foraging is the act of searching for wild resources to be used as food and/or medicine and is still practiced in cultures around the world today. as it becomes popularized by social media, we risk depleting these resources and disrupting the local ecosystem. while much of the content we see online can be entertaining and educational, there is a missed cautionary step that fails to highlight appropriate practices one should keep in mind when foraging. this article aims to educate new foragers on ways to harvest materials in ways that are both ethical and sustainable in order to protect the natural land.

according to botanologos school of herbal studies founder patricia kyritsi howell, foraging has become “much more mainstream in the last 10 years,” particularly in the culinary arts where incorporating wild ingredients is now trendy. she recalls a chef who took their team up to the appalachians and cleared whole areas, thus decimating the plants there. this is important to keep in mind as it can take years for plants to re-establish themselves, and we don’t know how their removal will impact the ecosystem of that area.

a limited understanding of foraging or “wildcrafting” can also set unrealistic expectations and lead to its misrepresentation. cara-lee langston, founder of wildcraft kitchen llc, notes that despite what you might see on social media, foraging is not a glamorous act where “women wear chiffon and run through the woods”. it is hard work that requires intention and patience as you must both care for the land you are taking from while also recognizing that it may take you the entire day to find what you are looking for, should you find it at all. “wildcrafting is an act of stewardship. it is not a trend, but a way of life,” she says. foraging is a slow, conscious act. use it as a way to connect with the land and those who came before you.

historical significance and ethics

be mindful of those who came before you. biopiracy, or the lack of crediting and compensating groups who have been using certain plants for generations either in cultural traditions or medicine, may not be an issue for small foragers, but whether you plan to sell what you find or keep it for personal use, it is important to acknowledge its historical and cultural values.

acknowledging the traditional or “heritable” knowledge that informs one’s foraging is an important part of the process for those who are not themselves members of an indigenous group. as an example to those living in georgia, the cherokee, an indigenous group originally from the area who were forced to relocate via the trail of tears, discovered the culinary and medicinal uses of hundreds of plants in the southern appalachians.

according to howell, the average cherokee individual could identify around 300 plants, while herbalists and healers in their communities could identify over 800. they treated their surroundings with respect, gathering with the land rather than off of it. a large part of their diet consisted of wild foods rich in oxalic acid which meant they were often afflicted with kidney stones and thus sought herbs to remedy stones and blood disorders.

it is also important to acknowledge that since pre-colonial times, foraging was – and still is – a way for people to survive. however, when land ownership and the idea of private property became established, racism and class discrimination kept many people out of areas that were previously left unowned and unregulated. these groups are still affected by racist and classist laws that prohibit foraging (particularly in state parks and urban areas) on the basis of land preservation.

make sure you have permission to forage on private property or places that require a permit. there are many areas where foraging is prohibited and even illegal, so be sure to check the legality of foraging in your area. additionally, howell notes that if you attend a foraging tour, you should not return to that area later and take plants without explicit approval from the area’s management or owner. this can lead to future issues with permissions for other foragers.

i do less teaching of foraging these days mostly because i’ve had situations where i’ve taken people on to private land, shown them what plants were there, and i’ve even had people go back on their own and dig up the plants and take them. so, i feel a huge sense of responsibility when i teach somebody that they’re going to have the same values in terms of protecting the plants, and that’s not always the case.

patricia kyritsi howell

state parks may seem like an enticing choice, but they do not grant foraging permits, and you would risk paying a hefty fine. instead, you can apply for a foraging permit from the forest service district office for national forests. you will need to disclose exactly what, when, and where you intend to forage. otherwise, make friends with local organic farmers and private landowners. where they see weeds, you might see opportunity.

i was at an organic farm down in south georgia some years ago and they had a whole field of okra and in the okra was all this passion flower vine growing. and i asked the farmer, ‘can i collect some of this because it’s growing in an organic setting’ and he was like ‘i will pay you to pull that out of there because it’s winding around the plants.’ so i have stopped and asked people, ‘i see that you have some of this, can i collect it off your land’ and most people have such a negative view of weeds that they just think it’s crazy that you want them.

patricia kyritsi howell

be respectful of the area in which you are foraging. when you are done or ready to move to a new area, leave the space as you found it with no trace that you were ever there. for those plants that were dug up, refill the hole and cover it with leaves or other forest debris. 

sustainable foraging

if you come upon at-risk plants, do not harvest. united plant savers defines these plants as those that are “heavily used in the medicinal plant trade and are becoming rare.” these are species that need protection due to dwindling numbers. download and familiarize yourself with a list of at-risk plants provided by the united plant savers, or visit your state’s department of natural resources website for additional information and guides.

“you can have plants that are locally abundant but threatened in the big picture,” says howell. for this same reason, until you observe a piece of land for a whole year, do not harvest. as howell told me, you don’t know how long a certain plant has been established, and you don’t want to uproot it before it has had a chance to gain its footing in that area. otherwise, reach out to management or more established foragers in your area to gain insight into the health and longevity of those plants you wish to harvest.

be careful not to over-forage. “for every six plants you see, you can take two,” says howell. just because it is available does not mean you should take as much as you want, particularly if using the root or bark. for these parts, you must be especially careful in your practices as the plant can be irreversibly damaged. however, as langston says, depending on the family, many plants can be propagated by root division or be replanted by saving and spreading the seeds. by replanting when possible, you ensure that the area will remain biodiverse and healthy.

for this same reason, when harvesting plants for larger production, do not forage them. instead, find a local grower so as not to deplete the wild population of plants. or, grow them in your own garden.

“typically, with something like, let’s say, black cohosh – which is actually protected – i don’t harvest that at all from the wild, i would cultivate it on my land, but if i wanted to harvest it i would pull it up, cut off the piece of the root that i want to use, and then replant a root with the shoot. it just depends on the family that the plant belongs to, because different plants have different methods of reproduction.”

cara-lee langston

use appropriate tools. ripping leaves and roots out of the ground can be harmful to the plant, and one should have proper collection and storage containers. bring a sharp knife for clean cuts, a cooler or water bucket, and an appropriately sized, easy-to-carry container suitable for this type of trip to prevent damaged or spoiled goods. this will prevent not only a waste of plants, but also a waste of a day!

pick your plants, parts, and purpose. read up on plants using field guides or plant identification books and start small. plant identification apps can be great, but may not be as accurate.

choose easily identifiable plants or those with few lookalikes. next, define your intentions ahead of time. decide which parts you are going to take, how much you need, and what you plan to do with the plants you harvest. will you cook it? turn it into a salve or tincture? use it to make a craft? the point is to avoid over-foraging and wasting unused plants. some common native plants in the southern appalachians include:

• jewelweed (medicinal, skin)
• chickweed
• cleavers
• yellowdock leaf (cooked young, dolma/stuffed grape leaf)
• wild grapes (fox grapes, august)
• persimmons
• queen anne’s lace – leaves
• elder berries and elder flowers (fritters)
• plants in the daisy family (basil rosettes, bitter herbs, spring, edible when nights are still cool, spinach pies, spanakopita)
• wild strawberries
• raspberry leaf
• buckberry (wild blueberry)

if the plant is non-native or invasive like dandelion, you can harvest freely. with this in mind, try choosing non-native or invasive plants to help the native population flourish. non-natives and invasive plants can still be eaten, used for medicine, or used for crafts, and you would be doing a service to the local environment by removing these plants. a great example is kudzu, which is native to parts of asia.

kudzu poses a huge issue in the south as it covers whole trees, choking out native plants and blocking sunlight. however, the young leaves can be harvested and eaten in the spring and the vines can be used in crafts and basketry (this makes it great for weaving foraging baskets!).

some other examples howell and langston gave included:

• english ivy
• rosehips (multiflora rose)
• japanese honeysuckle and japanese knotweed which can be harvested in spring
• bamboo shoots
• wisteria flowers
• kousa dogwood fruit
• flying dragon citrus which can be harvested in late fall or early winter. similar to lemons, the fruit is very bitter and sour and makes good tonic water.

mushrooms are easier to harvest sustainably as the main part of the fungi is hidden beneath the earth in a complex network. as langston explains, mushrooms are the fruiting body of the mycelium; a large, underground network of communication between trees and plants that passes nutrients and information. collecting what we see on the surface is like picking an apple, and will not harm the overall organism. mushrooms contain billions of spores and tend to regrow regularly; but while you can harvest everything you see in good conscience, be considerate of others who may also be searching for this type of mushroom.

“i don’t take all of everything, ever, personally. i like to consider, with mushrooms, other humans who may be interested in the fruiting body or other animals; wildlife.”

cara-lee langston

the biggest takeaway i received from howell and langston is that foraging isn’t a race, and shouldn’t be treated like going to your local supermarket. if you are foraging, you must act as a steward of nature. move slowly, with intention and thoughtfulness in your foraging process. take the time to connect with your surroundings and appreciate the plants growing around you.

helen isabella brose holds a bachelor of arts in media arts from the university of north texas and received her certification in medicinal plants from cornell university.

i knew that, if we ever wanted to make progress on these issues, systemic change had to happen, and that my actions alone (switching to reusable cutlery, grocery bags etc.) would not stop the massive scales of plastic pollution and global warming.

and while i couldn’t change this reality as one individual, i found hope in community. 

a student-led enterprise

during fall 2020, in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic, i met with peers over zoom for a course in social entrepreneurship at trinity university. we were tasked with addressing a global issue of our choice through creating a pitch for a student-led non-profit. along with my classmates and newfound friends– rachel poovathoor & shelby atherton– i ended up researching the issue of plastic pollution, reaching out to young people in countries around the world to hear their local perspectives.

our team ultimately settled on the idea for an educational non-profit. we knew that if we could provide students with an inspirational story and curriculum, they would be empowered to take on the future of sustainability.

and thus, faro: projects for global education was born 

faro is a social enterprise that writes children’s books and project-based curricula for elementary-age students. for learners in the san antonio area, faro also provides access to trinity’s makerspace for hands-on application of the curriculum, taking kids through the process of designing and creating something from recycled plastic they have collected.

but this did not happen overnight 

the three of us spent over a year learning the ropes of non-profit operations and management from successful social entrepreneurs and educators, our mentors gina pham and dr. katsuo nishikawa at trinity’s center for international engagment, and meghan cano.

we named our non-profit faro (“lighthouse” in spanish), hoping to shed light on global issues while staying rooted in community and avoiding the pitfalls of top-down solutions. with our beginnings in san antonio, texas, we knew we wanted to enact meaningful change at the local scale.

we defined our mission: to empower youth through project-based learning focused on global issues, inspiring them to think globally and act locally.

beyond lofty goals and theory, we focused on practice. 

this meant taking the time to meet with many teachers, librarians, and school administrators to find out their needs before crafting faro’s educational materials. 

rachel, head of curriculum development, worked on this process,

“i spent an entire summer working on this curriculum,” she said, “[…] how can my outsider/insider lens as student-now-turned-curriculum-designer make a curriculum that’s unique?”

talking to teachers, we realized our solution could also address an ever-widening funding and access gap in education, exacerbated by covid-19. teachers were stressed, having to be curriculum writers, and our materials could allow them focus on the art of teaching. 

leveraging connections, we were able to create a curriculum that teach for america’s san antonio director, nick garcia, called “just incredible” (quoted from rachel poovathor).

as a co-founder and head of book development, i managed creative projects from logo design to the process of the writing, illustration and publishing of our children’s book. we developed the story alongside community partners, including educators and a panel of cultural consultants from ecuador—the setting of our book Ángela and the plastic problem.

gaining momentum

next, we sought start-up funding at the louis h. stumberg entrepreneurship venture competition. 

in spring 2022, we underwent rounds of critique, training, and ultimately a pitch before judges and investors that won us $5,000 in seed funding and “summer accelerator” entrepreneurship training. 

we were doing it. despite the odds of a global pandemic and imposter syndrome, we were bringing education on plastic pollution forward and investing in a greener future. 

faro had inspired me. after graduating that spring, i went on to pursue a career in community development for social change and a masters in public administration.

shelby also highlights the role faro has had on her professional development, being in charge of non-profit operations in service of our mission.

“being able to affect my community and inspire others to learn more about plastic waste […] has been very rewarding!” she added.

what’s next

the summer accelerator culminated in a final pitch in fall 2022 to try to win $25,000, and while we did not win the grand prize, faro gained a rich network and advice from local entrepreneurs and startup incubators.

today, our non-profit continues to grow (joined by an additional founder, elena negrón, last summer and an education consultant last fall) and is now in discussions to pilot the curriculum in san antonio as well as with partner teachers in ecuador. our goal remains to be financially self-sustaining in the future through our book sales.

shelby continues to work as head of operations, while elena, rachel and i joined six other members on the board of directors last october. all of us continue to come up with new and innovative ways to provide accessible and empowering sustainability education.

while this project might seem like an impossible feat for a couple of undergraduate students, rachel has likened our process in creating this organization to what we ask students to do in the faro’s project-based curriculum:

“get curious, ask questions, and let yourself find the answer by trying and failing and trying again.”

and finally, if there is anything to take away from our story, it is you are never too young to get involved and play an active role in sustainable solutions.

faro– a registered 501(c)3 organization –operates in partnership with trinity university’s center for international engagement. their published book can be purchased on amazon and the curriculum found on their website. for more inquiries, contact us at info@faropge.org 

1. how to find the “right” person/ people to speak with for telling a story.

2. how to prepare for a successful interview and how to create a comfortable environment for interviewees.

3. how to take notes during interviews that best capture the essence of a conversation.

4. how to prepare questions suited for different interview types, such as celebratory interviews, informational interviews, investigative interviews, etc. 

5. how to navigate interviews with different indigenous community members, including tribal elders, elected officials, knowledge-holders, etc.

listen and learn

for the first half of the workshop, valerie shared with the indigenous correspondents the importance of being attuned to local needs, cultural values, and ethics when interviewing indigenous community members. 

“whether you are speaking with a tribal elder, a tribal historic preservation officer, or a knowledge-holder, you need to listen and learn before you start asking questions” advised valerie. as she explained, being sensitive to cultural nuances and knowing when not to ask questions is just as important as knowing when and what to ask, especially when working within indigenous communities. 

striking a balance between asking and listening, as well as knowing when to record and when not to record or share information, is especially critical in indigenous spaces when access to knowledge is oftentimes dependent upon cultural values unique to each community. for example, knowledge about the precise location of sacred or ceremonial sites might only be considered suitable for particular individuals to know, based upon their age, gender identity, and/or status within the community. with well over 574 tribes across the united states – many with different languages, unique cultural values, customs, and governance structures – journalists need to approach each meeting with humility to learn who has authority to speak on a given topic and what can be shared and discussed.

avoiding the extractive model

as valerie noted, knowing when to ask and when to slow down all comes down to building a space for comfortable dialogue to take place. as reporters and storytellers, we can show respect to the knowledge and experiences shared during conversations, as well as our interviewees’ time and energy, by asking the person or people with whom we are speaking what they are comfortable sharing, moving at their pace, and confirming precisely what information can be shared beyond the conversation (ideally at several points throughout the editing process before publication). 

unfortunately, journalism far too often runs on an extractive model wherein journalists are positioned as interrogators of sorts, seeking to extract information from interviewees with little or no regard for how sharing peoples’ stories might impact, or benefit the person themselves or those around them. as valerie acknowledged, a harmful power imbalance often exists between the interviewer, with their perceived ability to steer conversations through targeted questions, and the interviewee, whose stories, experiences, and knowledge are being taken and shared for profit. these power imbalances and extractive practices are rooted in western storytelling  practices, which historically are unidirectional transactions as opposed to two-way dialogues aimed at building mutual understanding and support.

in addition to western media’s focus on profitability, the extractive nature of most interviews is attributable to a mix of factors, including the demand for fast-paced, sensationalized stories, thirst for exposés that catch interviewees off guard, devaluation of non-academic and non-scientific forms of knowledge, and the decline of locally-based print media and journalists who historically served as a continued presence within their communities. these extractive and colonial journalism tactics not only produce less compelling narratives – but they can also harm indigenous communities. for example, when conducting interviews with a tribal historic preservation officer or other tribal officials, speeding through an interview and then rushing the content through to publication limits the ability of community members to respond in a culturally-appropriate review process that may require discussions to be had and approval to be gained by tribal leaders and elders.

providing ample opportunities for interviewees to ask clarifying questions, such as the intent behind asking a question, publishing a story, and who the interview information will be made available to – helps protect indigenous data sovereignty, which the university of arizona’s native nations institute defines as “the right of a nation to govern the collection, ownership, and application of its own data. it derives from tribes’ inherent right to govern their peoples, lands, and resources.” 

a good interview requires intense interest

valerie noted that long before conducting interviews, “reporters need to give of themselves, and spend time in a community… such as going to basketball games and community events, and just listening, before ever asking a single question for a story.” building connections and relationships with communities takes time well in advance of reporting, but is critical for building trust, greater understanding, and humility. by volunteering at a community event or being fully present to celebrate local accomplishments and meet with community members, storytellers also give of their time, energy, and/or expertise in return for the time and expertise community members give during interviews. doing so can help make reporting less extractive and more reciprocal. 

frank sesno provided complementary advice during the second half of the workshop, noting “you have to approach interviews with an intense interest in what the other person has to share – not just in the questions you hope to have answered. even if you don’t share perspectives or you’re not particularly fascinated by your interviewee’s area of work or study, find something about their story that you are compelled to learn more about and hold onto that interest throughout the conversation.” by focusing both on the interviewee’s story and the story you envision telling, stories are better able to evolve organically. 

frank explained how approaching an interview with a conscious goal or outcome helps frame the questions and the conversation. some interviews, he noted, are meant to gather factual information. others seek a personal perspective or analysis. still others may revolve around the accomplishments or impact of a featured personality and require the kind of detail and storytelling that makes for a great profile story. frank said that if interviewers have a sense of what they’re looking for – while still listening for surprises and pursuing the unexpected – they will prompt rich, focused conversations that can be respectful and genuine, inviting people to open up. that approach, frank pointed out, also supports active listening, genuine curiosity, and relevant follow-up questions that an interviewer should bring to every assignment. 

building skills to create meaningful stories

one of the core takeaways from the second ilíiaitchik: indigenous correspondents program workshop was the need for storytellers – especially those planning to work within and for native communities –  to approach interviews with humility, transparency, and clear intent.  rather than approaching interviews as unilateral opportunities for asking questions and note-taking, we need to see interviews for what they should be – balanced, multidirectional conversations where both parties have sufficient opportunities for listening and learning.

since many indigenous correspondents aspire to tell stories from their own communities, conducting balanced interviews takes on even greater importance. as indigenous storytellers, we hope to build and maintain relationships grounded in trust, respect, and reciprocity when doing communication work. to do this, we need to be aware and respectful of each community’s cultural and governance structures surrounding sharing information, as well as when it isn’t appropriate to ask questions. knowing when to listen is just as important as knowing when to ask for more explanation or to delve deeper into an experience or perspective. 

as indigenous correspondents, we aspire to tell stories that benefit and uplift our interviewees and their communities, whether through exposing environmentally unjust conditions and holding offenders accountable, or celebrating local ingenuity, artistry, and accomplishments. to be effective storytellers, we should always ask our interviewees what they hope will come out of sharing their information – being sensitive to community needs helps restore balance between the interviewee and interviewer. to maintain this balance, we also need to make clear the intent behind asking questions, where and when the information will be published, and who the audience will be. all of this is to say that interviewing is about so much more than just asking questions – it’s an art that requires adequate time, humility, active listening, and balance.

today, we talk about a fun and tasty way to combat invasive species by putting them on the menu. invasive species are organisms introduced into an environment outside their native range that cause catastrophic economic and environmental damage. controlling invasive species can be costly and time-consuming but including them on your plate could be a viable way to manage and even reduce populations. we share a fun and simple crockpot feral pig pulled pork recipe. 

feral pig pulled pork sliders – recipe courtesy of invasivore.org

ingredients

4lb feral pig shoulder roast

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

½ tablespoon garlic powder

½  cup yellow mustard

brioche slider buns

water as needed

directions

1. coat pork roast in mustard to act as a binder for the dry rub.
2. combine seasonings and spoon over the pork roast, ensuring the rub adheres to the pork.
3. coat the bottom of the slow cooker with vegetable oil.
4. add pork roast to the center of the slow cooker.
5. cook low for 6-7 hours or high for 4-5 hours until meat easily falls off the bone or shreds easily if using boneless. once the internal temperature reaches 195°f-205°f it will be ready to shred and safe to eat. 
6. while still in the slow cooker, use a pair of forks to shred pork meat, removing fat as desired.
7. enjoy on a toasted bun.  optional: top with coleslaw to enjoy your sandwich “southern style!”

**note: if you notice your pork roast getting dry during the cooking process, add water until the roast is halfway submerged and maintain the water level for the rest of the cooking.**

volunteer researchers, more commonly known as “citizen scientists,” are everyday people who lack formal training in scientific fields yet contribute to scientific work. citizen scientists, now more than ever, are volunteering and collaborating with university research labs and government agencies, like the national oceanic and atmospheric administration (noaa), by assisting with data collection and field research. 

shark scientists rely on the use of citizen scientists for data collection to monitor population growth and habitat shifts. local citizen scientists notice something’s amiss and contact the appropriate agencies and facilities. for example, californian citizen scientists noticed an influx of juvenile white sharks (carcharodon carcharias) in bays and along beaches within the last several years as their coastal waters warm. these juvenile shark populations were observed much further north than usual. 

salvador jorgensen, a research associate at the institute of marine sciences at the university of california, santa cruz, recently co-authored a paper in the journal scientific reports on this range shift of juvenile white sharks. the monterey bay aquarium led the research, and jorgensen and colleagues incorporated data that citizen scientists gathered.

juvenile white sharks are endotherms. they need to stay in water that is warm enough to maintain their core temperature but not too warm to elevate it, jorgensen explained.

“i kind of call it ‘the goldilocks zone’ for juvenile white sharks. it’s between 60 and 70 degrees [fahrenheit],” he said.

juvenile white sharks were mostly found in the warmer waters south of point conception, the headland where the pacific ocean and santa barbara channel meet, according to jorgensen. this is considered the point that separates southern and central california. however, during the 2014-2016 north pacific marine heatwave, juvenile white shark sightings reached unprecedented rates in central california. despite the marine heatwave ending five years ago, juvenile white sharks are still spotted along central california beaches.

kisei tanaka, a research marine biologist for noaa and lead author of the paper, said that the primary source of their data came from online open-access databases where people can use a website or phone application to take photos of a plant or animal for identification and upload the information to free public sources. scientists may even have the latitude and longitude of the species sighting if someone geotagged the uploaded photo with the exact location.

tanaka and jorgensen looked at the public access databanks along the california coast over the last five years to confirm the uptick of juvenile white shark sightings further north of point conception. then, marine scientists conducted their scientific survey expeditions looking for juvenile white sharks. the public access databanks utilized, like inaturalist, allowed the scientists to pinpoint which areas appeared to be the most juvenile white shark heavy, based on citizen scientist sightings.

“this [method of data collection] is very novel and effective in terms of capturing the change in the species distribution that weren’t affected by the scientific survey [our research team conducted] but may be able to be conducted at a much more local scale by more participants,” said tanaka.

 through the research described in their paper, the shark scientists determined that juvenile white sharks are moving poleward as their initial nursery ranges, like south of point conception, are too hot for their temperature-sensitive bodies. while rising ocean temperatures have been a concern to marine scientists for years now, citizen scientists quickly caught the attention of researchers with the influx of juvenile white sharks spotted further north and submitted to these databases.

“white shark is a very charismatic species that a lot of people pay close attention to, and they happen to be the one that responds to the climate very abruptly,” said tanaka.

tanaka discussed how sharks tend to capture the eye of the public which makes them one of the best species to use as a flagship for conservation initiatives regarding climate change. the international union for conservation of nature red list of threatened species categorizes white sharks as “vulnerable” and were last assessed in november 2018.

chelsea black is a ph.d. student studying marine conservation at the university of miami’s shark research and conservation program. as the shark satellite tracking coordinator, black monitors all their satellite-tagged sharks and verifying that the transmissions are accurate. she also works as the adopt a shark program manager. if someone donates the amount of a satellite tag, black assigns them their “adopted” shark. the donors can then name the shark and create an origin story of said name. the donors can then check up on their tagged shark at sharktagging.com.

before the covid-19 pandemic, black’s lab actively engaged the public to try more hands-on citizen science by having designated days where groups, such as corporate organizations or students on field trips, go on their boats and help with shark tagging. during these expeditions, citizen scientists get to measure sharks, attach a satellite tag to sharks, take a biological sample of a fin clip and write down field data. they even hold special expeditions where they take young girls out for tagging events with an all-female crew. the program is called females in the natural sciences (fins), and the goal is to excite young girls about shark science and demonstrate that science needn’t be a male-dominated field.

“it’s really cool seeing people come out on the boat with us who sometimes have never been on a boat, have never seen a shark. we will have people who are, you know, kind of afraid of sharks or are not sure what to expect, and by the end of the day, everyone is just like, ‘that was so amazing! i didn’t realize how calm sharks are.’ they’ll see us handling the sharks, obviously very safely, but without fear of the shark harming us,” said black.

for black, changing people’s opinions on sharks while contributing to scientific data collection is one of her favorite parts of working with the shark research and conservation program. she believes that informing and engaging the public in citizen science is crucial for shark conservation.

“we’re losing sharks at such a significant, you know, percentage each year that it will be in our lifetime that we will see species go extinct,” said 27-year-old black.

according to black, if you look at the data, there was a massive spike in shark killings after “jaws” came out in 1975. however, the rise in concern over sharks led to more shark research facilities. after over forty years of adverse publicity, white shark perceptions are finally changing for the better.

christopher lowe is a professor of marine biology, co-author of the juvenile white shark research paper, and has worked as the director of the shark lab at california state university, long beach since 1998. lowe said that for the first time in years, he feels hopeful about shark populations returning thanks to conservation initiatives. he feels that people are genuinely excited about protecting and celebrating sharks.

“i would argue that sharks are now as much a part of our [american] culture as baseball and the fourth of july,” said lowe.

lowe believes conservation citizen science is growing because people are interested in “reconnecting with nature.” according to lowe, some people want more than seeing a piece of nature at face value but to learn something about it.

white sharks are “apex predators;” they reside at the top of the food chain. they prey but are not preyed upon, and they remain a crucial part of oceanic ecosystem conservation by keeping all the other levels of the food web in check. if the apex predators disappeared, the ecosystem’s natural balance would fall. lesser predators would grow in population thus until their prey was depleted, leading to mass die-outs. by protecting white sharks, whole ecosystems are being sustained.

“if we are conserving ecosystems and we’re interested in health of the ocean, for example, we should be concerned with the health of all the species from the smallest, lowliness of phytoplankton all the way to its top predators,” said jorgensen.

with the popularity of a range of volunteer monitoring growing, marine scientists are feeling cautiously optimistic about the future. many shark species are returning to the american coasts. but for marine life, current conservation efforts may not be enough if the symptoms of climate change continue to worsen.

“it’s going to take the planet. it’s going to take everybody, and that is a bigger challenge,” said lowe.

the research says that if sharks, and marine ecosystems as a whole, want to persist, humans have to combat climate change. shark populations are shifting and reacting to people changing the planet explained jorgensen. as ocean temperatures continue to rise, it is up to humankind to save sharks from extinction.

1. look at how the area has changed over time due to climate change.

john sutter, a documentary filmmaker and national geographic explorer, spoke at the 2021 planet forward virtual summit on his current project. sutter used the visual history of one area to tell the story of climate change. sutter showed how the prized catch-of-the-day fish from the 1960s were larger and nearly unrecognizable to the fish we see today, through comparisons of photographs and documents from over the years.

2. talk to the people directly affected by climate change.

al roker, “nbc’s today show” weather forecaster, uses his platform to travel the globe and amplify the voices of those directly affected by climate change. as a member of nbc’s climate unit, he interviews those experiencing changing landscapes and weather phenomena in their backyard. during the summit, roker highlighted the importance of having your environmental storytelling represent and reflect your diverse audience.

3. listen, explain and interpret the data for your audience.

phoenix mayor kate gallego battles the effects of rising temperatures 145 days of the year where her city faces temperatures in the triple digits. gallego’s goal is to shape climate-friendly policy while implementing safe and protective measures for her citizens to combat the heat. by collecting data on phoenix’s annual rising temperatures and creating projection models, gallego incorporates the information into a city-wide objective of making phoenix a “heat ready city.” by informing the public on what the data and the models indicate, phoenix residents can better prepare while phoenix city officials implement protective measures to help alleviate the threat of phoenix’s scorching temperatures.

4. feature voices from younger generations.

it is essentially common knowledge that the younger generations will bear witness to the worst climate change has to offer. for planet forward student contributors william walker and adora shortridge, they use their platforms to inspire hope and shed light on fresh ideas on methods of combating climate change. during their question and answer session with summit host, frank sesno and george washington university’s national geographic visiting professor of science communication lisa palmer, walker and shortridge discussed their research on playground temperatures in arizona. by highlighting younger voices and showing the impact they create, a more personal connection can be made with younger members of your audience.

5. connect climate change to current events and trends.

the final keynote conversation of the summit was with newly appointed environmental protection agency administrator michael s. regan. regan is the first black man to lead the department, and an alumnus of north carolina agricultural & technical state university and george washington university’s trachtenberg school of public policy and public administration. regan’s position at the environmental protection agency connects a story about climate change to politics, health and much more. if the goal is to make climate change more relevant to your audience, connect it to other issues and topics your audience may find relevant or interesting. ultimately, climate change affects everything.

specifically, edralin wanted to focus on food insecurity within the context of covid-19. her piece profiled the green bronx machine, a nonprofit organization that seeks to build healthy, equitable, and resilient communities through inspired education, local food systems, and workforce development.

edralin had pitched the topic for her short documentary because she had crossed paths with the founder of the green bronx machine at a conference in milan, italy, years ago and decided to reach out to see how they were handling the covid-19 pandemic in their classrooms.

the process of completing this film took about two months. we had to reshoot a lot because of minor details we would notice after we’d reviewed our footage, so this process required us to pay close attention to detail — and utilize a lot of patience! however, looking back now, we’re glad we took our time with it.

there’s a lot more to creating a documentary than just picking up a camera; creating a documentary is an art form that has a long process, but the final product is worth the effort. 

—

as two 20-somethings watching our food bills rise, we thought little of the food waste produced. it was just one of the growing sources of money sapping lifestyle inflation we had. we were adding convenience foods, eating out, and generally doing what two middle-class americans do once they’re out of school and starting careers: spend! as our budget ballooned, so too did our carbon footprint and waste.

but what if we could rethink our relationship with food in a way that would cut waste and save money?

food and individual empowerment

many ideas we think about on planet forward are nuanced, distant concepts. we don’t personally have much direct control over them. but, there is something we all individually do that has a real effect on the environment, society, and even our own wealth. we eat, and sometimes not with great efficiency.

it’s been close to a decade since we started looking — bleary-eyed with student loan debt — at our finances and the consumerism that blew holes in our budget. we’ve been fortunate to turn the tide, and then some, through lots of small purchasing decisions along the way. 

while writing about financial independence as one of a duo of 35-year-old early retirees, i’ve spent copious amounts of time researching how to reduce our grocery expenses. reducing food waste became a central theme of our expert guide to saving money at the grocery store.

ultimately, we cut our monthly grocery expenses from $575.80 to $339.85 in 2019 — a more than 40% savings.

in the process, we found the fortunate side effect of a reduced carbon footprint and a dramatic drop in food waste. put in place our strategies and do the same today. cutting food waste can lead to favorable outcomes for society and the environment.

it can even save you money — and you have full control over it.

reducing food waste can save you money

when food is wasted, so too are the resources used to produce that food.

an average u.s. household spends about $5,850 per year on food, according to the aaea.

reducing waste is an opportunity for households to directly improve the environment and strengthen their own financial position. while landfills are overflowing with wasted nutrition, food banks run out of resources to provide for those in need. in the time of a global pandemic, those most vulnerable tend to be those most in need of resources like food banks.

food waste in the united states

the average u.s. household wastes 31.9% of the food it purchases. consumer‐level food waste was valued at $240 billion in a single year, according to the aaea. the average u.s. household loses $1,866 on wasted food per year, according to a recent penn state study. this food waste is all-encompassing within a household: groceries, restaurants, and fast food. 

the money you might be wasting in the food you throw away

penn state’s study is based on u.s. households, which the census defines as 2.5 people. that means there’s $746.40 per person, per year or $62.20 per month in wasted food for just one person! cutting your personal food waste in half could put enough money into your budget for your netflix subscription and cell phone bill combined. not to mention all the knock-on effects to the environment.

so what can you do?

it’s easy to say we can reduce our food waste to help the environment and ourselves. but what actual steps can we take to make this change? here are five ways to reduce food waste and save money.

1. rethink what a meal is

if you’re like me, you grew up with a dinner plate that was nicely divided between three sections. it was a little pie chart of meat, a “starch,” and hopefully a vegetable. eggs were for breakfast. cereal was a complete meal. sandwiches with cold cuts were for lunch.

it doesn’t have to be that way. it can be any way you want, you’re an adult!

you don’t have to eat meals the way that we’ve decided they should be in the last 1% of the timeframe of human existence (and 1% is very generous). your goal is to satiate yourself and provide adequate nutrition, at a reasonable cost.

2. rethink your diet from zero

that doesn’t mean you need to switch to a diet of rice and beans. but, it does mean you should rethink your diet: start from the ground up rather than trying to remove things from your current diet. consciously add dishes that meet nutritional requirements along with foods you enjoy! devise how they can fit into your meal plan.

if you couldn’t care less how you eat it, identify the healthiest ingredients at the lowest cost, stick them in a blender, and go to town. kale and peanut butter in a smoothie? i mean, have you tried it? 

no one said you have to use a fork!

3. don’t let time be the master of your meals

you can eat dinner things for breakfast. leftover beans from last night’s dinner? mix them in with your eggs! just because you don’t normally eat green beans with your breakfast doesn’t mean you can’t. 

if you’ve run out of your typical breakfast foods, don’t force yourself to run out and restock the eggs just because they’re the normal accompaniment. challenge yourself to incorporate the beans with breakfast instead. you’ll help prevent your leftover food from going to waste and make your tongue a little more flexible.

having flexibility in your diet and your idea of what a meal is will permit you to be more efficient by maximizing your food use and reducing waste. flexibility saves you money, and not only with food.

4. don’t buy bulk when you don’t eat bulk

i don’t know about you, but our household is just two people. we’re decidedly averaged sized, too. i don’t know why we so often wind up with “family-sized” multi-packs of oatmeal that might be intended to feed horses. actually, i think i know why.

for years, we’ve read those repetitive “10 grocery tips to save money!” type of articles. they typically include:

• buy in bulk

• pay the lowest per unit/ounce price

here’s the thing. that’s great starting advice when you’re just trying to get an idea of how to save money on groceries. but, if you’re not in a household of four people, bulk buying could be more expensive. we’ve followed that simple starting advice and wound up with more than our fair share of big-bottle condiments sitting in the bottom fridge shelf slowly changing colors. 

i thought ketchup was supposed to be a brighter red?

here’s the advice when you’re concerned about your food budget and waste: buy what you need!

put that optimizing part of your brain to work on figuring out how much of the product you actually use over time. purchase the size that’ll be consumed before it begins to crawl out of the fridge on its own.

reduce waste, save money.

5. grocery price-shop online; avoid driving

most grocery stores have their in-store pricing available online either through their website or app. if the brand itself doesn’t, you might have luck getting an idea of the prices by using contracted shopper services like instacart (though their prices tend to be marked up a bit). this also lets you compare pricing with online grocers like amazon or boxed from the comfort of your home.

if you want to get the absolute lowest price for your grocery list and are willing to make multiple trips to do it, do your price comparisons online. 

generally, it’s probably not worth it to go to multiple locations (especially when a car is involved) to save a few extra dollars. if you can live in an urban environment that’ll let you walk to pickup your food, that makes it easier to locally price-shop.

save money and improve the environment by reducing food waste

altering your perceptions of what a meal can be, when to have it, and not giving into marketing hype will let you rethink what food means to you. using the tactics outlined in this article, along with a few extras focused on reducing costs, let us save over 40% on our monthly grocery budget while eating a healthful diet.

a pleasant side effect has been a much lighter trash bag with barely any food waste in sight. it’s taken us some time, but our grocery spending reduction has lead to more efficient use of resources and a small improvement to the environment we had full control over.

you have the ability to make the same changes as we did, today. you can add to your wealth while taking less from the world around you.

what do you intend to do to help solve food waste in america? reach out to tictoclife on twitter with your ideas!

i gotta say, this all sounded pretty enticing to me and my own newborn b.a., but sydney was adamant that she doesn’t have all the answers (dang it!). yet, as i enter the workforce, during the second unprecedented economic crash i’ve seen since learning long division, i’m satisfied with any study guide i can get.

sydney said it herself: “a lot of millennials and older gen-z people, we’ve been through two recessions, which is not easy at all, and i kind of always knew that when i was in school that, first off, i was in a field where getting a job is extremely competitive. it’s very hard to find a full-time journalism job right when you’re out of college. that’s just, like, bottom line. no matter how good you are, no matter how many experiences you have or whatever, it’s hard.”

you can find my entire conversation with sydney on planet forward’s instagram tv and, for those anxious about their own futures in media, freelancing, or advocacy, i’m more than happy to let you copy my notes. 

1. get to know your values.

when searching for opportunities, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the different avenues available, and the possibilities of where they might lead you geographically, professionally, or personally. when navigating these intersections, it’s good to use your own values as a compass. however, finding these values can often be an adventure all its own.

“when you’re transitioning into adulthood, it’s kind of hard for a lot of us to detach, like, the feelings, the expectations that have been put on us by the people that have raised us,” syndey said.

take time to pin down what success looks like to you, rather than to others (even those who matter most!). once you know what drives you, the destination is easier to find. be patient with yourself as your goalposts are likely to change.

“that was something that i’m still dealing with today,” sydney said, “… is figuring out who am i truly and what are my values as sydney greene, not as my parents, not as my friends, not as my grandparents.”

2. get to know your niche.

beyond knowing what you value, you should also pin down what others value you for (and this is certainly the part that brings me the most anxiety). however, it’s helpful to shift the thought process from a question of, “what are my skills?” to, “what are my interests? what subject do i feel most at home covering? what do people associate with me?” sydney said she finds knowing her “brand” especially helpful when reaching out to editors to pitch ideas.

“i think knowing the stories that you’re passionate about, knowing the issues that you’re passionate about, and then creating a niche inside the passions is really important because when you are pitching something to someone or you’re just reaching out to an editor you can say, like, ‘hey!’ instead of doing a general pitch or hello, you can let them know, ‘here’s what i do. here’s the work that i’m interested in. if you need any gaps filled in your coverage that include these topic areas, i’m here for you,’” she said.

when you have an understanding of the specific knowledge and skillsets you possess, own them.

“do not be afraid to promote yourself, y’all,” syndey said. “like, do it. run with it. be proud of the work that you do, be proud of who you are, and promote yourself.”

3. don’t be afraid to change course.

as important as it is to know yourself, it’s just as important to understand that who you are, what you want, and what you’re interested in are always changing. even if you’ve dreamed of something since elementary school, it might not be the right choice for you now. sydney experienced this firsthand when she shifted from her dream of being a full-time reporter to pursue advocacy work. yet, she made this transition by reassessing her values and, from there, breaking down what drew her to journalism in order to steer her toward her next move.

sydney said, “when i knew i was not going to be doing [journalism] full time, i had to peel back the layers and think, ‘ok, what about journalism really interested me from a young age and how can i still maintain that passion into a different role?’ and that was storytelling, at the bottom of it, it was storytelling. luckily, i was able to take that storytelling into the different jobs i do now.”

your skills and interests can translate into a variety of different roles and industries, and there is no shame in switching things up.

4. you’re not in it alone.

graduating from college, especially into the current state of the world, might feel a bit like free-falling from the nest and hoping that you can figure out how to use your wings before reaching the ground. while you likely do have more responsibilities and less structure than you’re used to, you also have support systems to turn to. 

for sydney, mentors have helped guide the way. she recommends seeking mentorship from people in different professions and across different age groups who will each be able to relate to you and speak to your experiences in different ways.

“i think it’s really important to have a lot of mentors across the board, whether that’s professional or whether that’s personal,” she said. “having allies in general that advocate for you, whether that’s inside the workplace or outside the workplace, is incredibly important.”

also, remember that wherever you are now, you have learned lessons that can benefit someone else.

“i always say, you know, pay it forward,” sydney said. “even if you’re two or three years older than someone and you don’t think that you have something to offer, you absolutely have something to offer. so, make sure just as you’re getting that advice from mentors, make sure you’re paying it forward and helping the people who are also up and coming like you were at some point.”
 

to keep up with sydney, check out her website here.