teaching science communication as an adjunct professor of chemistry at gw in 2019.

shortly after gentleman started teaching in gw’s chemistry department, he had his first encounter with planet forward.

“through that work … i met, all across the university, as many schools and administrators as i could get a chance with, and that’s how i became exposed to planet forward,” he said. “so in that sense, i’ve been aware of and a fan of planet forward for five or six years.”

“a huge part of planet forward’s mission is to provide both the storytelling outlet and the instruction to students who know a lot and care about our environment, but who don’t necessarily have the skills yet to communicate that knowledge effectively,” said planet forward founding director frank sesno.

as an expert in science communication, gentleman said he is most excited about finding even more ways to bridge the gap between scientists and the public in his new role at planet forward. he explained that scientists aren’t always taught how to communicate their research to the public in a way that is easily digestible.

though he doesn’t agree with the notion that scientists aren’t good communicators, as is often believed by some outside of scientific circles; he contends that scientists are actually communicating all the time. whether it’s writing peer-reviewed research articles or reports to be shared with other scientists, the profession’s communications are often destined for audiences already familiar with core concepts. the disconnect, he explained, comes when scientific jargon is not clearly defined for a broader audience.

“if you’re speaking with a scientist who isn’t used to engaging with non-scientists, or hasn’t prioritized that, then it’s just not that understandable,” he said. “that realization has come into teaching science and engineering more and more, and that’s why the importance of science communications has gone up over the years.”

gentleman is confident that in his role at planet forward, connecting with students, scientists, and institutions across the globe, he can help both journalists and scientists become stronger storytellers about some of the planet’s most pressing issues.

”it’s very possible to tell a story about climate that has very little science in it whatsoever. it’s also very possible to tell a story that is entirely science and has very little human aspect in it,” gentleman said. “the thing that’s so exciting about environmental and climate reporting is that most stories are going to have a mix of both.”

gentleman’s role will include maintaining and growing university relationships and building enhanced curriculum for schools in the planet forward 2022年世界杯亚洲预选赛结果 .

“from a training perspective, whether it’s how to talk to a scientist to get useful content out of them … [or] teaching student correspondents how to ask the questions,” gentleman said, “we can help [students and scientists] find planet forward as a platform where conversations, stories and reporting can inform the growing examples of good science and give a voice to those who care so deeply about our environment.” 

dre pedemonte is “a writer at heart,” but never branched out into sustainable storytelling until she arrived at gw. she transferred to gw in the spring of 2023 and is majoring in english while minoring in journalism and mass communication. one of the first classes she took was sustainable reporting with professor frank sesno and john sutter in the fall of 2023. she was able to use her background as a commuter student to highlight stories from washington d.c. and the surrounding region, while dipping her feet into the water of sustainable writing.

in this class, students were broken up into teams to write articles about sustainability in the different wards of the district. she was assigned to ward 1, where her team wrote a piece about a local community garden that was facing closure due to lack of funding. “it was an amazing experience to go out into the field and speak with the community and local leaders,” pedemonte said. this story, along with many others in the course, were submitted to planet forward’s storyfest and pedemonte’s team’s story was nominated to be a finalist in the 2024 storyfest cycle. this sparked her initial interest in planet forward and furthered her interest in sustainable storytelling. during an environmental storytelling course in spring of 2024 professor jesse holland jr. introduced pedemonte to the frontline climate fellowship program during his environmental filmmaking course. with her growing interest in sustainability as well as new skills she learned from the course, she decided to apply for the fellowship. 

when pedemonte was accepted into the program she knew she wanted her final story to relate to the chesapeake bay, as pedemonte grew up visiting the bay throughout her childhood. she felt the chesapeake bay touches many states and affects many people and communities in the dmv, making it a topic many people can relate to. she decided her story would be a community-centered piece and she wanted to focus on latino stewardship across the chesapeake bay region. pedemonte wanted to tell the stories about the latino communities’ connection and relationship to the environmental and cultural significance of the bay itself.

the fellowship began on june 10th with a week-long master class on journalism. this week allowed the fellows to meet each other as well as the program mentors while being hosted by gw. the master class featured various workshops where the students learned how to frame stories, create multimedia pieces, and work with scientific and data-based story points. pedemonte saw the first week as “very rigorous, but it helped jump-start our stories and set the tone for the fellowship.” going into the master class week the fellows were assigned to have story ideas in mind. with these ideas they learned how to pitch a story and worked on fine-tuning their original ideas.

after the first week they went back into their communities in order to gather data and begin drafting their community focused stories. the fellowship also included a weekly meeting of the cohort of fellows as well as weekly meetings with their mentors. pedemonte said the research process involved “finding sources, reaching out to multiple people, as it can be hard to hear back, and reporting what they learned.” the last weeks included the wrap-up phase, focused on finishing up the stories and other media products.

at the start of the program each fellow was assigned one mentor to work with. however, they were able to speak with all the mentors in the program to get unique critiques and answer questions related to their stories. pedemonte felt her relationship with her mentor, eva sideris, was very organic and sideris gave her a lot of room to grow while pushing her storytelling abilities. sideris encouraged students to get out of their comfort zones, telling pedemonte, “you are all still students, and you still have so much to learn.”

pedemonte’s story, entitled “here and there: nuestro chesapeake,” allowed her to work with local organizations, including defensores de la cuenca also known as watershed defenders, to encourage, mentor, and inspire latino stewardship within the chesapeake bay. defensores aims to inspire an eco-conscious and diverse community in the chesapeake bay through events like fishing days, canoeing, and also lessons on topics such as water monitoring. pedemonte’s story focuses on highlighting how minority groups can empower restoration efforts in the chesapeake bay through community based organizations. 

having finished the fellowship, pedemonte and the other frontline climate fellows are looking towards the future. pedemonte says the skills she has gained during this program will benefit her immensely as she enters her final year at gw. additionally many of the fellows now are working to pitch the finalized stories they have created to external media outlets outside of planet forward. “throughout the course of this fellowship program, i not only worked with inspiring peers and mentors, but i was pushed to become a better environmental reporter. centering stories around the intersection of community and environmental injustices highlight the powerful community voices that need to be heard. with my finished project, i am proud to have been given the opportunity to do just that. while the summer is ending, i know i am looking forward to continuing my journey as a student, writer, and storyteller.”

this story was originally posted on the george washington alliance for a sustainable future.

according to the united nations, in 2022, two billion people worldwide did not have access to safe drinking water, and only 0.5 percent of water on the planet was usable freshwater. to help combat this water insecurity, we use desalination, a process implemented globally to increase the amount of fresh water available by removing salt and other pollutants from seawater and brackish water. desalination, while an effective method of producing freshwater, is not without its challenges.

the process produces brine, a waste product of highly concentrated salt water. but what if this waste product could be used to create something positive?

elizabeth north, ph.d., a scientist and professor at the university of maryland center for environmental science, and her team of researchers are currently developing a biomanufacturing process that uses brine to produce calcium carbonate, a chemical compound needed in various industries.

to continue reading, click on the full story below!

the research team is led by umces professor elizabeth north with co-principal investigator ryan hoover from the maryland institute college of art as well as collaborators from purdue university, salisbury university and facilitated solutions, llc. this project is funded by the national science foundation’s convergence accelerator (https://new.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/convergence-accelerator) program. launched in 2019, the nsf convergence accelerator builds upon nsf’s investment in basic research and discovery to accelerate solutions toward societal and economic impact.

mykal bailey is a rising junior at howard university. she is studying film and political science, and is a passionate advocate for environmental justice and climate solutions.

additional reporting by emma marold, rising senior at suny-esf, majoring in environmental studies.

this story was produced as part of the planet forward summer seminar in multimedia storytelling.

this year’s summer seminar cohort is covering a wide range of environmental stories, from examining how a conservation organization is expanding how we care for both birds and people by including a wide range of backgrounds and expertise, to the experiences of a penguin researcher in antarctica who has documented climate change, to a carbon capture scientific innovation for water desalination plants, and a collaborative mapping tools for resilience in the global south. the enthusiasm these students share for the environment and for telling stories creatively is truly impressive. importantly, none are journalism students yet they are eager to tell stories to increase public understanding.

“these students are passionate about the planet and determined to raise their voices and have a positive impact,” said frank sesno, founding director of planet forward. “they know that storytelling is a vital form of communication. it’s incredibly gratifying to see them weave data, text, and media to tell compelling, creative, and memorable stories about important environmental issues.”

my colleague, aaron dye, multimedia editor and producer at planet forward, co-taught the course. his leadership and passion for documentary filmmaking helped students envision how they could capture stories through interviews and bring creativity to their multimedia stories. “students are increasingly seeking to make environmental stories more engaging, more captivating, and better looking. by putting a camera in their hands and saying, ‘go make a plan to film this researcher and turn their work into a story,’ we’re helping to build all sorts of analytical and communication skills with the students.” 

each year, planet forward works closely with students from a variety of majors who attend the pillar and 2022年世界杯亚洲预选赛结果 schools in our network. this is the second year for the summer seminar, which is designed as a master class to deepen student knowledge of storytelling formats and environmental issues. pillar and 2022年世界杯亚洲预选赛结果 schools in the planet forward program include liberal arts colleges, state universities, historically black colleges and universities, public polytechnic universities, and graduate schools of environmental studies in the united states and the united kingdom.    

in the program, students paired up with a member of their cohort and worked closely throughout the week with the planet forward team, who provided deep expertise in journalism, storytelling, science and environmental communication, and multimedia skills. 

the week unfolded as a master class in environmental storytelling. the early part of the week included sessions on responsible reporting, including interview preparation, conducting the interview, and setting the stage with proper lighting and framing. 

students interviewed dr. elizabeth north, a professor at the university of maryland center for environmental science, who discussed her novel research on capturing carbon and improving air quality while addressing freshwater security. in another session, students interviewed dr. naamal de silva, vice president, together for birds,at the american bird conservancy, who subsequently led an urban walk focused on justice and equity. students captured the contemplative urban experience on video and in photos, learning to enrich the multimedia narrative of the story.

students maya teiman, of middlebury college, and shannon taylor, of the university of arizona and an indigenous correspondent program alum, explored the importance of mapping frontline communities affected by climate change. “i was surprised by how hard it can be to access data for mapping in different regions,” teiman said. the team highlighted the need for mapping as a solution for understanding how communities are affected by climate change worldwide, drawing from their interviews with experts like gwu geography professors dr. david rain and dr. richard hinton. “gis is a very strong tool,” taylor said, adding, “i believe that utilizing gis helps bring social and climate issues to light.”

students took over the podcasting studio for an audio interview with ron naveen, ceo of oceanities. teesside university’s danny nicholson, who worked on the story about the impact of climate change on the antarctic, said, “i learned from ron that as humans, we can learn a lot from penguins!” 

participants in the immersive seminar sharpened their media skills and gained a deeper understanding of environmental storytelling, leaving them well-prepared to complete their first multimedia story to include original reporting, video, audio, photography, and graphic design elements. 

planet forward will publish stories from the 2024 summer cohort throughout july and august.