in the san fernando valley lies a model for urban farming that could change how vacant land can be transformed across los angeles. follow founders elliott kuhn and alexys romo as they recount the origins of cottonwood urban farm, its partnership with black thumb farm, and the impact they’ve had in panorama city. if you are interested in creating strategic partnerships to uplift community building, love gardening, or want to hear a feel good story about the magic of sharing resources, cottonwood is for you!

a long standing presence of the us military on the island of vieques, puerto rico has left its warm, turquoise waters and sandy, beach getaways tainted by ammunition waste and chemical contamination leaving spirited residents and restoration task forces to pick up the shrapnel.

in 1941, the u.s. navy purchased 27,000 of the 33,000 acres that comprise the island of vieques. for nearly 60 years, the viequenses people “coexisted” in the crossfire between the divided training areas on the 50.8 sq mile island, roughly the same area as the city of las vegas.

following the death of a civilian navy employee, david sanes in 1999, civil unrest ensued, eventually leading to the departure of the us navy presence in 2003. however, the navy left the island peppered with remnants of undetonated bombs, pfas chemicals, uranium, mercury, napalm and more. all of which are toxic materials known to have serious effects on human health along with generational impacts on the health of island youth.

caught in a crossfire: life on the island

the navy’s departure followed years of persistent displays of civil disobedience by viequenses. before that, residents on the island lived an alarmingly close 8.7 miles from the “live impact area” where military jets, traveling between 500 and 1,300 miles per hour, trained for high altitude bombing on the easternmost part of the island. according to author katherine t. mccaffrey, an error in four seconds of fire from a ship could land up to 14 or 20 miles from the target, while a four second error from an aircraft pilot could drop a bomb up to 50 miles from a target. 

local vieques resident, elda guadalupe carrasquillo, grew up during the navy’s occupation and recalls the windows of her grade school classroom shaking during active munitions trainings. carraqquillo was raised on various army bases before settling in vieques with her family around age 10. “when i was in a real military base, even though i saw a lot of military things, there were no actual live practices like here in vieques,” she said.

despite carrasquillo’s familiarity with the events that occur on a military base, she affirms these training sessions were “too close” for the safety and comfort of residents. today, carrasquillo works with an agro-ecological farm on the island, la colmena cimarrona, and is a middle school teacher. in addition to the violent nature of living so close to these “live impact areas”, residents also suffered from legacy pollution due to the chemical and material shrapnel. 

rates of cancer amongst viequenses are 31% above that of the rates of cancer on the main island along with 4 times the rate of hypertension amongst residents. coupled with this, pollutants like agent orange, depleted uranium, and pfas have leached into the island’s soil, groundwater, and air leaving residents vulnerable to exposure through a variety of mediums.

“we don’t know how contaminated our underground water sources are,” carrasquillo said. she also noted that a large majority of students on the island require individualized educational plans due to learning disabilities which recent studies have found links between cognitive development and pfas exposure.

uxos and remediated sites: successful strides in clean-up efforts

in 2005, the island was placed on the national priorities list, as a “superfund” site — one that requires investigation and clean-up by the u.s. government. today, several locations around the island have been successfully remediated to become recreational spaces for islanders and tourists.

a notable site from the eastern sect of the superfund sites, the puerto ferro lighthouse was constructed in 1896 by spanish colonizers. the lighthouse lies within the 535 acres that comprise uxo area 15, an unfortunate title that refers to the presence of unexploded ordnance like bombs and bullets on the land. despite the contamination, the scenic area on the southern coast of vieques overlooks a bright blue coastline and slopes upward as you move inland.

the area around the abandoned structure is home to a thin forest of mangrove trees, lagoons, and salt and sand flats. but in just one year, over 23,000 explosive bombs were dropped on these coastal hills. in 2013, the us navy initiated priority action to facilitate public access and to encourage recreational and commercial activities at puerto ferro and the surrounding beach areas.

the area was investigated for munitions and explosives of concern anywhere from 1 to 4 ft below ground surface level. the area was ultimately remediated seven years ahead of schedule, and upon completion provided public access to formerly restricted areas as well as educational kiosks and monuments for visitors to interact with.

moving to the western sect of the superfund sites, former open burn/open detonation sites (swmu 4 and uxo 16) were also successfully remediated ahead of schedule to provide further public access to recreational spaces like the beaches around the island. several pieces of munitions were removed from the site, however, not all were recollected. despite this, a 2018 remedial investigation report found the likelihood that these munitions were still physically present in the area was improbable.

balancing the health of the land and the people

a large part of the uxo sites on the island have been remediated, and are in the concluding or monitoring stages of the clean-up process. while numerous sites still remain around the island, within the next decade, most of the entire island is expected to be remediated.

nonetheless, carrasquillo expects challenges and uncertainty ahead. “we know it’s never going to be completely clean and maybe it’s not going to be usable for what the viequenses need,” she said.

still, carrasquillo characterizes viequenses as “resistant,” embodied in the peoples’ continued advocacy for their own health and the island’s environment. following the clean up of munitions around the island, she hopes to see the island begin to restore its emotional and mental wellness through strengthening their relationship with the land stating, “if we can heal our land little piece by little piece so we can also be healthy, maybe we can help vieques recover.”

“we are just trying to feed the world,” said rafael riedel, overlooking the eternal city of rome at the un food and agriculture organization (fao) headquarters. riedel, a 24-year-old southern brazilian farmer, is acutely aware of how climate change and rising costs are impacting global food producers. at the 2024 world food forum (wff), an international conference on agrifood systems transformation, he hoped to bring this knowledge from farm to forum. 

riedel’s attendance at wff was part of a leadership programme for young farmers funded by the world farmers organisation. when reflecting on the conference, riedel recalls a lack of farmers and economists in expert panels to communicate the challenges of sustainable agricultural techniques. his perspectives are informed by his lived experience in brazil, where agricultural expansion is often scrutinized by the international community for driving large-scale deforestation of critical habitats like the amazon.

rafael riedel: a proud farmer

riedel is a seventh-generation farmer from the southern brazilian state of mato grosso do sul, where his family has operated cattle ranches and farms since the 1800’s. today, his family’s farm is an organized company (sapé agro) that practices cattle ranching, dairy farming, poultry production, and commercial crop cultivation. after experiencing life outside the farm through school and work, he has come to embrace his identity as a farmer. 

for riedel, land is life, and expansion into undeveloped areas offers new sources of production and profit. for instance, since riedel was young, his father expanded their operations from 500 to 7000 hectares, increasing the farm’s revenue tenfold. yet, cattle ranching, small-scale farming, and soybean cultivation are the primary drivers of deforestation in the amazon, implicating farmers like riedel in global conversations on forest conservation.

“i am proud of being a farmer, and that is something i learned how to do. most of my outfits i use farming boots, because that is just who i am and what i am used to and what i always did. for a while i was ashamed of that, but then i realized that is what i liked. that is me.” – rafael riedel

to cultivate or conserve: agriculture in the amazon

the agribusiness sector has been a contentious topic of economic, political, and environmental debate in brazil. for instance, former president jair bolsonaro, who served from 2019 to 2023, encouraged agricultural expansion in the amazon by defunding enforcement agencies, loosening restrictions on livestock farming, and attempting to shift decision-making powers over indigenous land away from indigenous peoples.

while current president luiz inácio lula da silva has decreased deforestation rates in the amazon from a 15-year high to a five-year low, almost 20 percent of the amazon has been destroyed by illegal cattle ranching and logging, infrastructure development, and soybean production in the past five decades. with increasingly severe wildfires and drought, the rainforest is nearing a dangerous tipping point of 25% deforestation, in which it could transition into a dry grassland, resulting in large-scale biodiversity loss and carbon release.

regarding protected areas like the amazon, riedel notes the difference between legal and illegal farming. as a legal farmer, he follows brazil’s strict forest code, which requires landowners to set aside a portion of their land for native vegetation, in addition to mandating reforestation of illegally deforested areas. in southern brazil, producers like him must conserve 20% of native vegetation, while those in the legal amazon must conserve 80%. but, legal farmers like riedel, who actively conserve land as they expand production, say they risk being misunderstood as the illegal cattle ranchers and soybean farmers driving deforestation. 

for marco ribeiro, a brazilian forestry engineer, slowing habitat loss in the amazon requires increasing regional enforcement mechanisms and overcoming entrenched political opposition and economic interests from the agricultural and logging sectors. “faster prosecution of violators is essential to maintain the credibility of enforcement, alongside closing loopholes such as the 2008 amnesty clause,” he said.

the loopholes ribeiro is referring to include sections of the 2012 forest code revision, which lessened restoration requirements and forgave fines for landowners who illegally deforested before 2008. to him, this unintentionally encouraged further deforestation by signaling leniency and disincentivizing compliance.

a study published in pnas revealed substantial economic payoffs to producers who deforested illegally before 2008 and determined that the costs of restoration represented an untenable financial burden on new farmers. according to ribeiro, “limited technical and financial resources often hinder adherence creating barriers that should be understood and resolved through fairer and more inclusive policies.”

ribeiro also calls for greater collaboration between farmers, governments, and international organizations in implementing sustainable farming methods.

“collaboration between local communities, government agencies, and international stakeholders is essential to balance economic development with environmental preservation. if implemented alongside initiatives promoting sustainable land use and economic incentives for conservation, these measures could significantly reduce illegal deforestation in the amazon.” – marco ribeiro 

riedel “gets the chills” thinking about the fines and environmental consequences of illegal farming in the amazon. he too calls for direct collaboration with farmers to better balance agricultural expansion with habitat conservation in brazil and beyond.

bringing dialogue from farm to forum

at the world food forum, riedel had one mission: reorienting discussions about agrifood systems transformation towards the needs and constraints of producers. to him, framing organic farming and agroforestry in terms of their economic and practical benefits to farmers will accelerate conservation-friendly agriculture in regions like the amazon. 

“if it is cheaper, if it makes sense in the long term for the farmer, if it makes economic sense and it’s sustainable, that is an opportunity for dialogue. if you say to someone with low margins and high costs that it is not going to benefit you in the long term, it is not going to give you any more profit, that is not going to work. not just for farming, but for everyone.” – rafael riedel

riedel recalls how agroforestry was met with skepticism by brazilian farmers but eventually embraced due to its long-term benefits, including lower energy costs and less chemical inputs. on his own farm, riedel produces organic fertilizer due to its cost efficiency. “we did it because it was cheaper and because we could take some resources from the dairy farm and use it on the soybean and corn,” said riedel.

in addition to organic fertilizer, riedel also incorporates sustainability in other ways, including rotational farming, no-till practices, and solar energy as cost efficient opportunities to decrease inputs and expand long-term productivity. marco ribeiro agrees that pragmatic sustainable farming approaches for and from farmers require stronger recognition and reinforcement in international agrifood dialogue.

 “strengthening cooperatives, creating platforms for dialogue, and encouraging partnerships with governments and international organizations would ensure that these farmers’ contributions are integrated into strategies for transitioning agrifood systems. this inclusive approach would align global efforts with the realities of those on the ground.” – marco ribeiro

riedel’s wff attendance was an opportunity to foster dialogue at a crucial turning point in brazil’s agricultural policy. these efforts extend beyond the amazon to less-protected areas like the brazilian cerrado, which experienced a  45% surge in forest loss in 2023 due to soy and beef production. according to experts like ribeiro, farmers are at the frontlines of both environmental protection and agricultural expansion, cultivating strategies for conservation-friendly food systems. while challenges in agriculture land management persist, farmers like riedel are simply asking for the platform to share their stories.  

“it’s part of what we are doing. sharing our stories and letting the world know what we are doing. come to a farm. come visit us. we will receive you with open arms. just come to a farm and see.” -rafael riedel

joe christo, who helped lead the city’s recovery efforts, said the storm was a wake-up call to the dangers of sea level rise. the hurricane cost the city $19 billion in damages, according to a report by the new york city comptroller. 

christo now works as managing director of the stone living lab, a boston-based partnership between the university of massachusetts boston’s school of the environment, boston harbor now, the city of boston, and other state and local environmental groups.

“a sandy-like storm will hit here,” christo said about boston. “and we want to try to be as prepared and ready as possible.” coastal communities are most at risk when sea level rise combines with high tides and a severe storm like sandy — the triple threat that slammed manhattan. 

to the north, about one-sixth of boston sits on landfill, making it particularly vulnerable to sea level rise. this vulnerability is made worse by sea levels rising faster — scientists predict about 1 inch every eight years. at this rate, by 2050 boston could see over a foot of sea level rise compared to 2016.

as part of the climate ready boston initiative, the city developed coastal resilience plans for all 47 miles of its coastline. the plans include developing coastal parks, raising harbor walks, building seawalls, and adapting waterfront buildings, with a focus on completing projects in high flood-risk areas by 2030.

the stone living lab’s goal is to scale up nature-based approaches as a defense against sea level rise. 

“a traditional vertical seawall works against water, and nature-based approaches work with water,” christo said. “water’s always going to win, so you want to be working with it and be able to absorb and adapt instead of trying to fight against it.”

nature-based approaches include restoring salt marshes, building oyster reefs, protecting sand dunes, and building coastal parks. christo said these approaches protect the shorelines and also bring co-benefits, like increasing biodiversity and sequestering carbon. 

most recently, the lab has been testing out a living seawall and an erosion prevention project. the hope is that these projects can provide compelling evidence for the benefits of nature-based approaches so that they can become more mainstream. 

“we want these lessons to be applied to other coastal areas throughout north america and throughout the world,” christo said. 

the stone living lab’s nature-inspired seawall

in east boston’s harbor, a handful of snails, two mussels, and species of algae are nestled into the crevices and divots across the surface of concrete panels installed on a vertical seawall. 

the species are able to call this spot their new home thanks to the living seawalls pilot project, a nature-based solution spearheaded by the stone living lab that turns traditional seawalls, usually devoid of life, into a space for marine biodiversity. in october, panels were installed at two existing seawalls in east boston and the seaport. 

the 40-pound, 2-by-2-foot panels were 3d printed to mimic natural habitats along the shoreline. they were installed along the intertidal line of the seawalls to be submerged at high tide and exposed at low. the whole project cost $400,000, according to christo.

the panels are regularly monitored by a group from project partner umass boston for changes in marine life, with portions of the seawall left without panels to serve as a comparison. 

jarrett byrnes, the project lead and associate professor at umass boston, said seawalls are an inevitable part of combating sea level rise, especially in urban areas where space is limited. but a slab of concrete or stacks of granite blocks is not ideal for marine biodiversity. 

“what we are trying to do with the living seawall project is create a habitat for native biodiversity to survive and thrive,” he said. “we’re trying to turn what is a win-lose into a win-win.”

the panels provide a rocky intertidal habitat — places with shade and moisture where species like mussels, crabs, and algae can thrive.

although it’s the seawall structure that protects against rising waters, byrnes said it’s possible that species growth on the panels could dampen wave action, a potential added benefit. 

byrnes is excited to know what the surface of the living seawalls will look like in a year. he predicts that because each panel is uniquely textured, different species will thrive on certain panels. 

“as we continue to armor our shorelines, i’m hoping that this is going to be one arrow in our quiver of making sure that coastal armoring doesn’t mean reducing nature,” he said. 

installing cobble berms across massachusetts’ coast

a strip of cobblestones along the coastline may look unassuming in massachusetts, where rocky shorelines are common. but these strips of 3- to 10-inch sized rocks, otherwise known as cobble berms, protect against sea level rise and storm surge. 

cobble berms are often naturally occurring on rocky coastlines. stones are pushed toward the back of the beach by waves, forming a berm, or a flat strip of raised land. the berms absorb wave energy and protect coastal banks and dunes from erosion. 

seawalls often have waves crashing over them and can cause erosion to the beach in front of them. cobble berms act differently. 

“if you think about a cushion, the cobble berms will move and act as a cushion to some of that wave energy, as opposed to say, a concrete seawall,” said kirk bosma, a senior coastal engineer at the woods hole group. 

the stone living lab, in partnership with the woods hole group and massachusetts office of coastal zone management, recently launched a cobble berms monitoring project. several man-made berms and enhancements to natural ones were installed at six sites across massachusetts, including one in boston. 

over the past two years, research staff partnered with the stone living lab have regularly surveyed the berms. 

data is still being gathered, but from preliminary findings, bosma said that in all six locations, erosion was reduced in areas behind the cobble berms. the data also showed an increase in species richness between cobbles and near the cobble berms, and further analysis is underway. 

“there is some added benefit beyond what they are able to do from a resiliency perspective,” bosma said. 

bosma hopes to install a pilot cobble berm in boston for an in-depth study. he envisions testing out different designs with varying shapes and sizes of cobbles, as well as tagging the cobbles to see how they move over time. 

“we’re learning … what mother nature wants to do to provide resilience,” bosma said. 

the exact locations where sea turtles have lived for generations are in danger due to rising sea levels, deteriorating beaches, and more harsh weather. we explore the difficulties these animals encounter in this comic, including how storms and warming temperatures are changing their environment and driving them to extinction.

but amid this crisis, there’s hope, as sea turtles continue their struggle for survival. this story serves as a call to action and a reminder that our destiny is linked to that of sea turtles. come learn how climate change is affecting these beloved animals’ futures and what we can do to help preserve them.

click on the image below to view the whole story!

due to climate change and outside influences, giant clam populations have been declining around the pacific. in response, local communities and governments have been working together and across borders to restore their numbers.

earlier this year, the national oceanic and atmospheric administration put forward a proposal to update the status of giant clams under the endangered species act and increase federal protections. however, many local researchers and community members oppose this, as they believe such projects would make local restoration initiatives and cultural practices more difficult, if not impossible. this story follows indigenous scientist frank roberto’s project in giant clam restoration on guam and his response to the proposal within his community.

on oct. 17, 2024, as a part of the world food forum in rome, italy, the fao hosted a discussion session for high-level leaders and representatives to discuss their global framework on water scarcity in agriculture, or wasag.

wasag is a partnership initiative of fao and brings together “government agencies, international organizations, research institutions, advocacy groups and professional/membership organizations,” according to their website.

their discussion session outlined 10 ways that wasag plans to build upon their partnership with the fao and combat water scarcity. the session had three goals in mind:

• to enhance collaboration and mobilize commitments,
• to agree on key wasag governance, and
• to highlight priorities in addressing scarcity in agriculture, while strengthening the connections between the agriculture and water sectors.

water scarcity has already caused massive crop failures worldwide, and this issue will only continue to grow. the fao reports that around the world we’ll need to produce 50% more food by 2050, when the global population is expected to hit 10 billion — requiring at least 25% more water. the broader goal of wasag is to make water more accessible to ensure a higher level of food security. 

“wasag is core to fao’s commitment to integrated water resources management for the effective transformation of global agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable,” fao director-general qu dongyu stated on the wasag website. 

wasag was created in 2016 to help fao uphold its commitments related to the 2030 sustainable development agenda. wasag focuses on sustainable development goals 2 and 6, which include alleviating poverty and creating clean water and sanitation, respectively.

the 10 actions presented at the rome conference ranged from supporting partnerships between wasag and all fao member nations that address water scarcity, to establishing a technical advisory committee that would provide technical advice to wasag members and partners.

the technical advisory committee will meet twice a year as well as annually with the leaders of working groups and task forces. there are six groups of wasag, including water and migration, drought preparedness, financing mechanisms, water and nutrition, sustainable agricultural water use, and saline agriculture.  

one of the youth representatives from the world food forum youth assembly, maggie markow, suggested that the advisory committee would need to expand its scope to be successful.

“let this water dialogue be a stark reminder water is just not technical, it is political, and it is our responsibility to ensure it is accessible to all,” markow said. 

besides markow, dongyu also said people should not only learn the technology behind combating water scarcity but also learn why it is so important to fight against water scarcity and its related issues.

“we should be learning the spirit of fighting against the situations we are facing like climate and weather change,” dongyu said. 

wasag ended their declaration reiterating they want to make all their resources established in other parts of the declaration available for their partners. they also stated they want to keep working with fao, as supported by the director of the land and water division at fao li lifeng.

“fao is supporting all member countries to jointly address the water scarcity challenges. “wasag is a flagship partnership in the fao new water journey. we look forward to hearing solutions and experiences that can be brought to the global arena,” lifeng stated on the wasag website.

did you know that 20% of wastewater pollution originates from the fashion industry? according to the world bank, fashion industries use about 93 billion cubic meters of water, and that 20% of wastewater comes from fabric dye and treatment. chemicals raise a lot of environmental and health concerns for industry workers, forcing us to rethink fast fashion by advocating for more sustainable practices. 

mikki taylor, professor at howard university, instructs in the fashion design program at the chadwick a. boseman college of fine arts. she uses her love of design to emphasize environmental responsibility through eco-fashion.

taylor has developed numerous projects that have increased student engagement such as the washington wizards project, in which she taught students about designing digital pieces and upcycling by creating garments using old wizards jerseys. although she understands that everyone wants to have the designer look for less, taylor encourages thrift shopping instead. “with fast fashion, the cost outweighs the benefits. you aren’t looking at the massive water consumption, toxic dyes being used that are deposited in our soil, or the workforce and the electricity being used,” taylor said.

not only has she created digital fashion shows during the covid-19 pandemic, but she has also created fashionable designs that have been displayed on red carpets at big events such as the bet awards, and black girls rock, an award show that honors and promotes black women’s achievements.

listen to my full conversation with mikki taylor above!

planet 世界杯欧洲预选赛免费直播 des lewis and social media and communications intern dre pedemonte joined multimedia editor aaron dye at the annual conference, which featured three days of keynote speeches, workshops and networking opportunities. they were able to learn from some key leaders and innovators using adobe technology to further enhance and reshape their fields.

it was the first time the creativity conference, which has been running since 2003, took place on the east coast. the day before the start of the official conference, dye spoke on a panel for adobe’s non-profit day during a section called, “storytelling for good.” along with fellow panelists from human rights watch and doctors without borders, dye spoke about the world-changing potential of science narratives and the importance of bringing storytelling education to students of all backgrounds. 

“non-profit day was so much fun and i made lovely connections with other organizations who’ve partnered with adobe over the years. we’re all trying to use their tools to enact positive change in the world, so it was a really good little community,” dye said. 

as the conference began in full, thousands of attendees descended on the miami beach convention center, many of whom were creative professionals and students. 

“my experience at adobe max was unlike anything else,” pedemonte said. “getting to really see creators in person and seeing how they use adobe for their literal livelihood, to make an income, to make art, was really exciting… i met medical cartoonists, i met people who work in the film industry, photographers, climate scientists. and you really just got to see how creativity touches so many different aspects of different professions and different livelihoods, and that was really, really exciting.”

pedemonte said the highlight of her time at the conference was a workshop she attended led by award-winning graphic designer valentina d’efilippo, a self-described “data designer” who turns numbers and datasets into visually striking art pieces. pedemonte said that d’efilippo’s workshop was so inspiring that she is now seriously considering a career in graphic design, and has already started exploring ways she can implement the craft into her day-to-day life.

“her session was insanely monumental. i remember standing there and my mouth was dropped,” pedemonte said. “i left the conference being like, ‘i think i’m going to start pursuing graphic design,’ and i have. … i’ve been trying to include it in every element of my life.”

lewis found herself awestruck by some of the new features adobe showcased for its creative cloud software, like photoshop or premiere pro. adobe has invested heavily into expanding its ai offerings, and there was no shortage of new technology for the company to show off at the conference.

a few stuck out to lewis, particularly an upcoming feature that will allow video creators to use ai to expand videos that may have ended on an awkward cut off or that were a little bit too short to be used for the project they’re working on. she also noted some of adobe’s projects still in the development stage, including one that allows users to generate sounds for a project instead of combing through a stock audio library to find the perfect bird chirp or stream of water.

“it’s so, so helpful and beneficial, because that happens to me a lot, once i get [a video] into post-production, and i’m scrambling to find this noise that brings it all together,” she said. “i think that’ll be really helpful as well, especially in what i’m doing.”

lewis, who has worked primarily in print journalism, said that some of adobe’s new offerings make it much easier and more accessible for someone, like her, who is trying to break into the digital media landscape without a ton of experience. but she also echoed the concern of many others that ai could become a means for cutting costs on hiring professionals in many fields for the sake of convenience, and stressed that ai should be used as a tool for media professionals, not as a replacement for them.

“i’m an artist that uses ai a lot as a tool, and it could be very beneficial as that, but i do feel like there are some people that are like, ‘oh, it’s helping us,’ but it’s really just kind of stifling creativity,” lewis said. “i do think ai could be used effectively as a tool, if we don’t go too far, and i think sometimes we dip into it a little too far.”

lewis and pedemonte both agreed, though, that the adobe max conference has given them a new set of tools to tell stories in ways they never thought possible, whether it be through stunning, data-driven visuals or through videos that expand beyond conventional industry norms.

“i really pride myself on being a visual storyteller, but i actually feel like my background is visually telling stories through words. i always felt that writing was my strength,” pedemonte said. “as i’ve gotten more into sustainability journalism and environmental storytelling, i’ve found that visuals are of the utmost importance, because we’re able to show our audience what we’re trying to say, what we’re trying to move forward. … everyone learns differently, everyone takes in information differently. and i think being able to produce effective graphics and images is a really accessible way to capture your audience.”

“i believe that storytelling is just such an innately human trait; we are all storytellers, whether we want to think that or not,” lewis added. “i feel the power of these new mediums is [that they can] broaden the horizon of how people choose to consume their media. … so i think having this arsenal of tools to tell the story in the way that it deserves and needs to be told is really beneficial.”

editor’s note: adobe is a planet forward sponsor and made this trip possible through their support of our project. we thank adobe for their continued student educational support.