despite iceland’s outward celebration of the puffin as a national icon, the tradition of hunting these birds persists. this practice is primarily driven by cultural heritage and the financial lure of selling puffin meat to restaurants for tourism, according to save puffins.

“puffin hunting in iceland was once considered sustainable, but now scientists say it is absolutely not, and it still contributes to 10% of the puffin population decline,” said puffinologist jillian taylor in the podcast ologies with alie ward.

“people used to rappel down cliffs to get their eggs, which were considered a delicacy. since puffins only lay one egg per season, that was really harmful for the population,” said angelica bas gomez, a marine and environmental scientist.

“i’m very against selling puffins in restaurants because very few people around were raised with it, and it’s not something you eat every other week. it’s more of a traditional food, eaten once or twice a year,” said saevor erlendsdottir, an iceland undersea specialist.

puffins as part of history

for centuries, puffins were more than just a picturesque part of the landscape — they were a lifeline. particularly in iceland’s past when nutrients were scarce, puffins were a significant food source.

“seabirds, not only puffins, were a necessary food item when you live in a place where there’s very little food” said michael jackson, an expedition leader for lindblad expeditions.

“puffins used to be a diet of icelanders because people needed to survive,” said tua pittman, a cultural navigator with lindblad expeditions.

but as iceland modernized, so too did its relationship with these birds.

“as soon as sheep were imported, people consumed (fewer) puffins. and by learning from the herring people’s history that overhunting isn’t a good thing, they started to protect them,” said pittman.

yet, this respect towards puffins alone hasn’t been enough to counteract the powerful forces threatening their populations.

what do warmer waters mean for puffins?

“the collapse of the puffin population was due to not only hunting but also warming seas and overfishing the fish they feed on,” said erlendsdottir.

“killing their food resource is a big factor,” said taylor.

sandsíli (also known as sand lance) is the primary food resource of puffins. as a result of overfishing since the 17th century, these small, silvery fish that puffins depend on are becoming increasingly scarce, forcing the birds to travel farther and expend more energy to find food — often with fatal consequences.

gomez expressed her concern about the warming water. “we’ll see a trend in species that prefer cooler waters migrating further north as the water gets warmer. but eventually, they’ll run out of places to go, leading to environmental pressures where only the birds that can adapt to the warmer temperatures will survive,” she said.

social forces working together

on the island of heimaey in the south of iceland, a self-organized group of citizens called the “puffling patrol” help lost puffins in the town find their way home. juvenile puffins are known as “pufflings.” 

“with so much light pollution in the city, puffins can mistake those light sources for the reflection of the moon reflecting on the sea and become disoriented to fly into town, and that’s dangerous,” erlendsdottir said.

“children with their parents, and the police, would go looking around the town for these puffins, collecting them in cardboard boxes, as many as 50 a night, and then finally throwing them off the cliffs back to the sea,” she said. “it sounds brutal, but it’s actually doing something nice.”

“throwing pufflings off cliffs is part of helping them. some go the wrong way when they fledge and end up in cities. puffling patrol helps get them back out to sea,” said taylor.

scientific research also plays a pivotal role in these conservation efforts. one critical method researchers use is the banding of puffins with small anklets.

“the anklets are small bands placed on puffins to help researchers identify individual birds and monitor their behavior, social interactions, and movements within the colony,” said jackson. 

“the bands are designed to be as non-intrusive as possible. they are placed on the puffin’s leg away from any joints to ensure they do not hinder the bird’s movement or cause discomfort,” taylor said.

“puffins generally do not pay much attention to each other’s legs,” she said, explaining that the anklets do not affect how the puffins interact.

these efforts are not limited to rescuing pufflings. locals are also taking direct action to protect puffins’ nesting colonies.

“people are trying to keep puffins away from their predators like arctic foxes, rats, and big birds like fulmars by setting up fences and waving hands in their habitat land,” said pittman.

an optimistic future for puffin conservation

despite the challenges, there are glimmers of hope that the tide may be turning for iceland’s puffins. “the puffin stock is coming back strong. it’s not doing as badly as it used to be. the biggest proof of that is the number of pufflings,” said erlendsdottir.

gomez also expressed her views on seeking a balance between puffin conservation and preserving cultural tradition.

“i think humanity has to accept that we have to use natural resources, but it is important to find a way to make it sustainable,” she said.

students this year will create multimedia stories covering water issues, protection of our planet’s incredible biodiversity, the ways that conflict between stakeholders impacts environmental policies, and much more. in addition to showcasing each students’ creativity and depth of research, the stories will also capture their dedication to examine the change-makers, organizations, and innovations that 2022年卡塔尔世界杯官网 .

members of the planet 世界杯欧洲预选赛免费直播 program go through an application process in order to be selected and represent their schools. this year’s applicants were particularly competitive and the students you see below have already dedicated considerable time and energy to this topic that informs every facet of the human experience.

i am thrilled to not only introduce our correspondents but also welcome our expanded editorial team which now includes planet forward senior editor and education lead anneliese palmer to the correspondent mentorship role, as well as eli kintisch, george washington university ted turner professor of environmental media.

we can’t wait for you to read, watch, and listen to these students’ upcoming work and keep track of what this generation of inspiring and motivated storytellers are publishing. their voices are needed now more than ever and we can’t wait to bring you their insights. 

click on the profiles below to read each correspondent’s bio and stay tuned for more stories!

senior correspondents

eva kotobuki sideris

planet forward sr. correspondent | california state polytechnic university, humboldt

ciara thomas

planet forward sr. correspondent | tuskegee university

correspondents

kenneth andrews

planet 世界杯欧洲预选赛免费直播 | texas tech university

kunjal bastola

planet 世界杯欧洲预选赛免费直播 | northwestern university

abbey leibert

planet 世界杯欧洲预选赛免费直播 | suny environmental science and forestry

paul leoni

planet 世界杯欧洲预选赛免费直播 | george washington university

des lewis

planet 世界杯欧洲预选赛免费直播 | florida state university

danny nicholson

planet 世界杯欧洲预选赛免费直播 | teesside university

maggie rhoads

planet 世界杯欧洲预选赛免费直播 | george washington university

devin santikarma

planet 世界杯欧洲预选赛免费直播 | middlebury college

mykah scott

planet 世界杯欧洲预选赛免费直播 | tuskegee university

farron taijeron

planet 世界杯欧洲预选赛免费直播 | university of guam

maria jose vargas

planet 世界杯欧洲预选赛免费直播 | middledury institute of international studies

montalvo was nine years old when his family left mainland ecuador and relocated to the island chain. throughout the course of his life, he spent the majority of his time closely connected to his surroundings.

“we grew up with this gyre in our heads,” montalvo said. “watching sunrises and sunsets, temperature, the water… and you pay attention to the animals. they have no fear. they don’t care about us. you can sit there in silence and watch the movements, the conversations they have.”

montalvo said his fine-tuned senses provided him with the skills to venture out into the world and view it from a perspective he says is only possible when in complete silence. 

“we all have our senses, but most of the time we just don’t really work on them,” montalvo said. “we are constantly talking, constantly hearing noise. we have walls. but if you’re silent, like, really silent and close your eyes, you can feel the direction of the breeze, the pressure and temperature. it’s like information is constantly coming at you.”

according to the galápagos conservancy, about 80% of the land birds on the island chain, 97% of the reptiles and land mammals and more than 30% of the plants are endemic. more than 20% of the marine species in galápagos are found nowhere else on earth.

starting his work as a naturalist at 35, montalvo has spent 21 years working alongside nature, taking every opportunity to learn from and envelop himself in its wonders. now 56, he is ready to hand in his badge and return to his two daughters in tampa, florida. 

for the most part, montalvo said he is saddened by this phase of his life coming to end but says there is one thing that he is relieved to be avoiding: the next el niño.

according to the national oceanic and atmospheric administration (noaa), the el niño-southern oscillation (enso) is a fluctuation in sea surface temperatures, typically characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures. since the start of the 1900’s, the earth has seen roughly 30 el niño events, with the two of the most devastating events happening in 1982 and 1997. 

“i saw them both,” montalvo said. “i barely remember the first one, but the second one, i remember very drastically. and it was brutal, not just in the galápagos, but you saw it in many other places.”

much of marine life in the galápagos saw a considerable decline following the 1997 to 1998 el niño event, according to the galápagos conservancy. 

according to noaa, this particular el niño event was one of the most widely and closely followed climate events of the century. species such as the galápagos marine iguana and the galápagos sea lion experienced population declines between 80% and 90%  due to the unusually warm water temperatures and dwindled food supply.

“it was awful,” montalvo said. “there were dead bodies everywhere you looked.”

according to montalvo, this el niño represented a growth in the severity and the resulting impacts on animal life in the galápagos. but he said his biggest fear is what the future will bring, and when. he is certain that there is an event much larger, far more catastrophic to come.

the most recent el niño event that began in june 2023 reached a peak strength 2.0 °c above the 1991 and 2020 average, according to the world meteorological organization. this intensity ranks it among the five strongest el niño events on record, though it was less than that of the 1997 event.  

with the transition into la niña estimated to begin late this summer, montalvo said the cyclical pressure that leads to the build up of el niño could indicate a significantly larger event than ones that have occurred in the past 20 years. 

“that is gonna be disastrous,” montalvo said. “i could feel it because we were supposed to have la niña a while ago. we’re overdue.”

many conservation-based organizations have pushed for advancements in climate-response monitoring protocols. the world wildlife fund, for instance, has suggested establishing an early warning system that can detect the impacts of climate change on the ecosystems of the galápagos. 

other organizations such as the galápagos conservation trust, an organization dedicated to supporting the conservation efforts on the galápagos islands, work to limit any increase in invasive species, an issue often perpetuated by el niño events. 

in his time as a naturalist and in the galápagos, montalvo has learned to cope with the rawness of nature. the good and the bad. he feels deeply for the well being of the animals but understands at the same time that we as humans must allow nature to take its course. 

“it’s not easy to digest death, but it’s part of the galápagos systems, and we’re just here to learn,” montalvo said.  

the threat of a devastating el niño lives with montalvo, but has never swayed his dedication to the preservation of the islands. to montalvo, the galápagos islands are a place intended to teach humans the beauty of coexistence. 

he said he continues to hope for the prosperity of the islands, regardless of the tribulations of nature; and said if there was one thing a visitor can learn from visiting the islands, it is that harmony between the wild and human life is possible.

“these islands are a haven,” montalvo said. “i am glad to have been a part of something so big for human kind.”

editor’s note: lindblad expeditions, our planet forward storyfest competition partner, made this series possible by providing winners with an experiential learning opportunity aboard one of their ships. we thank lindblad expeditions for their continued support of our project.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

editor’s note: lindblad expeditions, our planet forward storyfest competition partner, made this series possible by providing winners with an experiential learning opportunity aboard one of their ships. we thank lindblad expeditions for their support of our project.

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

to continue reading, click on the full story below!

editor’s note: lindblad expeditions, our planet forward storyfest competition partner, made this series possible by providing winners with an experiential learning opportunity aboard one of their ships. we thank lindblad expeditions for their support of our project.

to continue reading, click on the full story below!

this story was supported by the planet forward experiential learning fund.

oceanites’ research is a pioneer in giving us a glimpse of how climate change is altering the landscape and the behaviors of these species. semi-annually, oceanites publishes the state of the antarctic penguins (soap) report. this provides data for major stakeholders such as the commission for the conservation of antarctic marine living resources (ccamlr) and a foundation for climate crisis awareness and outreach.

oceanites research and unique portrayal of penguins as avatars helps illustrate how humans may or may not adapt when the warming of the planet comes our way.

in the sound bite below, naveen discusses his research into how tourism may be having an impact on antarctica, and the stark damage climate change doing.

i think counting penguins is pretty darn sexy and cool and neat and wonderful!

– ron naveen

in the most recent issue of the soap report, they recorded a total of 6.12 million mating pairs nesting across 740 antarctic sites. the report demonstrates that chinstrap and adélie populations continue to decline, while gentoo populations continue to increase.

a multitude of factors impact the viability of penguin populations. some of which include the availability of food, a safe environment that is free of disease, and the ability to healthily and steadily reproduce. without assurance of all of these factors, the penguins populations may be forced to migrate to different parts of the continent, change their diets, and change where they are finding food.

the penguins really are teaching us, sending us messages, if you will, about how our planet is changing.

– ron naveen

the clip below features naveen describing how he learned to be more open to being educated by the penguins after monitoring four crucial vitals that both humans and penguins share.

after nearly 30 field seasons in antarctica, naveen has been a firsthand witness to the changes of the landscape. in the last 70 years, parts of the antarctic continent have warmed on average significantly, with the antarctic peninsula now 3 degrees fahrenheit warmer than pre-1950 records. this is ahead of the global rate of warming which has risen 2 degrees fahrenheit, since 1850.

this subsequently causes a change in habitat for penguins. on the other hand, this also causes the emergence of new areas that were once inaccessible due to ice formations. and it is ultimately penguins who suffer from this change in environment. by reducing the amount of habitable area for penguins, population will naturally drop, it also means reproduction is hindered too, as there is less room for egg fertilization by the male penguins as the females hunt for food. seeing new areas crop up that were once inaccessible may seem like a good thing on the surface, but it too has a negative impact on the penguins as they have to traverse new unfamiliar environments.

i can walk beaches now that i couldn’t walk 40 years ago. the ice has receded or calved away. i’ve seen huge penguin colonies shrink by a half or more. it’s pretty upsetting, actually.

– ron naveen

here, naveen recounts the huge changes he has seen in his time exploring and researching antarctica and how some penguins are adapting to the new climate, while others are suffering.

despite the mounting challenges that naveen sees antarctica and the penguins facing, he is not giving up on seeking solutions. in the last two years, oceanites has revolutionized their data collection techniques with the help of drone imagery. their current technique uses these images to hand count the penguins. oceanites is in the process of developing an algorithm that will allow computer programs to automatically count the penguins from the images produced by the drone. this technology could allow for a greater amount of data to be uploaded to the organization’s database at a much faster rate, thus making it more readily available to stakeholders who rely on this data.

even with promising breakthroughs in data collection and research, there is still an emotional toll naveen faces. for this lifelong researcher, the penguins make him think of the future for his own children and grandchildren. according to naveen, what we see happening in antarctica is a sobering glimpse of what the future for humans could look like.

below ron speaks on the emotional toll his research has had on him and the difficult changes he has has seen first hand, but also explains what we must do to keep making progress.

i would like everybody to know that being with penguins is very special. it makes your heart thump through your parka. it brings a big smile to your face. smile, think about penguins, think about saving the planet.

– ron naveen

but after decades of work, naveen doesn’t plan on slowing down, and he isn’t the only one. penguin conservation is an effort being led by many people, and the collaborative hard work of naveen and others continues to support the wonderful world of penguins.

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 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.