2023 Yearbook

Climate Heroes In Action

About Bow Seat & the Ocean Awareness Contest

Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs (Bow Seat) is the world’s largest environmental youth program for the creative arts, with a mission to to create a community of young people empowered to connect, create, and communicate for our planet.

For more than a decade, Bow Seat’s flagship educational program—the annual Ocean Awareness Contest—has invited youth to explore the connections between human activities and the health of our blue planet through visual and performing arts, creative writing, film, and multimedia. Over 32,000 middle and high school students from all 50 U.S. states and 142 countries have participated in the program, which has introduced them to issues such as climate change, plastic pollution, water justice, and endangered species. We have awarded over $700,000 in scholarships to Contest winners.

More than 4,000 students from 83 countries and all 50 U.S. states participated in the 2023 Ocean Awareness Contest

We expand the reach of student work by featuring their pieces in our online Gallery, and through exhibitions, film screenings, workshops, presentations, and social media. This provides a special opportunity to showcase teens’ individual skills while also leveraging the strength of their collective voices to raise awareness of environmental issues among broader communities.

For many students, participating in the Contest is a stepping stone into the world of civic and environmental engagement. The artistic process is a means for them to investigate knowledge and feelings about issues, as well as a way to find and share their voice. It shapes their attitudes about their own power to make a difference and gives them the courage to speak up about the changes they want to see for their community and for their future. Inspired by their experience with the Contest, many program alumni take on leadership roles in school or local environmental projects, or join global initiatives like Bow Seat’s Future Blue Youth Council (FBYC). The FBYC is a diverse group of Contest alumni from around the world who work together to advance Bow Seat’s mission and to empower their fellow peers to advocate for our blue planet.

THE BOW SEAT CREW

LINDA CABOT

SUSAN TANG

JEREMY PIVOR

ANNE LESLIE

AJAY SAWANT

Founder & President

Program Manager

Partnership & Youth Engagement Director

Operations Manager

Social Media Manager

Climate Heroes in Action!

Knock Knock... Who’s There? Climate Action

Climate change impacts our oceans in a multitude of ways: extreme weather events, unprecedented coral bleaching, and rising sea levels, to name a few. As oceans play a critical role in regulating our climate and act as a buffer to protect us from global warming, the health of our oceans is tied to human health, whether we live on the coast or hundreds of miles inland.

The media – whether a newspaper, broadcast, or TikTok –tends to focus on the negative. These stories get clicks and attract interest. Yes, climate change is the greatest threat that our blue planet is facing right now, but it is easy to doom scroll through this bad news and miss optimistic stories. There are reasons to feel hope for the future. We live in a world with scary problems, but we also live in a world with real climate solutions.

Scientists, activists, artists, and educators are creating radical and innovative solutions in response to these environmental threats. Their work is far-reaching and impactful but is often not covered in the mainstream news. It’s easier to see a positive path forward when we understand the steps that people are already taking to get us there. Recognizing, uplifting, and celebrating their work allows us to imagine a better world and inspires us to take action.

ARIAT OLADIPO, 17, UNITED STATES

Message from Our Founder, Linda Cabot

“Theroleoftheartististomaketherevolutionirresistible”

–ToniCadeBambara

Artistry is transformative for both the creator and the viewer. At Bow Seat, we are continually amazed by our students and their creative works. These creations are as striking and imaginative as they are inspiring and informative. But it is not all about the completed works for us – it is how our students learn, grow, and feel transformed through the process of creating. Every year we pick our Contest theme with the intention of also providing a uniquely meaningful and empowering student learning experience.

Our ClimateHeroestheme was chosen to show teens that the world is full of caring, dedicated people who are committed to finding climate solutions. We know we live in uncertain times, when teens often feel overwhelmed and discouraged. Our hope was that Contest participants would feel inspired by selecting and researching a climate hero to celebrate. We wanted students to feel a renewed sense of optimism by learning about the many people doing incredible things to help protect our environment. We wished that, while actively imagining, designing, and creating their pieces, students felt more personally and deeply connected to what they were learning about and experiencing.

This Yearbook celebrates our winners’ achievements, as well as those of everyone who participated! We love celebrating their achievements, as well as those of everyone who participated. Above all else, we are an imaginative learning community of student voices that together has created the world’s largest youth environmental program for the creative arts. There is regenerative power in creating a community where young people are leading a powerful, artistic movement for our blue planet. Thank you for joining us – and welcome to the Bow Seat community!

“Allthatyoutouch,youchange.Allthatyouchange,changesyou. Theonlylastingtruthischange.”–OctaviaE.Butler

In solidarity,

PROGRAM IMPACT

Since the program was launched in 2012, the Ocean Awareness Contest has been more than a competition—it is also an interdisciplinary environmental education platform. To support students’ participation in the Contest, we curate an online Resource Studio—using artwork, journalistic media, primary scientific literature, interactive quizzes, and more—to help them learn about environmental issues. The Resource Studio also provides lesson plans, classroom activities, and suggested reading to help educators incorporate the Contest into their classrooms and meet important educational standards across disciplines. In addition, we host webinars that explore conservation and creative advocacy topics with guest artists, scientists, and activists.

The Contest has also evolved into a global community of like-minded peers and supportive adults working together to advocate for a healthy and sustainable future. It is a safe space where youth are encouraged to voice their questions, concerns, and hopes. Knowing that they are a part of this community strengthens them, inspires them to learn more, and ignites them to take action.

IMPACT, BY THE NUMBERS

The first Ocean Awareness Contest received approximately 70 submissions; in 2023, over 4,000 students participated. The impressive trajectory and growth of the Contest demonstrate young people’s desires to use their voices to speak out on behalf of our blue planet and to make positive change for our society.

For more than a decade, the Contest has helped to build a strong conservation ethic among youth and strengthen critical skills such as communication, critical thinking, and global awareness. According to feedback surveys from the 2023 Contest:

78%

REPORTED THAT THE PROGRAM INCREASED THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE

69%

REPORTED THAT THE PROGRAM IMPACTED THEIR WORLDVIEW AND BEHAVIOR 85% REPORTED THAT CREATING SOMETHING HELPED THEM CONNECT WITH CLIMATE CHANGE

76%

REPORTED THAT THE PROGRAM INCREASED THEIR CONFIDENCE IN CREATIVE SKILLS

Results from educator feedback surveys corroborate the findings from the participant surveys, demonstrating that the Contest is an effective tool for increasing students’ interest in and knowledge of environmental issues, and for strengthening their desire to make a difference in the world.

IMPACT, IN THEIR OWN WORDS

Beyond these numbers, the true impact of the Ocean Awareness Contest is best described by Bow Seat students and other members of our community. We often hear how participating in the Contest opened students’ eyes to environmental issues facing their communities, impelled them to make conservation-friendly behavior changes in their daily lives, and inspired them to advocate for change beyond themselves.

THIS YEAR’S PROMPT encouraged me to start looking at the more positive side of the climate issue. In the past, I focused primarily on the idea that climate change was an inevitable consequence of the way humans treat the Earth, but as I wrote my story and did research, I began to realize how many people are trying to preserve our world. It made me feel more hopeful.

- 2023 CONTEST PARTICIPANT

S O OFTEN people become overwhelmed with climate doom and feelings of impotence that they can’t do anything to help. By researching people making positive changes, students were filled with hope and inspiration.

- 2023 CONTEST SPONSOR

WHAT BOW SEAT DOES every year through its contest is to compile some of the most urgent, stirring, and powerful work about the climate crisis being written. That it comes from students across the country is nothing short of extraordinary. Not only are the stakes communicated compellingly in the poems contained herein, but also a sense of hope, for which I cannot commend these impassioned writers enough.

- CHRISTOPHER KONDRICH, NATIONAL POETRY SERIES-WINNING AUTHOR & 2023 CONTEST JUDGE

MANY OF MY WRITING STUDENTS are introverts, so learning to perform their spoken word poetry was a new challenge. The results were transformative, as my students saw they could learn to be seen and heard. [The Contest] literally changes their lives and teaches them to become lighthouses to others.

- 2023 CONTEST SPONSOR

PARTICIPATING in the Ocean Awareness Contest has profoundly impacted me as I was truly inspired to see the multitude of individuals who are passionately committed to addressing the dire state of our oceans and actively working towards finding solutions for climate change issues. Witnessing such a vibrant and global community of like-minded individuals, all striving to protect and restore our Mother Earth, filled me with immense joy and hope. It reaffirmed the notion that we are not alone in our mission to safeguard the environment.

- 2023 CONTEST PARTICIPANT

I THOROUGHLY LOVE getting lost in the beautiful artwork each year and getting inspired by a generation of talented and environmentally aware young people.

- BRIAN SKERRY, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER & 2023 CONTEST JUDGE

I ENJOYED WATCHING my student show interest and actively learn about the environment. She took initiative and loved sharing her knowledge with friends and family.

- 2023 CONTEST SPONSOR

THE EXPERIENCE of researching, painting, and participating in the contest is something that I will remember and think about for a long time. It has encouraged me to be an upstander, and not a bystander, when observing our changing world.

- 2023 CONTEST PARTICIPANT

Awards

Over 330 participants of the 2023 Contest were awarded with nearly $80,000 in scholarships for their artistic achievement and effectiveness in raising awareness and inspiring action around climate change. This is a vital part of our programming— recognizing young artists validates their work and empowers them to continue advocating for our blue planet.

GOLD AWARD SILVER AWARD BRONZE AWARD PEARL AWARD

HONORABLE MENTION

ADDITIONAL AWARDS OFFERED IN 2023

We All Rise Prize

As part of Bow Seat’s long-term effort to increase the diversity of our program participants, we sponsor the We All Rise Prize, awards totaling $15,000 specifically for youth in the U.S. who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or Latine. A total of 20 awards were presented to students whose entries demonstrated notable artistic achievement in their chosen category, selected by a representative judging committee.

A partnership with poet, activist, and educator Tayllor Johnson, the Voice of the Sea Award recognized two spoken word poetry submissions at the Gold-level in each age division. Voice of the Sea Award

Brian Skerry Ocean Soul Award

Selected by National Geographic photographer Brian Skerry, the Ocean Soul Award recognized a visual art submission in each age division whose work captures the “soul” of the ocean.

Massachusetts Awards

• Bay State Award — Celebrated the creative young artists from Bow Seat’s home state

• Hometown Award — Recognized talented students from Boston

• South Coast, Cape & Islands Award, sponsored by the Island Foundation — Honored participants from the South Coast of Massachusetts, Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, or Nantucket

We All Rise Prize

$15,000 in Ocean Awareness Contest awards for Black, Indigenous, & Latine participants from the U.S.

A note on references: Bow Seat encourages our students to learn from and be inspired by other artists, writers, performers, and filmmakers as they create their pieces. If their submissions are influenced by someone else’s work, they are required to provide a Bibliography as part of their Contest entries that gives credit to the original sources.

Educator Innovation Awards

SINCE 2011, Bow Seat has awarded more than $60,000 to educators who effectively used the Contest to teach students about environmental issues and to empower them to be stewards of our blue planet, while meeting important educational standards. We are thrilled to recognize the most effective of these teachers with the 2023 Educator Innovation Awards!

OZGE BEKMEZCI

ENGLISH

LANGUAGE TEACHER, MANISA BAHCESEHIR COLLEGE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY HIGH SCHOOL (TURKEY)

As a teacher at a STEM-focused school, Ozge wanted to challenge her students to build on their theoretical knowledge of climate change. She encouraged them to leverage their creative hobbies as a way to forge a personal connection with the environmental concerns facing our world. She also collaborated with other teachers and local environmental organizations to organize field trips, workshops, presentations, and collaborative projects to expose her students to real-world issues and establish a sense of community and shared responsibility for the environment.

Witnessing my students passionately dive into the tasks according to their talents was inspiring. The Contest provided a global platform for my students, extending the reach of their work beyond the classroom and instilling a sense of responsibility as stewards of our planet. This award is a recognition of our students’ voices and their potential to contribute to positive change.

KATRINA BOYUM

ENGLISH & READING TEACHER, FLORENCE SCHOOL (FLORENCE, SOUTH DAKOTA)

Katrina recognizes that ocean conservation topics can seem far-removed from her students’ daily lives in a land-locked state, so she uses autobiographies to introduce these subjects. By reading the personal stories of young sailors who attempted to circumnavigate the globe, her students learned how these teenagers’ dreams reflect their upbringing on the water. They studied each new climate, ecosystem, and culture the sailors experienced. They then used the writing skills learned in class, along with their newfound knowledge of ocean scientists and climate issues, to create and submit a submission for the Contest.

We live in South Dakota, far from the ocean, but we do live among the five Glacial Lakes of the Dakotas. Through their knowledge and interest in local ecosystems and the wildlife that depends on them, many students develop a scientific curiosity of ecological and climate issues. I try to find ways to extend this interest to the oceans, showing students that the same functions and systems of plant and animal life occur in the vast oceans as in our local waterways. This Contest was a great way for me to bring those ideas right to the students.

ESTHER KIM

BIOLOGY TEACHER, ANNANDALE HIGH SCHOOL (ANNANDALE, VIRGINIA)

The Contest was used as the focal point for Esther’s project-based learning lesson on human impacts. The students she works with have a diverse range of needs – many are special education students who are also English-language learner identified, and the majority live at or below the poverty line. Students who lacked English skills were still able to convey their understanding of pollution through art; students who struggled to contextualize content were able to explain topics through poetry or video. Every student could take ownership of their work and had different creative takes on the information they gathered for the project.

I loved the Contest’s theme. Students of this particular socio-economic class are less likely to know or search out climate heroes who they can relate to. This project forced them to find people like them. It encouraged and empowered them knowing that there are others like them leading the charge in small and big ways.

ANGELA SMITH

ENGLISH TEACHER, FREELANCER (GLOBAL)

Angela is a freelance English and Creative Writing Teacher who works with students from all over the world. Over the last several years, she has developed creative writing curriculums that show young people how to use the written word for change, impact, and purpose; and why learning to write effective, rhetorical prose is so fundamentally important to participating in the world around us. Angela dedicates 4-5 weeks of lessons and drafting to the Contest.

I have found in my work with young people recently that their self-esteems have really suffered from the pandemic and social media. But the Contest has been a big step in helping them see just how powerful they are. Thank you for this opportunity to show my students tangible evidence of the importance of learning and using our writing skills. The added bonus? It was fun! My students had a great time.

DONGLING YAO

YOUTH SOCIAL PRACTICE INSTRUCTOR, WISE LOVE ORGANIZATION (CHINA)

For Dongling, the Contest was an ideal platform to kindle her students’ interest in diverse forms of artistic expression, deepen their understanding of environmental issues, and facilitate the exploration of their unique perspectives. She ensured a multifaceted learning journey for her students by bringing in in experts from various fields, including older students who were already engaged in environmental protection activities and a professional video director to help students understand the nuances of storytelling in the context of filmmaking. In addition to creating their Contest submission, the students designed posters, badges, and advocacy campaigns, eventually launching a community awareness initiative that not only reinforced their learning but also helped them understand the realworld impact of their actions.

Over seven years of guiding youth in social practice have deepened my belief that education is not only about imparting knowledge; it is crucial to instill a sense of social responsibility and problem-solving skills in young minds. The Contest played a significant role in this effort, enabling my students to explore and express their concerns about environmental issues in innovative ways, and empowering them to utilize their talents and skills to make a positive impact in their community.

BAY STATE EDUCATOR AWARD

NICOLETTE POCIUS

SCIENCE TEACHER, JOHN D. O’BRYANT SCHOOL OF MATHEMATICS & SCIENCE (ROXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS)

Every year, Nicolette uses the Contest as a final project for her AP Environmental Science students. She notices that many of them lose motivation after the exam, especially since they are Seniors. However, the unique and creative nature of the Contest keeps many of her students engaged.

I have loved the ocean for as long as I can remember, and I studied Marine & Freshwater Biology in college. I try to instill my appreciation for the ocean and all it does for us in my students, which can be challenging in an urban environment. However, through programs like Bow Seat’s Contest, I can expand my students’ awareness about environmental issues and help them feel connected to nature.

Judges

VISUAL ART JUDGES

Carolina Aragón

Carolina is an Assistant Professor in Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. As a public artist, she engages in transdisciplinary collaborations to create innovative art installations designed to increase public engagement with climate change.

Linda Cabot

Linda, founder and president of Bow Seat, is a visual artist and poet who credits a lifetime of sailing for her love of the ocean. She has been recognized as a Global Changemaker Honoree by New England International Donors for her long-term commitment to restoring the ocean’s ecosystems.

Erin Chuba

Previously serving as a Policy & Advocacy Intern at Women Working for Oceans, Erin played an integral role in growing the organization’s social media presence. She curated impactful call-to-action social media posts, drawing from her thorough research of marine science literature.

Ely German

ALUMNI JUDGE

Ely is a multidisciplinary artist, Bow Seat alumna/judge/ friend! She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in 2021 with a BFA in Studio Art and is a full-time Art Director in Chicago.

VISUAL ART JUDGES (continued)

Amy Spencer Harff

Amy is an environmental artist, writer, and researcher from Providence, Rhode Island. Her current Thomas J. Watson Fellowship explores the intersection of art and the environment around the world.

Ari Hauben

Ari is a contemporary artist based in Boston’s Fort Point neighborhood. His work consists of multimedia works, which cover a broad spectrum of topics, styles, and materials. His art resides in collections spanning the globe and has been shown throughout Boston and beyond, including being featured at the Museum of Fine Arts.

Dara Herman-Zierlein

Dara is a political illustrator, art educator, and art activist who continuously uses her artwork to advocate awareness in the world.

Nigella Hillgarth

Following a career as a biologist—first as an academic and then an administrator—Nigella has combined her passion for the environment and science with photography. Nigella is presently a visiting scientist at the Center for Ecosystem Sentinels at the University of Washington.

Sofia Jain-Schlaepfer

Sofia sits among many worlds: art, science, writing, conservation, nature education. She has a BSc in Environmental Science (Carleton University) and MSc in Marine Biology (James Cook University) and has spent 5 years conducting marine and aquatic research. She is also a self-taught artist who works and brings conservation science to life through infographics (wiseart.net).

Nadine Lloyd

Nadine is a mixed-media artist and Art Teacher in Maui, Hawaii. Previously, she taught Environmental Art at The Island School and intermittently lived aboard a sailboat in The Bahamas. This experience heightened her passion for ocean conservation and art advocacy.

Free Marseille

Free’s current work pulls inspiration from his childhood experience of moving to America as a refugee and experiencing this country as an outsider. He loves that he belongs to multiple cultures because it helps him weave together distant narratives and create a final product that feels both foreign and familiar.

Mackenzie Martin

ALUMNI JUDGE

Mackenzie is a student at the College of the Atlantic, pursuing an education in marine biology and ceramics. She uses art as her voice when advocating for issues most important to her, such as climate change and coral bleaching.

Holly Morin

Holly is the Manager of Education and Outreach at the University of Rhode Island’s Inner Space Center (ISC) located at the Graduate School of Oceanography in Narragansett. Her work at the ISC involves the development, coordination, and promotion of interactive ocean science websites and public outreach and science communication initiatives.

VISUAL ART JUDGES (continued)

Lisa Reindorf

Lisa is an architect, artist, and environmental activist. A graduate of Columbia University and University of Pennsylvania, she has practiced as an architect and taught at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).

Griffin Smith

Griffin is a digital artist and AI researcher at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). His work explores how technology is changing artmaking, as well as what separates humans, animals, and machines.

Jason Talbot

As Artists For Humanity’s (AFH’s) Co-Founder and Managing Director of Programs, Jason creates opportunities to engage and mentor teen artists and their artistic mentors, advancing AFH’s programmatic goals while building long-term creative connections.

Gwenan Walker

ALUMNI JUDGE

Gwenan is a rising junior at USC double majoring in animation and human biology with a minor in marine science. She was the recipient of the Gold Award in the Senior division of the 2019 Ocean Awareness Contest.

POETRY AND SPOKEN WORD JUDGES

Dzidzor Azaglo

Dzidzor (pronounced Jee-Joh) is a Ga-Ewe folklore, performing artist, writer, and curator. Dzidzor’s style of call and response, sound collage combines poetry, storytelling and sound as a way to usher the audience in an experience of being present in their bodies.

Akhila Bandlora

Akhila is an octopus lover and storyteller from Phoenix, AZ. Her poetry won a Gold Award in the Ocean Awareness Contest and has been featured by Greenpeace USA, The Ocean Project, Joppa Flats Education Center, among others. She is a student at Princeton University.

Shauna Barbosa

Shauna is the author of the poetry collection Cape Verdean Blues (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2018). Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in The New Yorker, Ploughshares, Boston Review, AGNI, Iowa Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, Poetry Society of America, PBS Newshour, and others.

Alondra Bobadilla

Alondra was named Boston’s first-ever Youth Poet Laureate in January 2020. Through her own work, she demonstrates how creative expression can be a powerful tool for youth to examine feelings around issues, find their voice, and speak up about the changes they want to see for their future.

ALUMNI JUDGE

POETRY AND SPOKEN WORD JUDGES (continued)

Elizabeth Bradfield

Elizabeth is the author of five collections of poetry. Liz’s work has appeared in The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, Poetry, The Sun, and her honors include the Audre Lorde Prize and a Stegner Fellowship. Based on Cape Cod, Liz works as a naturalist, teaches at Brandeis University, and runs Broadsided Press.

Mary Buchinger Bodwell

Mary is the author of six collections of poetry and her work has appeared in AGNI, On the Seawall, phoebe, Plume, Salamander, Salt Hill, Seneca Review, and elsewhere. A board member of the New England Poetry Club, she teaches at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Boston.

Linda Cabot

Linda, founder and president of Bow Seat, is a visual artist and poet who credits a lifetime of sailing for her love of the ocean. She has been recognized as a Global Changemaker Honoree by New England International Donors for her long-term commitment to restoring the ocean’s ecosystems.

Erin Chuba

Previously serving as a Policy & Advocacy Intern at Women Working for Oceans, Erin played an integral role in growing the organization’s social media presence. She curated impactful call-to-action social media posts, drawing from her thorough research of marine science literature.

Michelle Garcia Fresco

Michelle Garcia Fresco is a Dominican poet and performer. Her writing is inspired by the women in her family, racial injustices in America, loss, and mental health. Her work has appeared in WBUR/ The Artery, Tinderbox Poetry, the Rising Phoenix, and won the Stirling Spoons “2020: Identity in America” Contest.

Kelly Hui

ALUMNI JUDGE

Kelly Hui is a poet and abolitionist organizer from Massachusetts. She studies English, Critical Race & Ethnic Studies, and Creative Writing at the University of Chicago. She received a Silver Award in Bow Seat’s 2017 Ocean Awareness Contest and has judged for four years.

Jennifer Jean

Jennifer’s poetry collections include OBJECT LESSON (Lily Books) and THE FOOL (Big Table). She’s also released the teaching resource OBJECT LESSON: A GUIDE TO WRITING POETRY (Lily Books). Jennifer lives in Massachusetts and is the program manager of 24PearlStreet.

Tayllor Johnson

Tayllor is a poet, writer, educator, performer, activist, and founder of Sisterhood (verb), Inc. A published poet, she has been writing and performing her poetry and written works for over 15 years. She has been featured in museum exhibits in New York and California and has published in several anthologies.

Ellen Girardeau Kempler

Ellen is an award-winning nonfiction writer and poet whose work has been extensively published both in print and online. A solo writing trip to Ireland inspired her to launch Gold Boat Journeys (Creative Cultural Travel). She is certified as an Amherst Writers and Artists workshop leader and is a member of the American Association of Writers and Writers Programs.

POETRY AND SPOKEN WORD JUDGES (continued)

Christopher Kondrich

Christopher is the author of Valuing (University of Georgia Press, 2019), selected by Jericho Brown as a winner of the National Poetry Series, by Library Journal as a Best Poetry Book of 2019.

An associate editor for 32 Poems, he teaches for Eastern Oregon University’s low-residency MFA program.

Sharon Lax

Sharon is a teacher, editor, and author. Her collection of short stories, Shattered Fossils, is published by Guernica Editions. She is interested in closing that ever-widening breach between our natural habitat and the urban, where many of us find ourselves.

Cynthia Lu

ALUMNI JUDGE

Cynthia is an undergraduate at Harvard College whose writing has been recognized by Bow Seat, Bennington College, the National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, and YoungArts. She enjoys painting watercolors in her free time, and has a soft spot for cold, rocky New England beaches.

Duy Quang Mai

ALUMNI JUDGE

Duy Quang is from Hanoi, Vietnam. His poems have been published in American Poetry Review, AAWW, diaCRITICS, among others. He is the author of the chapbook Journals to (Story Factory, 2019).

Ademola Oyewole-Davis

Brooklyn born and raised, Ademola is a singer, poet, writer, educator, and activist. Having taught for over 7 years, Ademola utilizes his skills to create a conscious, critical, and creative experience for students, keeping in mind his mission to give voice to truth and power to justice. Currently, Ademola is working on his debut album while being a DEI and education consultant.

Laura Parker Roerden

Laura has a passion for the ocean and what it can teach us. She is a poet/writer, public speaker and supporter of youth to boldly know and save the wilds. She is the founder and executive director of Ocean Matters, a nonprofit that supports youth in being stewards for the marine environment through service.

Wesley Rothman

Wesley is the author of SUBWOOFER (New Issues, 2017). A California native, he has lived in Boston, Aix-en-Provence, Port Townsend, DC, and Chicago, never too far from a major body of water. He has taught writing, rhetoric, and literature for many universities and other venues, including the National Gallery of Art, Grub Street Writer’s Workshop, and Upward Bound programs.

Elisa Rowe

Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, Elisa is a writer, educator, and poet. Their work has appeared in WBUR, Massachusetts Review, Boston Art Review, and elsewhere.

Griffin Smith

Griffin is a digital artist and AI researcher at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). His work explores how technology is changing artmaking, as well as what separates humans, animals, and machines.

CREATIVE WRITING JUDGES

Karen Alexander

Karen comes to ocean awareness through history and science. She has practiced historical ecology at the University of New Hampshire and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and currently researches, writes and edits in western Massachusetts.

Laniesha Brown

Laniesha (she/her/hers) is GrubStreet’s Program Coordinator. She holds an M.F.A. in Poetry and an M.A. in English Literature from McNeese State University. Her work has appeared in The CaribbeanWriter,TheHunger,theminnesotareview, and more.

Eric Carstens

Eric, Bow Seat’s former Program Manager, has developed climate change programs at the Science Museum of Virginia, rebuilt coral reefs with the Coral Restoration Foundation, taught environmental science lessons with Change is Simple, and helped organize a virtual science festival at the Harvard Museum of Natural History.

Anne Chan Leslie

Anne, Bow Seat’s former Operations Manager, graduated from Boston University with a degree in Mass Communications and has written press releases, news articles, marketing materials, website copy, blogs, and much more in her professional roles at public relations agenices and nonprofit organizations.

Liz Cunningham

Liz is the author of of the award-winning Ocean Country: One Woman’s Voyage from Peril to Hope in her Quest to Save the Seas and Talking Politics: Choosing the President in the Television Age. An accomplished public speaker, she speaks to audiences in a wide range of settings, such as the Commonwealth Club, The New York Times Building, and the New England Aquarium.

Kayla Degala-Paraíso

Kayla (she/they) is a creative writing instructor at GrubStreet. Her political work centers immigration, labor, ending gender-based violence, and human rights. They have been published in [PANK] Magazine, miniskirt magazine, and Okay Donkey; and nominated for the Pushcart Prize in Creative Nonfiction.

Rick Edie

Rick is a sixth and seventh grade English teacher at the Dedham Country Day School in Dedham, MA. Though more of a hiker and fresh-water person, he has frequent contact with the ocean when he visits family on Cape Cod and Jamestown, RI, where he enjoys kayaking, paddleboarding, and boating.

Sarah Finnie Robinson

Sarah is the Founding Director of The 51 Percent Project, a climate communication initiative at Boston University’s Institute for Sustainable Energy. She holds faculty appointments at Boston University’s College of Communication and at the Graduate Program in Urban Biogeoscience & Environmental Health.

Cara Fritz

ALUMNI JUDGE

Cara is a junior at Middlebury College, pursuing a B.A. in Environmental Policy with a minor in Creative Writing. The ocean has always inspired her creative work, and she received the Gold Award for Prose in the 2017 Ocean Awareness Contest. She also helped launch Bow Seat on TikTok last fall as an intern.

CREATIVE WRITING JUDGES (continued)

Anna Guzman

ALUMNI JUDGE

Anna is a student at the University of Chicago studying Political Science and Public Policy. She is passionate about the intersection of political advocacy, environmental issues, and creative writing. Anna won the Ocean Awareness Contest’s Silver Award in Senior Prose in 2018, and an Honorable Mention in Junior Poetry in 2016.

Nakia Hill

Nakia is a writer, journalist, and educator. She is the author of Water Carrier, a book of poetry, and I Still Did It, an intergenerational anthology on resilience. Nakia is the director of communications for Mayor Michelle Wu’s Community Engagement Cabinet for the City of Boston.

Sharon Lax

Sharon is a teacher, editor, and author. Her collection of short stories, Shattered Fossils, is published by Guernica Editions. She is interested in closing that ever-widening breach between our natural habitat and the urban, where many of us find ourselves.

Cynthia Lu

ALUMNI JUDGE

Cynthia is an undergraduate at Harvard College whose writing has been recognized by Bow Seat, Bennington College, the National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, and YoungArts. She enjoys painting watercolors in her free time, and has a soft spot for cold, rocky New England beaches.

Megan McInerney

Megan is a writer and educator pursuing an M.S. in Environmental Writing & Education. She has five years of experience teaching at the high school level, including two years at The Island School in the Bahamas where she worked with student groups to survey beach plastic and raise awareness of plastic pollution.

Ashira Morris

Ashira is a freelance writer based between Sofia, Bulgaria and Tallahassee, Florida. Her reporting on environmental issues and the arts has been published by PBS NewsHour, Boston Art Review, and Artforum, and she writes for the Our Daily Planet newsletter.

Sylvia Nica

ALUMNI JUDGE

An English and Italian double major at Wellesley College, Sylvia hopes to create stories that spur climate action and encourage ocean conversation. Sylvia is a Girls Who Invest Scholar and prose reader for Bodega Magazine and has received a Gold Award in the Ocean Awareness Contest.

Blu Prinston

Blu is a Haitian-born writer who tests the boundaries of literary landscapes. She uses language to probe, dissect, re-imagine, engender distinct worlds and empowering realities. Her work has appeared in L’Union Suite, GRLSQUASH, Boston Art Review, and The Caribbean Writer.

Sara Daniele Rivera

Sara is a Cuban/Peruvian artist, writer, translator, and educator from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her poetry and fiction have been published in literary journals and anthologies and use both speculative and realist lenses to explore themes of migration, ecology, and memory.

CREATIVE WRITING JUDGES (continued)

Elisa Rowe

Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, Elisa is a writer, educator, and poet. Their work has appeared in WBUR, Massachusetts Review, Boston Art Review, and elsewhere.

Daria Syskine

Daria recently graduated Swarthmore College with a degree in Biology and English Literature. Their hobbies include hiking, swing dance and LARPing; they can often be found in the mountains collecting data for field biology research.

FILM JUDGES

David Abel

An award-winning reporter and documentary filmmaker, David has covered war in the Balkans, unrest in Latin America, national security issues in Washington D.C., terrorism in New York and Boston, and climate change and poverty throughout New England. David and his colleagues at the The Boston Globe won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News for their coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings.

Sydney Cole

Sydney is a Computer Science and Film, Television, and Media major in her junior year at the University of Michigan. She enjoys creating and editing videos, and was a Bow Seat TikTok intern.

ALUMNI JUDGE

ALUMNI JUDGE

Eric Carstens

Eric, Bow Seat’s former Program Manager, has developed climate change programs at the Science Museum of Virginia, rebuilt coral reefs with the Coral Restoration Foundation, taught environmental science lessons with Change is Simple, and helped organize a virtual science festival at the Harvard Museum of Natural History.

Nicolle Fagan

Nicolle is Group Account Director at GYK Antler, a full-service, creative ad agency with offices in Boston and Manchester, New Hampshire. She brings over 10 years of experience in global marketing, with a particular emphasis on effectively using storytelling to drive action.

Molly Hirsch

ALUMNI JUDGE

Molly is a recent college graduate of San Francisco State University with a BA in Cinema and French. She is a documentarian, poet, all-around artist, and most importantly, a dreamer and doer with an important mission to make Earth a better place for all of its inhabitants.

Megan McInerney

Megan is a writer and educator pursuing an M.S. in Environmental Writing & Education. She has five years of experience teaching at the high school level, including two years at The Island School in the Bahamas where she worked with student groups to survey beach plastic and raise awareness of plastic pollution.

FILM JUDGES (continued)

Puckerbrush Animation

Hanji Chang is a Taiwanese-Korean painter, illustrator, graphic designer, and animator. She also teaches animation at Maine College of Art. Andy O’Brien is a Rockland, Maine-based writer, voice actor, and co-founder of O’Chang Comics and Puckerbrush Animation. He is also the communications director for the Maine AFL-CIO. Hanji and Andy co-founded Puckerbrush Animation, which produces the popular “Temp Tales” cartoon series as well as educational and commercial animations.

Georgia Stockwell

Georgia is a Miami-based film director, environmental communicator, and visual anthropologist. With years of experience working in the film worlds of New York, Los Angeles, and Miami, Georgia is particularly interested in documenting shifting relationships between marine ecosystems and coastal cultures.

PERFORMING ARTS JUDGES

Kai Shinnosuke Kubota-Enright

Kai is a composer and pianist from Vancouver, British Columbia, and recently graduated with a degree in Composition from McGill University. Their music often incorporates improvisational, electronic, and site-specific elements, and may be found as part of larger multimedia collaborations involving dance, installation art, and projection art.

ALUMNI JUDGE

Saoirse Lewis

ALUMNI JUDGE

Saoirse is a singer-songwriter from San Francisco, California. After graduating from Wesleyan University with a degree in Anthropology and Writing, she moved to Ireland for six months. She is now based in San Francisco and works as a studio manager at Whipsaw.

Ademola Oyewole-Davis

Brooklyn born and raised, Ademola is a singer, poet, writer, educator, and activist. Having taught for over 7 years, Ademola utilizes his skills to create a conscious, critical, and creative experience for students, keeping in mind his mission to give voice to truth and power to justice. Currently, Ademola is working on his debut album while being a DEI and education consultant.

Destiny Polk

Warrior and healer. Tender and unbreakable. Destiny “Divine” Polk is an Afro-Indigenous choreographer and producer, multidisciplinary artist, community organizer/space holder, art educator and founder of art-activist platform Radical Black Girl.

Kellen Vu

ALUMNI JUDGE

Kellen is an artist and musician from Phoenix, Arizona. One of his passions is using music to educate others and bridge the divide between disciplines. In 2018, he received a Silver Award from Bow Seat for his original song “Shore to Shore,” which tackled the effects of climate change on the oceans.

INTERACTIVE AND MULTIMEDIA JUDGES

Sam Fleming

Sam lives in Chilmark, MA, on Martha’s Vineyard and in Cambridge, MA. He worked for more than three decades in public radio at WBUR in Boston overseeing the news and content.

Aileen Han

Aileen is a student at MIT majoring in computer science. She started programming in fifth grade, where she was immediately drawn to the endless possibilities of using coding to help people. She is eager to share her knowledge while also helping the environment. Aileen served as Bow Seat’s Digital Design and Web Development Intern in 2022.

Alvin Lu

Alvin is an undergraduate at Yale University, interested in studying applications of computer science from his bioinformatics research to develop games that raise awareness of climate change. In his free time, he enjoys going on runs on local nature trails.

Trevor Roberts

Trevor lives and works in Central Pennsylvania, where he is an avid advocate for the outdoors. Trevor is the co-founder and managing partner of Cross & Crown, a digital agency committed to helping their clients educate, advocate, and thrive in a digital world.

ALUMNI JUDGE

Maris Wicks

Maris is a writer and illustrator of mostly science-y comics, whose work has taken her to the middle of the ocean, to the top of a volcano, and to the ice of Antarctica. She has written, drawn, and colored comics for SpongeBob Comics, Marvel, and DC, and the picture books DragonBones and You and the Bowerbird.

SENIOR VISUAL ART

COCEAN SOUL AWARD

YERANG PARK

AGE 17

SEOUL, REPUBLIC OF KOREA

CLIMATE HERO: CARLEE JACKSON

arlee Jackson is an incredible shark conservationist based in South Florida. She is one of the co-founders of Minorities in Shark Science (MISS), a group that advocates for the inclusion of individuals from diverse backgrounds in shark research. MISS aims to amplify the underrepresented voices in shark science and raise awareness about the importance of diversity within the field. Inspired by her work, I created drawings showcasing her studies of sharks in the ocean, intending to honor Carlee Jackson as a hero who is advancing shark science and making a positive impact on the marine ecosystem. Completing this artwork has provided me with a valuable learning experience, highlighting the significance of minority perspectives in ocean conservation. It has also deepened my understanding of the active efforts undertaken by climate heroes like Carlee Jackson, who are dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion in their respective fields. This experience has truly inspired me to take action and actively contribute to making a positive impact on our planet.

Charcoal Passion

SILVER AWARD

AGNES LEE

AGE 17

BUENA PARK, CA, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: HELENA GUALINGA, POLLUTER’S OUT, FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE

My climate hero, Helena Gualinga, is an indigenous youth activist from the Kichwa community in Sarayuku, located in Ecuador. Known for having a passionate love for her people, land, and culture, she has advocated against the use of fossil fuels, oil extraction, and other resource extraction in the environment. Though she isn’t as well-known as many famous climate activists, her impressive accomplishments despite her young age inspired me to portray Gualinga in a regal way. I drew the plant and flowers around her hair and head as a metaphor of a crown as she stands in the middle of a deteriorating world. As an Ecuadorian, she wears face paint, an act of resistance and encouragement for strength to protect the Amazon rainforest and the Sarayuku’s ancestral lands. While both reading and painting about Gualinga, I gained a stronger understanding of just how far across the Earth humans have damaged the environment. I hope that celebrating Helena Gualinga and other hundreds and thousands of climate heroes will encourage not only youth, but people all around the world, to stand up and take action against climate change.

MAI CAO NGOC

AGE 16

BINH DUONG, VIETNAM

CLIMATE HERO: DO THI THOM (MOTHER) SILVER AWARD

My first goal was very simple: to find a popular hero and draw their portrait. However, I soon realized that most of their work is pretty far-fetched, and drawing something like that was not enough to galvanize people into action. That’s why I shifted my target to more familiar ones, because what I want my work to do is inspire people and not just praise a hero who is taking incredible action. I also wanted to draw somebody who is familiar to everyone. When I was watching my mother cooking dinner, I suddenly had a thought: “Why don’t I draw my mother?” Although my mother is just a typical mother, she is taking action against climate change. Everyday she cooks vegetarian food and goes shopping without using plastic bags. She is also aware of the energy crisis and uses natural light instead of industrial ones.

The Starting Point

Poster color, pencil color

SILVER AWARD BRONZE AWARD

ARIHANT JAIN

AGE 15

MOUNTAIN VIEW, C A, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: MAHAMA KAPPIAH, ECOWAS CENTRE FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Our oceans are greatly impacted by human action. While most of these actions are detrimental, eroding away at the health of the sea, there are people who strive to make a positive difference. Mahama Kappiah is one who has devoted himself to the cause of renewable energy in West Africa through his initiative, the West African Power Pool. His achievements motivate me to take action on climate change, and I found an effective way to express this motivation in my piece. Through painting “Coupling Energy,” I have been able to understand more clearly not only the immense challenge that heroes like Kappiah take on each day, but have also been inspired to assist with research on new energy efficient technologies that may help save our integral ocean environment.

BRONZE AWARD

JOHNNY

WANG

AGE 16

VANCOUVER, CANADA

CLIMATE HERO: PAUL NICKLEN

Famous nature photographer and conservationist Paul Nicklen’s work has had a significant influence on a number of artists. His breathtaking images convey the fragility and beauty of the natural environment, especially in arctic settings. He uses his camera to convey compelling narratives and spread awareness of the essential need to save the ecosystems in our world. Art is a unique form of expressing one’s self because it enables people to convey their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a way that is incredibly subjective and personal. Art, as opposed to other means of communication like language or writing, transcends literal definitions and may communicate intricate concepts and sentiments that may be hard to express through words alone. My message to viewers of my artwork is that through the lens, we are able to witness the purity of our planet and the connection between humanity and nature. It calls for responsibility in us. Paul Nicklen’s artistic efforts evoke an urgency to take action to conserve the beauty of our world.

Color sketching & watercolor

Through the Lens of the Abyss

PEARL AWARD

HWAIN CHOI

AGE 15

SEOUL, REPUBLIC OF KOREA

CLIMATE HERO: SILVIA LÓPEZ CHAVEZ

Rise Again is a parody of the mural “Rise” created by Silvia López Chavez as part of the “Sea Walls Boston Artists for Oceans 2020” project. The Sea Walls program, initiated by the PangeaSeed Foundation, aims to use public art to convey messages about the ocean to communities worldwide. Inspired by Silvia’s mural artwork and reflecting on the positive change brought about by the ocean’s abundant vitality, “Rise Again” serves as a tribute to Silvia’s creativity and proactive attitude. The painting depicts Silvia herself emerging from the mural, symbolizing the life force of the ocean transcending into the real world. It also includes the individuals involved in creating the mural, highlighting the collaborative effort behind its creation. “Rise Again” pays homage to Silvia López Chavez’s mural “Rise” and celebrates her creative vision and proactive approach. It represents the transformative power of the ocean and the collective effort of the artists involved in the project.

AWARD

PHUONG LE PEARL

AGE 16

HO CHI MINH, VIETNAM

CLIMATE HERO: ANN FRAIOLI, BILLION OYSTER PROJECT

Iwas exploring climate heroes across the world when I stumbled upon a project called The Billion Oyster Project. I was surprised of the impacts oysters have on the New York harbor (other than their delicious taste). It sparked my inspiration, so I started drawing immediately. The message I wanted to express is that oysters are a part of the city, so they can and should be co-existing with the people there.

Oyster to Sea

PEARL AWARD

JIWOO (ANNABEL) KIM

AGE 16

SEOUL, REPUBLIC OF KOREA

CLIMATE HERO: JULIA BUTTERFLY HILL

While researching, I came across Julia Butterfly Hill. At the age of 25, Julia lived in a canopy amongst ancient redwood trees, specifically a tree named Luna, for 738 days. In hopes of shining light on forests that were being exploited and to stop companies with deforestation plans, she chose this act of civil disobedience to take physical action. I was eager to find out more about Julia mainly because I could not imagine anyone living in a tree for more than two years, but also because I was drawn to the courage and motivation she had. Julia is an example of an actual “do-er” who has protected the trees. I wanted to portray her life amongst the trees to depict the fact that anyone is capable of making an impact, as long as they are willing to do so. I wanted to emphasize the trees that Julia stood for, hence the coloration, or lack thereof, within the image. While researching and working on this piece, I felt hopeful in the sense that there will always be people who are willing to fight and do whatever it takes to advocate for what they believe in.

Julia Butterfly Hill

Markers, colored pencils, conté, pens

SUNNY DROR LIOR

AGE 18

HIGHLAND PARK, IL, UNITED STATES CLIMATE HERO: QUANNAH CHASINGHORSE

Ibegan this project knowing my goal was to make something that encapsulated not only my hero’s good work but their essence as well - to illuminate and celebrate them as a figure, while simultaneously embracing the beautiful, complex, and important piece of nature they swore to protect. My project surrounds the activism of indigenous model and land protector, Quannah Chasinghorse. A member of the Hän Gwich’in people of North America, her hometown of Eagle Village rests on the banks of the Yukon river, a major watercourse that cuts through Canada and parts of Alaska. The river supports a large breath of wildlife and is the place where porcupine caribou, the lifeblood of Gwich’in culture, go to calf. I chose to include the Gwitch’in name associated with the territory in my piece, “Iizhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodlit” or “the sacred place where life begins” to emphasize its cultural relevance. The relationship between people and caribou is strongly interlinked and goes beyond the necessity for food. I hoped to embody this connection in my art, mimicking the complex interconnections of the habitat as well as the inseparable association between man and nature. I composed my piece in the style of a collage, each image coming together to form one, folding over and intersecting one another, together directing your eyes in a circular motion to mimic the cyclical nature of life and being. My subjects were ones directly connected to the religion, invoking images of local wildlife like the porcupine caribou, the homes of Eagle village residents, the Yukon river, and of course Quannah herself. My choice of medium was not spared consideration - the mixing of materials like pen, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, colored pencil, and marker is meant to demonstrate the interwoven relationship at the center of Quannah’s activism. Climate change, and in particular the laying of pipelines and oil drills, is a common plight of indigenous communities across the Americas. Groups like the Gwich’in who depend heavily on natural resources and whose culture is intertwined with their environment are particularly vulnerable. It’s for this reason, among many others, that the voices of indigenous people around the globe serve an integral part to advancing us towards sustainable living.

Land, Life, and Liberty

Watercolor, graphite/colored pencil, gouache, micron pen, blue ballpoint pen

AWARD

SARAH PENG PEARL

AGE 16

CALGARY, CANADA

CLIMATE HERO: LOVE-ESE CHILE, REGENERATE WASTE LABS

The climate hero that I chose to depict is Dr. Love-Ese Chile, a sustainable plastic researcher and entrepreneur involved with creating biodegradable and bio-derived plastics in British Columbia. As the founder and managing owner of Regenerative Waste Labs, a leader in the Canadian circular bioeconomy, she is able to create green products that pave the way to creating an innovative, sustainable future. For me, her efforts inspired me greatly as one who holds great interest in the area of the sciences, particularly biology and chemistry. Most notably, I was able to see and understand how a diverse multitude of areas may also aid in or be applied to solving environmental issues of the present. All in all, this allowed me to feel more hopeful and optimistic towards the future.

Beautiful Mind in Power

Colored pencil

Distinguished Honorable Mentions

Climate Sculptor

Annabel Jung (Seoul, Republic of Korea)

Climate Hero: Jason de Caires

Taylor

Past and Future

Abbie Ahn (Bellevue, WA)

Climate Heroes: Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller, and Gerald Pearson

Climate Influencers

Gabriella Schakett (Decatur, GA)

Climate Heroes: Alaina Wood, Alexis Nikole, Tanya Denise Fields, Oli Frost, Jerome Foster II, Leah Thomas, and Anna Sacks

Listen to Their Lyrics, Listen to Our Earth

SuhYul Chloe Kang (Vancouver, Canada)

Climate Hero: Todd MacLean

Aka anyi

Onyinyechi Okonkwo (Richmond, TX)

Climate Hero: Hilda Flavia Nakabuye

Creating the Cities of the Sea

DaJeong Won (Ridgefield, NJ)

Climate Hero: Dr. David E. Vaughan

Born to Ice Haoran Zhu (Beijing, China)

Climate Hero: Paul Nicklen

Distinguished Honorable Mentions, continued

Musical Heroes of the Blue

Ayla Ikezawa (Forest Hills, NY)

Climate Heroes: marine biologists

Shangraw’s Guide to Saving the World

Helen McCarty (Sterling, VA)

Climate Hero: Randy Shangraw

Keep BLUE HOPE Afloat

Jiwoo Choi (Jericho, NY)

Climate Hero: Timothy Beatley

Climate Justice Rhea Jain (Mountain View, CA)

Climate Hero: Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim

Heroines Below the Surface

Yewon Woo (Irvine, CA)

Climate Heroes: Haenyeo

Resilience Unearthed

Xinyan Meng (Beijing, China)

Climate Hero: Terry Evans

Water Warrior

Jiyeong (Lena) Park (Langley, Canada)

Climate Hero: Autumn Peltier

Honorable Mentions

Dead or Alive?

Tatum McGee (Highlands Ranch, CO)

Climate Heroes: Gator Halpern and Sam Teicher

Teaching and Doing

Arthur Choi (San Ramon, CA)

Climate Hero: Goran N’diaye

Welcome to No Wasteland

Jiwon Eom (Vancouver, Canada)

Climate Hero: Amy Keller

The Lost World

Natalie Niselson (Bayside, NY)

Climate Hero: Jamie Margolin

Circular Manifesto

Yutong Leng (Weston, MA)

Climate Heroes: Daniel & Markus Freitag

Eco Echoes

Isabella Wu (Sydney, Australia)

Climate Hero: Daisy Jeffrey

Anna, the Trash Walker

Victoria Lin (Melville, NY)

Climate Hero: Anna Sacks

Eye to Eye

Seoyeon Yang (Seongnam-Si, Republic of Korea)

Climate Hero: Ali Tabrizi

Honorable Mentions, continued

Greenhanok

Kyu-Sun Kim (Seoul, South Korea)

Climate Hero: Jean Nouvel

Iris Aarav Chaudhary (Mumbai, India)

Climate Hero: Isaias Hernandez

The Ocean Weaves Us Together

Isabella Guglielmetti (Los Angeles, CA)

Climate Hero: Kathleen Mary Drew Baker

Warning the Public

Katie Azuma (Pleasanton, CA)

Climate Hero: Peter Kalmus

Oluwaseyi Moejoh

Kahlia Hsieh (Melbourne, FL)

Climate Hero: Oluwaseyi Moejoh

I Don’t Want to Let Her Down

Talulah Juniper (Santa Rosa, CA)

Climate Hero: Nancy MetzgerCarter

Not for Long Isabella Lares (Miramar, FL)

Climate Hero: Xiye Bastida

Haenyeo and the Sea

Daeun Chung (Seogwipo-si, South Korea)

Climate Heroes: Haenyeo

Notable Submissions

Crochet Coral Reef

Maddie Bailey (Lake Winnebago, MO)

Climate Hero: Elliot Gannon

Let the Locals Speak!

Lina Baroudi (Accra, Ghana)

Climate Hero: Portia AduMensah

Sister Nature

Grezia Candia (Cochabamba, Bolivia)

Climate Heroes: Helena and Nina Gualinga

The Ocean’s Guardian

Eleanor Chen (Pleasanton, CA)

Climate Hero: Eleanor Chen

The Robes of Renewal

Younwoo Cho (Seoul, Republic of Korea)

Climate Hero: Phra Mahapranom Dhammalangaro

Guardian of the Seas

Yeonwoo Choi (Las Vegas, NV)

Climate Hero: Hong Won-Hee

Our Planet

Dana Chung (Seoul, Republic of Korea)

Climate Hero: David Attenborough

A Word Can Change the World

Clarice Chung (Henderson, NV)

Climate Hero: Mark Lynas

The Old Man

Ha Linh Dao (Cambridge, MN)

Nā Pua o Hawai’i

Cheyna Ekau (Kapolei, HI)

Climate Hero: Shelley Muneoka

Unstable World

Shinwoo Eom (Irvine, CA)

Climate Hero: Jocelyn Augustino

Cateura’s Symphony Spark

Ally Gumalo (Brentwood, CA)

Climate Hero: Favio Chavez

Tinatangi

Yeju Ha (Seoul, Republic of Korea)

Climate Hero: Jurgenne Primavera

Brick by Brick: Saving Ocean Treasures

Jungyun Han (Ojai, CA)

Climate Hero: Nzambi Matee

The Tip of the Iceberg

Ainslee Heffelfinger (Cedar Crest, NM)

Climate Hero: Erin Pettit

The Protectors

Uee Jung (Seoul, Republic of Korea)

Climate Heroes: Beavers

Archana Soreng: The Harbinger of Our Environment

Yukyung Katie Kim (Deerfield, MA)

Climate Hero: Archana Soreng

Swimming Towards a Cleaner Ocean

Chloe Kim (Issaquah, WA)

Climate Hero: Ken Campbell

The Arctic Overcomes

Grace Kim (Savannah, GA)

Climate Hero: Quannah

Chasinghorse

Enlightenment

Jessica Kwandou (Cupertino, CA)

Climate Hero: Dr. Hema Sane

Stopping the Fossil Fuel Industry

Jin Yong Lee (Pleasanton, CA)

Climate Hero: Helena Gualinga

The Magical Green Bondage

Christina Li (Beijing, China)

Climate Hero: Carlos Roberto

Meija Chacon

Entangled Life

Ran Liu (New Hampton, NH)

Climate Hero: Anuar Abdullah

Save the Lobsters

Adriana Moon (North Yarmouth, ME)

Climate Hero: Jill Pelto

Guardian of the Deep: Caroline Cannon’s Climate Crusade

YoonJung Na (Seoul, Republic of Korea)

Climate Hero: Caroline Cannon

Geoecomorphology

Rachel Nelson (Raleigh, NC)

Climate Hero: Leonard Nelson

Which Future Will We Choose?

Soobin Oh (San Ramon, CA)

Climate Hero: Sumarni Laman

Notable Submissions (continued)

The Future is in Our Hands

Ken Oishi (Katy, TX)

Climate Hero: Angela Haseltine

Pozzi

Nicklen’s Noteworthiness

Ariat Oladipo (Stafford, VA)

Climate Hero: Paul Nicklen

Raise

Soyeon Park (Seoul, Republic of Korea)

Climate Hero: Lewis Pugh

Helping Hand

Jaeyoon Park (Irvine, CA)

Climate Hero: Miel SequieraHolm

Guardian of Our Sea

Min Ju Park (Torrance, CA)

Climate Hero: Sylvia Earle

Wish Came True

Chuqiao Peng (Irvine, CA)

Climate Hero: Jessie Peng

The Harbinger of Hope: Corinne Le Quéré

Thai Pham (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)

Climate Hero: Corinne Le Quéré

Guardians of the Deep: A Photographer’s View

Madeline Rice (The Woodlands, TX)

Climate Hero: David Jones

Crochet Seas

Louisa Romero (San Francisco, CA)

Climate Hero: Margret Wertheim

Our Minds

Jiyun Woo (Irvine, CA)

Climate Hero: Zakia Rashid

Antarctica Ice Sheet Mass

Measurement

Zhixin Zhang (Weston, MA)

Climate Hero: Jill Pelto

Change

Kevin Zhou (Irvine, CA)

Climate Hero: Boyan Slat

Bay State Award

Saving a Childhood Friend: The Story of Marino Morikawa

Nathan Zhang (Weston, MA)

Climate Hero: Marino Morikawa

SENIOR POETRY & SPOKEN WORD SENIOR POETRY & SPOKEN WORD

MAITHREYI BHARATHI

AGE 17

SARATOGA , CA, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: TERISA SIAGATONU

Iwas inspired to write about Terisa Siagatonu after remembering one of her poems that I read a few years ago, “Atlas.” In it, she talks about the frequent erasure of island nations and the Pacific Islander community (specifically, American Samoa, a U.S. territory) in their fight against climate change and the legacy of colonization. As someone who enjoys reading and writing poetry as well, I admired how Terisa used her talent to bring awareness of the danger her home faces from sea level rise: she spoke at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference and received the Champion of Change Award from President Obama in 2012. She also discusses climate change and her heritage in other published poems, speeches, interviews, and workshops she holds. To write my poem, I read about Terisa’s work, researched about Samoa’s (both American Samoa and Western Samoa) history and climate projections, and looked into vegetation, language, and culture native to Samoa. My goal was to emulate Terisa – not only in form, for which I was inspired by her poem “Moana Means Home: A Contrapuntal,” but also in theme and lyricism. I wrote about the commercialization of threatened land, marginalization in the climate fight, oil pollution, and overfishing, but also the power of words. I hope that, like Terisa, my voice can join the thousands fighting for a safer future.

terisa; triptych

terisa; triptych

after terisa siagatonu

fanua, both placenta & land. birth & breadth, a baptism. once, you were destined to drown in another ’s body, see Oceania mold from mother to cruise. sea colored blood– white whale beached ashore. you learn to love the country who split your skin, whose black oil rots in your hair. this is not a myth of margined peoples & dog-eared ulu. your war, you say it is our war our erasure. our netted braids & scarred napes six feet under salt. nacre foam at high tide, a thing of fury. shrapnel sand & a thousand sun-stroked isles clasped in your hands, your hearts. flooding tears, wind torn dirge. it ends with your throat you, daughter of wrasse & rivers– you who are three quarters the sea. you do not run your children pray to the old gods & you are calling to anyone & everyone– the UN, your neighbors you shout about palms & the feeling of peeling being pared. wetness since the womb. poetry is your spear, your siren’s song–you samoa terisa.

MNAOMI LING

AGE 17

COLUMBIA, MD, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: XIUHTEZCATL MARTINEZ

y climate hero is Xiuhtezcatl “X” Martinez, a young hip hop artist and advocate for climate justice in indigenous and marginalized communities. Since X regularly speaks out in courts and assemblies, I wanted to highlight that unique feature of his campaigns with my title. Additionally, throughout this poem, I sought to convey the emotions of indigenous communities affected by injust policies in order to shed light on their struggles. The ending of my poem is taunting, if not bittersweet--it embodies the adage of “ignorance is bliss” that far too many of us adopt when it comes to societal issues. Creating this poem evoked a mix of emotions within me: I was sickened by the systemic oppression faced by indigenous communities and the disregard for their well-being and ancestral lands. At the same time, I was inspired by Xiuhtezcatl’s unwavering commitment to justice and his ability to mobilize his “brothers and sisters.” One specific challenges faced by indigenous communities today stood out to me: the plundering of their lands by industrial activities, resulting in polluted air, contaminated water, and negative health impacts. In fact, the CDC regretfully notes that American Indian and Alaskan Native populations are more likely to develop certain cancers than other populations. To address climate change, we must all start advocating for policy changes that prioritize environmental justice, supporting indigenous-led initiatives, and fostering resilience within these communities. We can start now, under Xiuhtezcatl Martinez’s tireless leadership and activism for a sustainable future. After all, X does indeed mark the spot.

An Open Letter to American Lawmakers

“An Open Letter to American Lawmakers” by Naomi Ling, continued

CINDY WEI

AGE 16

BELMONT, MA, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: EL HADJI SALIFOU OUÉDRAOGO

Iwanted to write about El Hadji Salifou Ouédraogo because he’s got nothing special, resource or even particularly idea-wise, with his planting of the Baobabs. What’s special is his conviction, and his hilarious wit in the face of people warning him that he’ll be struck down for his work. In one documentary, Ouédraogo is even conversational with his Baobabs, asking one of them heartedly, “What misfortune struck you down?” as he pulled handfuls of rotting mulch from the trunk. He was just as unique as the Baobabs he plants, which struck me when I saw their branches floundering in the air, colossal, untouchable, yet also vulnerable. Ouédraogo is a reminder to me that it doesn’t take a whole lot to be great, to be an advocate, if only a barren patch of land, some seeds, and a watering can. He is also a reminder to find genuine joy in everything you do. Life is always fighting against everything thrown against it, so it can only take a few concentrated efforts from everyone to turn the tide.

El Hadji Salifou Ouédraogo

“El Hadji Salifou Ouédraogo” by Cindy Wei, continued

AMBUJAM K. LOHMANN

AGE 15

NARRAGANSET, RI, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: 24 BIPOC CLIMATE ACTIVISTS

Because the contributions of non-white activists are often ignored, I chose an abecedarian form that allowed me to highlight the lives and actions of several BIPOC climate activists from around the world, showing how central they are to climate activism. As a person of color, I feel it is especially important to listen to and amplify the voices of non-white activists because our communities are disproportionately affected by climate change. People from marginalized and lowincome communities are more likely to live in heavily polluted areas and to die of environmental causes than people from affluent White communities (Patnaik et al.)

Although I found the abecedarian form challenging, I am glad I pushed myself to write one because through my research, I discovered activists I hadn’t previously known of, and I hope my poem has introduced some to you, too.

Our Footprints: An Indented Abecedarian

AMBUJAM K. LOHMANN

Autumn Peltier echoes her Anishinaabe ancestors. Water is the lifeblood of Mother Earth. She presses a copper pot into Trudeau’s hands, signifying what he must protect.

Brianna Fruean declares, We are not drowning, we are fighting, igniting community action to slow tidelines that snake up Samoa’s shores, threatening to swallow homes.

Carlee Jackson kneels, hollowing cavities in the sand. A saffron morning spills over a snoring ocean as she erects stakes around an endangered Green Turtle nest.

Danni Washington runs her fingers over the staccato rhythm of a dead coral’s bone-white tentacles as a young girl listens, wide-eyed, and learns about coral bleaching.

Elizabeth Wathuti digs a small hole and places a seedling within it. Around her, the earth is pockmarked with mutilated tree stumps.

Farhana Yamin squirts superglue on her palms, handcuffing herself to the pavement. Shell’s headquarters loom over thousands protesting its policies.

Goran N’Diaye reaches into rich soil he has transformed from desert into lush oasis, as kaleidoscope-winged butterflies flit through papaya fronds.

Helena Gualinga’s Amazon home was blasted by Chevron’s explosives, leaving branches scattered like torn limbs. Outside the UN, she raises her fist in defiance of oil companies.

Isra Hirsi leads a sea of students who flood the streets. This movement is not one person, or one group. This movement is all of us. Her voice resounds through the crowd.

Jasilyn Charger pounds out a message across 2,000 miles, chanting We run! For water! For life! calling attention to the pipeline encroaching on Standing Rock’s rolling grasslands.

Kevin Mtai’s body throbs with the opening verse of Never Gonna Give You Up. Disco lights flash, illuminating the word climate emblazoned across the singer’s T-shirt.

Licipriya Kangujam holds a sign reading Behind the Beauty of Taj Mahal is Plastic Pollution: a message more imposing than the dazzling dome of that monument.

Maynard Okereke points at a river flowing like a blue ribbon. This, he asks, or that? An image of a trash-choked stream flashes on screen in time to synthesizer beats.

Nina Gbor strides down a walkway wearing sustainably spun fashion, figure draped in timeless black elegance, hat’s brim swooping over her face.

Oluwaseyi Moejoh brushes away scraggly seaweed, dislodging a plastic bottle from the sand. Behind her, gleaming ripples reflect the fiery orange sky.

Peggy Oki’s fingers dance with shape. She folds origami whales and attaches them into garlands, forming a curtain of 30,000: the number killed after whaling was banned.

Quannah Chasinghorse speaks of hillsides of birch, spruce frosted with snow, and the glacier-blue lakes of her Alaska. Her words turn votes against Arctic drilling.

Ridhima Pandey cries, to stop global warming we have to do something now. Her message rings from the halls of the UN to the Himalayan foothills.

Silvia López Chavez’s paintbrush transforms a wall into a beacon of hope. She paints a woman rising from a cerulean ocean, saving a whale from a floating fishnet.

Tahir Qureshi plants an asparagus-like stalk in cool sand that squelches between his fingers. By nightfall, rows of mangrove saplings line Kharo Chan’s shores.

Ursula Rakova’s boat parts the azure fabric of the sea as she finds her community a new home. Carteret, their beloved island, disappears behind the horizon, lost to rising waters.

Varshini Prakash calls, We need every leading Democrat to take the no fossil fuel pledge. Hundreds sit on the marble floor of Pelosi’s office with signs reading What is your plan?

Winnie Asiti was raised by hardworking women in a village under the craggy peaks of Mount Kenya. Climate and gender are inextricably linked, so she empowers female farmers.

Xiuhtezcatl Martínez’s dance rides the tide of rhythm: Put down our axes for the future generations. His shoes tap, he steps back, head swaying from side to side.

You and I hold the future of the Earth in our hands. This truth we must understand if we are to protect our land. I hope my generation Z, will not be among the last on Earth, but rather the first to harness ancient wisdom with youthful energy; the ones who will fight successfully to save our future

BRONZE AWARD

SUNWOO EOM

AGE

16

ALBANY, CA UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: YUJEONG LEE, IHO SOCIETY OF HAENYEO

We have street sweepers on land, but what about in the ocean? Women divers called haenyeos have turned their responsibility of harvesting seafood into a way to clean up marine debris surrounding South Korea’s Jeju Island. As an immigrant, I take pride in embracing both my Korean roots and the connection Korean culture shares with the environment. In particular, I’m inspired by how Jeju’s haenyeos apply their noble sense of sacrifice to their ongoing fight against ocean pollution. I believe in art as a way of not only embracing my activism but also fostering it in others. I wrote “해녀의 노래: Haenyeo’s Psalm” from the perspective of Yujung Lee, a Jeju native and the youngest currently active haenyeo, but the poem weaves many other haenyeos’ stories, as well. First, I endeavored to establish the generational relationship that the haenyeo community maintains with the ocean, as well as the ocean’s inherent beauty (as the “womb of the world”). As I built poetic momentum, I aimed to amplify the disruption of ocean pollution and the profound pain haenyeos feel in confronting Mother Earth’s degradation each morning. The more I thought about how haenyeos remind people of the vitality and resilience of humankind, the more I knew I had to write this poem and share it with the world. Each section of the poems begins with a word in the Jeju dialect, which is endangered despite its literary significance that comes from its close relation to Middle Korean. Whether they themselves are “breath[ing] through gills passed from mother to daughter” to collect marine pollution or inspiring others who must rely on their own “gills” to breathe, haenyeos empower people around the world to join the global battle against climate change. Speaking of “breath[ing] … mother to daughter,” the poem begins with “어멍: Mother” and ends with “똘: Daughter” as a way of cementing the poem’s exploration of the mother-daughter relationship, as biological, environmental, and mythological mothers plead for the poem-speaker’s attention and intervention.

해녀의 노래 : Haenyeo’s Psalm

for the haenyeo

Jeju Island, South Korea | 434 AD

어멍 : Mother

Underwater, we’re guided by rocks. Above, our tewacks bloom like marigolds. Our tewacks—once home to the ocean’s children, now carrying plastic fish cradled from the seabed.

Dipping myself into the sea was easy as inheriting this shriveled body from my line of women in Jeju, women who leave season at the shore and hear the ocean’s mood better than forecasts, even once every word is a conch shell’s psalm.

Diving into the womb of the world, we lip our air back to the sea. Oxygenate cod, salmon. The oxygen tank left on the basalt shore so we don’t return with too much. Instead, we learn how to breathe through gills passed from mother to daughter, mother to daughter.

바당 : Ocean

The sea etched my body into shell and took my sisters behind waves but left the oceanfloor’s deathmoney, stroking through middle-earth to spoon sticky rice into children’s mouths—

we breathe bubbles into coral now white as shock, leeched by greedy algae, by swollen plastic. It always hurts to see mothers stripped.

If I could be bleached instead, foul-white, my body leaching bottle caps, shedding bloody band-aids. Hurting is easier said than done.

Mosaics of fish, seals, haenyeo nesting in forgotten fishnets. Sharks, whisper-finned, slip into Jeju Shore’s warming mouth.

“

해녀의 노래: Haenyeo’s Psalm” by Sunwoo Eom, continued

요왕 : Dragon Queen-Mother

So I weave myself to water, singing haenyeo’s song as we pour libations to the ocean’s matriarch. We all become her daughters, one body to breathe life back in. We, underwater. With death on our backs. We, mining abalone and candy wrappers under her skin.

Our battle with the sea has become a battle for the sea. Each dawn, I share urchins with my four sisters and leave the shallows for the elderly.

I have carried the unbreathing bodies of my sisters after they drowned like glaciers, disappearing slowly through foam. Beneath the sea, the corpses feel lighter in the sea-goddess’s hand. I don’t cry: my tears would raise sea levels.

물질 : Waterwork

With only a minute in water, time warps— we scatter like snappers, filling tewacks with trash. Buoyancy drags our ponytails above heads and wafts our arms upwards. We, waterlogged ballerinas.

The octopus’s only ugliness is its paper-cup home. In the right light, the bones of fish don’t litter the sand for long, straws and drink stirrers look the same, gum wrappers and toilet paper tubes the secret to immortality.

When breath curls in on itself and my body peels into the ocean, I arise, seaweed-handed.

숨비소리 : “Hwui pah!”

Some call my bursting breath a whistle or a song. It is not.

똘 : Daughter

Behind rocks encircling waterlogged women, the bonfire melting my curled body, we repeat the same story over and over. We must fight for Earth—like our mothers, leading Jeju

away from Japanese bullets, even our own country’s bullets, buckets of water fresh & waiting for our faces. We can’t help but return to the ocean’s belly, watching our heroic mothers—wrinkled, goggle marks embroidered—stare back. We, mermaids without tails; we, with lead belts. Rubber suits. Calluses. Blooming like a whole field of canola flowers, a whole golden field.

Until my tewack is empty of plastic fish I will dive.

PEARL AWARD

VALENTÍN SECADES ARAYA

AGE 16

SANTO DOMINGO, HEREDIA, COSTA RICA

CLIMATE HEROES: THE INDIGENOUS WOMEN OF COSTA RICA FROM THE CABÉCAR AND BRIBRI TRIBES

The inspiration for this poem came from the incredible stories of resilience and strength demonstrated by the indigenous women of Costa Rica, particularly those from the Cabécar and Bribri tribes. Their tireless efforts to preserve their traditional knowledge and protect the environment deeply moved me. I wanted to capture their struggle and the hope they embody through the power of words. As an artist, I am drawn to the arts because they provide a means of expressing complex emotions and ideas that may be difficult to convey through other mediums. In the process of writing this poem, I felt a mix of emotions. There was a sense of sorrow and anger at the destruction of the environment and the injustices faced by marginalized communities. But there was also hope and admiration for the strength and resilience of these women who continue to fight against all odds. The message I hope to convey to viewers of this artwork is the importance of recognizing and supporting the efforts of climate heroes like the indigenous women in Costa Rica. Their knowledge and practices hold valuable solutions for achieving environmental sustainability. We must listen to their voices, learn from their wisdom, and take collective action to protect our planet.

niña de mis penas, plaga de mis pecados (child of my sorrows, plague of my sins)

mamá caresses my hair in cyclonic formations, her voice hums with fragile passion… remembrance, reflection,

i look outwards, through glass windows worn down with age, over the forest, demolished by the ones who can afford the time for greed, in this room of old things forgotten, washed away like our souls, mamá’s calloused hands weave a story in my long head of hair, they weave a tale of a sick child who spawned the grass beneath my bare feet and the skies that my hands attempt to reach,

a child left to die in the flaming heat and drown in the rising seas, choking on waste and poisoned with hate,

yet just a few inches down from my scalp, a glimmer of hope arises from within this jungle of knowledge mamá tames with her hands,

a figure, a woman is woven to life, her pejibaye peel eyes to the sky and her caobilla feet rooted deep in the ground,

rebellion to the masses just by solely existing, disadvantaged, disenfranchised, disowned and disparaged, against an ocean of cries and the thunder of the powers that be, the woman nurtures the child out of her impending doom, with every single one of my entangled hair strands, a tale of healing is told, a tale of those who against fire and ice forced through, the women who fight growing the trees and the fruits.

PEARL AWARD

HEATHER QIN

AGE 16

BASKING RIDGE, NJ, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: KATHY JETÑIL-KIJINER, JO-JIKUM

On vacations to Hawaii and Alaska, I was concerned about how the hotels and ports were overflowing with tourists who often disregarded their detrimental cultural and environmental impacts. Later, I learned that developing countries, especially island nations, are burdened with the most severe effects of climate change despite contributing far less to carbon emissions than developed countries. I was inspired by Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner, a poet and activist from the Marshall Islands, and her poem “Dear Matafele Peinam” (an excerpt of which serves as my piece’s epigraph) describing how her homeland will, in the near future, be inhabitable for her daughter’s generation if urgent actions are not taken. I decided to write my piece from the perspective of a speaker residing on an island nation. Although tourists may see vacations to such islands as fun “field trips,” my poem exhibits the consequences of climate change through imagery such as hurricanes, sinking cities, rising sea levels, dead whales washing up on the shore, and lost civilizations “fossilizing / on the seafloor.” In addition, I address how climate change erodes not only an island’s physical shape, but also its peoples’ culture, identity, and “how readily [they] are forgotten.” It is important for indigenous activists and Pacific Islanders to be included with scientists in the conversation of climate change, and I am hopeful that pioneers such as Jetñil-Kijiner can represent a greater diversity of voices and continue harnessing the arts as an avenue for social change.

Field Trip to the Beach

“they say it will gnaw at the shoreline [..] / they say you, your daughter / and your granddaughter, too / will wander rootless / with only a passport to call home”

– Kathy Jetñil Kijiner

The scientist said that we have eleven years to avoid catastrophe. How easy it is for him to say that—I know how readily we are forgotten. Outside, a finger of smoke presses against the window, a newborn hurricane rattling the door like a loose coin purse. I mistake it for the persistent knock of a tourist. In Jakarta, a child trips into a pothole and the ocean swallows him like a great foam beast. At the shore, water steals under the seawall: severing

stone, nibbling at concrete, shorelines starved into valleys of silt. Ten bloodlines later, my people will be pseudohistory, our temples fossilizing on the seafloor. After monsoon season, I scavenge the beach for anything that’s still alive, fingers smeared in dirty oil. A crowd gathers around a dead whale, her teeth zippered in plastic retainers, skin slicked with slaughter. I wish I could tell her how much I loved that body:

halo of fat lined with oil in a life where we are always hungry, its eyes, a searchlight of thousand-mile journeys. So, the scientist says, we are all unforgiven. The distance between now and then is only what we make of it. I wish I could take him to see the whales. Let him know what death smells like. Let him know the sea that births us all.

Distinguished Honorable Mentions

Watermelon Seed

Kenneth Su (Chandler, AZ)

Climate Hero: Wynn Bruce

The Most Endangered Species

Lauren Young (Irvine, CA)

Climate Hero: Enzo Suma

Wai is Why

Richard Palacio (Lihue, HI)

Climate Hero: Kaina Makua

An Ode To Wangari Maathai

Elle Young

(Rancho Palos Verdes, CA)

Climate Hero: Wangari Maathai

Unwavering

Natalie Shin (San Jose, CA)

Climate Hero: Howey Ou

Nemonte Nenquimo: The Woman of Many Stars

Andrew Berman (New York, NY)

Climate Hero: Nemonte Nenquimo

Terrible Bells

Colten Edelman (Tyler, TX)

Climate Hero: Aude Bourgine

green generation

Claire He (Zionsville, IN)

Climate Hero: Elizabeth Wathuti

Ecofeminism: The Story of the Brave Women that Incited the Chipko Movement

Dhruv Bhatt (Nainital, India)

Climate Hero: Unnamed girl

uproot

Helen Gu (San Jose, CA)

Climate Hero: Tan Zi Xi

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

Obii Udemgba (Saskatoon, Canada)

Climate Hero: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

Voice of the Sea Award

Honorable Mentions

Honorable Mentions

to grandpa

Irreplaceable Marine Beauty

Two Voices One Symphony

Isabela Robledo, Katy, TX

Tianyi Evans Gu (Carlisle, MA)

Mahvish Shah, Karachi, Pakistan

House of Monsters

a love letter to the ocean

Mother Ocean

Libby Riggs, Haddam, CT

Jaehee Jung (Irvine, CA)

Climate Hero: Paul Watson

ShengYao Liu, Lake Oswego, OR

terisa; triptych

strawberry daiquiris & plastic porridge

The Perseverance of the Sunset Sea

Kaitlyn Cui, Irvine, CA

Maithreyi Bharathi (Saratoga, CA)

Climate Hero: Terisa Siagatonu

Broken

Keren-happuch Garba, Zaria, Nigeria

Take My Hand, You Are in Love

Audrey Sioeng, Arcadia, CA

Daniel Saravia-Varela, Miami, FL euphemisms for the water cycle

Annie Wu, Chicago, IL

A Fisherman Addresses Some Sea God

Daniel Liu, Orlando, FL

El Guaire, Long-Lost Dreamer, Summer Bummer

Bay State Award

Gabriela Vivolo, Orlando, FL

Tides Turned

The Sushi Man

Nadia Khan, Waterloo, Canada

Mana Hayashida (Newton, MA)

The Great Barrier Reef is Dead

Climate Hero: Daniel Pauly

Sylvi Stein, New York, NY

Dissolving Dreams

Ray Zhang, Troy, MI

The Evolution of Water

Jeah Kim, Carmel, CA

Honorable Mentions

WIWA!

Joy-Eno Etokeren (Calabar, Nigeria)

Climate Hero: Ken Saro Wiwa

Ayisha Siddiqa, Of Earth

Ali Nasir (Lahore, Pakistan)

Climate Hero: Ayisha Siddiqa

Differing Definitions

Hafeezat Ghaffar (Aurora, CO)

Climate Hero: Yasmeen Lari

ode to my mother

Ava Vazquez (Providence, RI)

Climate Hero: Heidi Vazquez

The Sparrow Seungmook Lim (Pomfret, CT)

Climate Hero: Kim Ja-yeon

Ode to Portrait on a FingerSmudged Canvas

Sunmin Eom (Albany, CA)

Climate Hero: Zaria Forman

to grandpa

Tianyi Evans Gu (Carlisle, MA)

How to Rise

Evelyn Lee (New York, NY)

Climate Hero: Elizabeth Yeampierre

Notable Submissions

Paper Bags as Self-Reflection

Abdullah Adedokun (Lagos, Nigeria)

Jobs You Write Songs About

Jyotika Aggarwal (Princeton, NJ)

Climate Hero: Bren Smith

Ocean Epistle

Madeline Schaeffer (Grayland, WA)

Climate Hero: Silvia López

Chavez

To: Voices of the Earth; From: Foolish Humans

Claire An (San Diego, CA)

Climate Hero: Craig Santos Perez

Letter to a Climate Warrior

Audrey Lin

(Rancho Palos Verdes, CA)

Climate Hero: Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner

Wake of the Waves

Hudson Friedman (Westlake Village, CA)

Climate Hero: Vanessa Nakate

Nature’s Fallacy

Alex Yang (Vancouver, Canada)

Climate Hero: Xiuhtezcatl

Martinez we took to the streets

Isabella Dunsby (Seoul, Republic of Korea)

Climate Hero: Seo-Kyung Kim

Divine Light

Arreyana Khaliq (New York, NY)

Climate Hero: Afroz Shah

SENIOR CREATIVE WRITING

Jennie

Koh

AGE 16

YONGIN-SI, REPUBLIC OF KOREA

CLIMATE HERO: JEONG KWAN

When I was deciding who I should write about, I knew that I wanted to write about someone Korean, who shared my cultural background. I decided to write about Jeong Kwan after watching her on Chef’s Table on Netflix because I remembered being incredibly inspired by her way of cooking, which was sustainable yet delicious. Moreover, I felt like in the discussion of climate change, food waste wasn’t focused on as much by the general public and the media compared to other major problems such as deforestation or burning fossil fuels. With my writing, I want to express to people that the type of cooking Jeong Kwan practices is amazing, for both the environment and body, and introduce the sustainability of temple food by showing the process of Barugongyang. Even if the general public doesn’t go out of their way to consume temple food, the philosophy of only eating as much as one needs is something that can be followed by anyone and can still help reduce food waste. Through researching Jeong Kwan, I realized that while climate change is a major issue, everyone can partake in alleviating it, and the little things - such as simply reducing your food waste - does end up having a positive impact, making me a little more hopeful for the future.

A Monk, Chef, and Climate Activist All Rolled Into One: Introducing Jeong Kwan

Instantly hit by a mouth-watering aroma, I head to the kitchen where my mom has a wide assortment of banchan on the table. The food is delicious, but eventually, I become full. There’s still some rice and side dishes left on my plate, but I think nothing of them as I shovel the remainder into the food waste bin. Little do I know that this simple act is part of a larger problem: food waste.

Food waste is one of the major factors that worsen climate change. The production, transportation, and handling of food alone generate significant CO2 emissions. When the waste ends up in landfills, it generates methane, an even worse greenhouse gas.

However, a potential solution to the food industry’s increasing global carbon footprint can be found tucked away in the valley of Naejang Mountain in South Korea. Among the soothing beats of the moktak and the vast pine trees in the Seon Buddhist Baekyangsa Temple, a Buddhist nun aims to teach the art of conservatism and simplicity. However, this individual is not just a monk. She is also a renowned chef and climate activist: Jeong Kwan.

With one meal at a time, Kwan aims to spread sustainability through the Buddhist concept of non-attachment and temple cuisine. Her philosophy begins with Barugongyang, a traditional method of eating meals that strictly adheres to the idea that you should only take as much food as you need (Knowing Korea). This step-bystep process is centered around acknowledging and appreciating the provided food, which reflects Jeong Kwan’s journey towards her passion.

The teaching begins in the dining room with clean, white walls and warm wooden floors. Flanked by two rows of soban – Korean low tables – Jeong Kwan sits at the head of the room as the others shuffle to their respective tables with the four bowls wrapped in cloth on top. Once everyone is seated, they are enveloped by a calm silence as Jeong Kwan reaches for the bamboo clapper.

Tap, tap, tap. Jeong Kwan signals Barugongyang’s first step of arranging the four bowls of different sizes, which indicate their purpose of rice, soup, side dishes, and water. This is in reference to each of the four heavenly kings giving Buddha a stone bowl following his awakening.

Such a step is similar to Jeong Kwan’s upbringing towards her passion for food. Ever since she was young, food has always been a major part of Kwan’s life. She grew up on a farm, surrounded by fresh produce every day. By the age of seven, she was well-

“A

Monk, Chef, and Climate Activist All Rolled Into One: Introducing Jeong Kwan” by Jennie Koh, continued

versed in making noodles by hand. However, Kwan was dissatisfied – at least, until she set foot in a Buddhist temple. Feeling enlightened, she left the farm at the age of 17 and officially joined the order of Seon nuns two years later (Gordinier). Despite not receiving any formal training, Kwan managed to polish her culinary skills and knowledge through her past experiences and teachings from the temple.

Kwan’s upbringing contributed to her insistence on growing food by not relying on machinery or chemical fertilizers that can generate greenhouse gases. Instead, Kwan focuses on one’s spirituality, stressing that a person’s spirit belongs to the universe and is connected with nature. To her, ultimate cooking is ensuring that the food being served is not just good for our palates, but for our bodies. Her dishes are centered around highlighting not only the taste, but ultimately the nutritional value one gets from food (Colombo). Therefore, Kwan only makes her food with the freshest organic ingredients, all grown within her temple. She emphasizes that both consumers and farmers should consider proper farming techniques as well as the consequences of climate change.

Tap. Jeong Kwan signals the second step, followed by monks making rounds with the communal food. Water is served first, followed by rice, soup, and an assortment of side dishes. Each person only takes as much food as they need to ensure no leftovers, pairing just the right amount of flavorful soup and side dishes with rice.

With the practice of sensory restrainment, Jeong Kwan teaches how to incorporate the essence of Barugongyang in limiting food waste. Raised by her parents to be frugal, which was enforced by her time as a monk, Kwan engraved in her mind the significance of appreciating how precious everything is, particularly food. This philosophy can be applied to today’s overconsumption as well. In the U.S., food waste embodies 170 million metric tons of carbon dioxideequivalent emissions; globally, around one-third of all the food produced is wasted (Buzby). That means around 1.3 billion tons of fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, seafood, and grains ready for consumption are instead thrown away, spoiled during distribution, or never even leave the farm (“Fight Climate Change”). In Barugongyang, not a grain of rice nor a drop of soup goes to waste, and it is considered to be one of the most sustainable ways of eating.

The rice bowl is raised in the air after another strike of the bamboo clapper, when the monks all chant together. Then – tap, tap, tap. Jeong Kwan signals that it is

finally time to eat. All around the room, the monks grow silent as they eat, save the faint sounds of chewing.

All the food eaten – the entire cooking process conducted by Kwan herself – is wholly vegan, only using fruits and vegetables, herbs and beans, mushrooms, and grains. These ingredients are used completely, from tough leaves and roots to the skins of fruits and vegetables (Colombo). There are few seasonings or added condiments. Meat, fish, and dairy are excluded. Of the entire food industry, meat production makes up 57 percent of greenhouse gas emissions and releases 340 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere from significant deforestation (Graham). Jeong Kwan’s veganbased meals endorse plant-based cooking that isn’t focused on raising livestock, which produces fewer carbon emissions.

Tap. The monks rinse out their bowls with their own drinking water and a piece of kimchi. Ensuring that there is no food left in the bowls, they then drink the remaining water.

Tap. Jeong Kwan signals the final step as the bowls are rearranged and stacked to their original places. The sounds of shuffling feet and rustling clothes can be heard as the monks form two lines to bow at one another, signifying the end of a good, healthy meal.

Jeong Kwan has long worked to spread her food philosophy, from winning accolades to giving cooking lessons. She even appeared on the popular Netflix series Chef’s Table, in 2017, reaching even wider audiences. Rather than striving for fame, Kwan aims to express that the form of cooking she practices is easy, requiring less energy from both the person and the environment. Not only does she emphasize the simplicity of temple food, but even the philosophy of only eating as much as you need is something that can be followed by ordinary people.

An individual who puts her entire heart not just into her cuisine but her environment as well, Jeong Kwan continues to prove herself as both a chef and a climate activist. She has “a hope that we can live a life that honors and respects nature and our environment, promotes a sustainable lifestyle, and has a positive effect on climate change and saves lives” (Wong).

ANNABEL ZHOU

AGE 16

MIAMI, FL, UNITED STAES

CLIMATE HERO: ARASSARI PATAXÓ

When I first heard what this year’s Contest theme was, I immediately thought of Arassari Pataxó, an activist from Brazil who had come to speak at my school a few months prior. I have always thought that one of the most effective forms of activism is spreading awareness through education. It is easy to ignore the effects of climate change when they are not directly affecting our lives, but activists such as Pataxó remind us that the natural world is something that we all depend on. I especially admired Pataxó’s work because of the emphasis he placed on art. Art is a visual reminder that we need to enact change. Given that the goal of this year’s Contest was to spread positivity, I decided to imagine a world in which the catastrophe of climate change had already been averted. As I was writing, I realized that Pataxó himself would not have been able to single-handedly avert the climate crisis - nor would any other climate activist, no matter how impactful their work is - so I decided to focus on a smaller impact: the one Pataxó would have on his tribe. I specifically chose to tell my story like a fable or oral legend because I thought that Pataxó’s hypothetical story would not be all too different from a typical fable about a hero saving his city. With the voices of thousands pushing for reform, we can find our way past climate change and into the future I described: one where we live in synergy with our planet instead of destroying it.

To the Dream of a Better World

Child, let me tell you a story.

Yes, I know. Stories are about as common as birds’ calls these days. But they are still important, child. In my day, they said that we told stories of the past so that we would not repeat that history. There were many things wrong in the World Before, but I think that’s one thing they got right.

Yes, the World Before. Isn’t that what all you children are always curious about? Come, sit, and entertain an old woman’s folly for a while. I promise this story will be worth your time.

Back in the World Before, most people had forgotten how to speak to the birds and the trees and the sky. They communicated with radio waves and electrical lines laid into the seafloor and strange things called “satellites” that floated in the sky higher than clouds. When you have a large hunk of metal in space, relaying thousands upon millions of bits of information per second, what use do you have for the little melodies of birds as they flit between the treetops?

That’s what the people in the World Before thought, child. They believed that they had innovated their way beyond nature through the Industrial Revolution and the creation of a thing called the “Internet,” and they believed that their stainless metal machines and gleaming copper cables would suffice to take the place of the earth and water and sky. They believed, perhaps, that there was no longer any need to protect our great Mother Nature in a time of aeroplanes and soot-covered industrial factories, where every single thing that a person could want could be purchased through a short automobile drive to a chain store.

Of course, we all know now that humanity in the World Before was terribly, fatally foolish. Their wanton ignorance of the state of the natural world around them led to a catastrophe. Countless ecosystems collapsed as entire rainforests were cut down and endangered animals were killed by the thousands for the sake of money and sport. The oceans warmed until sea creatures, unable to survive their too-hot environments, died and washed up on shores in droves of thousands. The air itself became poisoned with smoke and chemicals and things they called “greenhouse gases,” produced by their industrial factories and their gasolinepowered automobiles. Humanity knew that their world was slowly dying – they even had a name for it, “climate change.” Yet, they continued destroying the world they lived in, lulled into a daze by the comfort of having everything they wanted at their fingertips.

I’m sure they have taught you in school about how the catastrophe of the World

“To the Dream of a Better World” by Annabel Zhou, continued

Before came to an end. I’m sure you know names such as “Greta Thunberg” and “David Attenborough.” But they were not the only ones to fight for our dying planet. Climate change was a difficult enemy, child. There was no monster to hunt and slay – not even any weapons to slay such a monster with. The only enemy to fight was that of misinformation and ignorance, and the greatest weapon that our heroes had were their words. But of course, this is the same old story they tell all of you.

Now, let me tell you a new story, child.

There once was a man who could talk with the birds. His name was Arassari Pataxó. Yes, child. Pataxó, just like the name of our home. Do you know what it means, child? It is the sound of waves crashing onshore. Our lifestyle has always been inextricably linked with the forest and the sea, and the name of our tribe is simply a representation of that. The rest of the World Before had long since forgotten that Nature, our mother, brought us life long ago. But the Pataxó tribe never forgot, child. We never will.

Arassari Pataxó had never forgotten, either, and when the threat of climate change came to his tribe, when rising sea levels threatened to drown his ancestral home, he stood against the tsunami and held his head high. He fought against the catastrophe of climate change in the only way he could, in the way all our heroes have: through his voice.

There is something you will one day understand, child: as forest peoples, art is our voice. We will wear the same clothes our ancestors crafted, and every clever stitch will speak for our culture. The paintings on our walls have stayed the same throughout generations, and they will speak of our lifestyle here for generations to come. Arassari Pataxó understood this very well. He traveled the world, speaking to thousands, and when his words would fail to convince the most cynical, he would show them his art. He sold his voice in handmade crafts, and with every piece of art that left Arassari Pataxó’s hands, he sent with it a wish: that the buyer would take with them the voice of the forest peoples, and understand the need to preserve the world that brings us life.

Arassari Pataxó told the story of the forest peoples to the greater world. He allowed people to see the plight of his tribe, when they were blinded by the easy ignorance that comes with always having enough. He made people realize that one day, they may find themselves in need of the natural world around them, just as the Pataxó tribe did. He told them to fight back against the catastrophe of climate change, because even the efforts of a single person could stop the world

from dying for just one more day.

And there was something else Arassari Pataxó did. He told people to come visit his tribe, to see the effects of climate change for themselves. To see the encroaching sea creeping into the vibrant lifestyle of his tribe. And he told them all to plant a tree at the end of their stay. Because every tree would be a tiny difference, compounding day by day until it could truly help hold back the impending catastrophe.

I suppose the story is becoming familiar to you now, child.

Arassari Pataxó was not the only hero responsible for saving the world, as you likely know. There were thousands of others who worked to finally vanquish the enemy of climate change, who used their voices to preserve the world, who screamed out truths even when they went ignored. Each of those heroes have their own story, but this is the story of our tribe, our home.

Once, our home was on the verge of being flooded by the rising oceans, just another casualty to the slow hot death of our planet. And now we are here, child. People come to visit our tribe still, and they still plant a tree when they leave, even if the forest has recuperated. They tell us of the world outside. Corporations have changed their methods of operation, producing their wares in symbiosis with the environment. Governments have passed new policies, limiting the number of automobiles and pollutant-spewing factories that can exist on their land. Soon, child, climate change will become a thing of the past, and our tribe will finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Arassari Pataxó would never have dreamed of the change he made, nor would any of those sung and unsung heroes who fought for their home, their planet. He is long gone now, but his legacy remains in our home, in our people. We will continue to use our voices to protect the forest, to protect the sea – and we will continue to make art so that our story can be read by all.

One day, there may be another catastrophe just like the climate change that nearly brought down the World Before. There will always be those who forget that it is not only nature who has a need for humanity, but us who also have a need for nature. But I think that we needn’t worry at all. There will always be another hero, too, just like Arassari Pataxó; like the thousands of others who fought and won.

Who knows? Perhaps it will be you. One day, some other old grandmother like me may tell the story of you, child.

Now, go run off and play with the boys. You’ve spent long enough entertaining an old woman’s folly.

EBRONZE AWARD

CARLOS MANUEL EUSOYA

AGE 17

ILOILO, PHILIPPINES

CLIMATE HERO: CARVEY MAIGUE

ver since I was a child, I was always considered by family and relatives as a “young dreamer” as I often fantasized about ideas and innovations that could change the world. When I was accepted into a prestigious science high school in the Philippines, my worldview was revolutionized; I learned that research and innovation are not driven by funding or resources, but by the dreams that we want to materialize in society. I channeled this in my creative story piece, and I hoped to show that the fight against climate change and the preservation of our ocean ecosystems starts with a simple daydream. We know so many climate heroes, may they be as popular as Greta or as lesser known as the central scientist of my story (Carvey Maigue), but all of them started with a single dream - a dream that transforms into an invention, and an invention that transforms into progress.

Distant Dreams

This story is a work of fiction inspired by Filipino inventor Carvey Maigue.

Agent F stood in the precipice of a Norwegian mountain, carefully inspecting the heavens for any peculiar signs. “It won’t take long now,” she mumbled, finally getting a breather from the long trek that she had to take just to get a clear vantage point of the coming astronomical wonder. It was her much-needed vacation from the usual arduous and tiring missions of her agency. Out there, it was chaotic and discordant, caused by the jarring noise of polluters trying to destroy the remnant of civilization. But here within the expanse of the icy landscape, there was nothing but peace, tranquility, and an occasional dance of colorful lights.

“The Aurora Borealis. I’ve always longed to go North just to see it,” Agent F told her superiors before she left for her holiday. As a citizen of a faraway developing nation, the idea of seeing such blue-green radiance was a distant dream. Yet now, she was within minutes of finally experiencing the spectacle of lights.

[Agent F! This is an emergency. Respond immediately, code red. I repeat this is a code red emergency.]

The spy’s phone buzzed and whirred as similar warnings echoed. Code red. The highest form of calamity that the entire agency of Climate Defenders could ever face. Sighing and a bit exasperated, she picked up the contacting device. “What’s the problem, headquarters?” After what seemed like an entire hour of silence, a low bass voice greeted her, introducing himself as the secretive leader of their organization. Even F herself had not met him before; for him to speak meant this mission was about to be the most dangerous task in her lifetime.

[Your fears are confirmed, F. The polluters… have won. They managed to cut off the entire grids supplied by windmills and other wind energy stations. That was the last hope for renewable energy, as we still cannot use solar panels due to the thick layers of air pollution clouding the sunlight. Entire cities are suffering blackouts, F. Children are crying, citizens are fainting from the heatwave. The polluters will exploit this opportunity to bring back their fossil fuels and coal industries. Everything that Climate Defenders have worked for in the past 40 years, every last piece of the natural environment that we tried to preserve… is gone.]

Overwhelmed with rage, F rode on her jet ski and hurtled away from the chilly mountains. “What do I need to do, Sir?”

[We believe there is a final chance for us. Your country, Philippines, had one inventor who was working on perfecting a device that may save us all. We don’t know how it

“Distant Dreams” by Carlos Manuel Eusoya, continued works. But we are confident that it can change the energy landscape.]

“You want me to go back home and find blueprints?” F guessed as she made her way to the rendezvous point, where a chopper was waiting for her.

[We have the blueprints, F. What we need to find is a “missing piece,” a “missing ingredient.” You have to hurry. A chopper has already been sent; you’ll find your partner waiting for you.]

“Partner?” F was taken aback as she boarded the plane – another agent clad in the same Climate Defender uniform greeted her. “Agent U, from the United Kingdom,” he whispered affably.

“I usually work alone,” F interjected. “Why would the agency pair me with another spy?”

U smirked. “We believe that our mystery inventor from the Philippines was awarded a grant by an English research institute from the UK. He was working on something solar-powered.” The fellow eco-warrior passed F several yellow folders containing annotated papers and confidential documents. She browsed through the inventor’s profiles before hearing U shout, “We’re here!”

Floods raged and swept the landforms of the archipelago. Islands were nearly sunk from the deluge caused by unstoppable thunderstorms. Wherever you glanced, there was a surge of water from the overflowing seas. “This is the Philippines?” U’s eyes showed a hint of surprise and anticlimactic disappointment.

“Yeah. This was… well, this is my home.” F shed a tear as they disembarked from the helicopter, both emblazoning a raincoat. F tried to glance around to see any glimmer of hope, but there was nothing but typhoons and flooding. She could picture herself back then as a five-year-old girl playing tag with friends in the streets, or making picnic forts at the meadows while eating her Lola’s hearty soup. And now, the same streets and meadow were submerged by the torrential waters. All the innocent laughter, the silly childish dances, the delectable meals… all swept away.

“I’ve seen the climate crisis affect countries up close, but not as gloomy as this one. I’m so, so sorry, F.” U patted her shoulder.

“Hey, it’s alright. This is the sad truth. UK and other well-off nations, you’re more

resilient. But here in the smaller, less fortunate countries, we struggle to survive,” F fought back her tears. “Maybe that was what the inventor was trying to do. Survive.”

A few minutes later, they entered a protective rain shelter theorized to have belonged to the inventor. They scoured papers, read diaries, and searched the place inside and out, only to find no trace of the missing ingredient. “It’s hopeless! We tried, but… Philippines… my country is a place for survivors, not some treasure trove of hope.”

“F, wait!” The male agent pulled his female counterpart to some scribbles on the wall. “Look at these drawings!”

F was struck with amazement. “No way.” Aside from the messy streaks of colors, there were drawings of children playing and dancing in a circle, and sketches of a grandmother’s herbs and soup. F had her Eureka moment, realizing that her childhood and that of the solar inventor were not so different. Just as her childhood had sparked her motivation to join the agency, the inventor’s childhood must have inspired his blueprint! She had seen the documents – this mysterious scientist was creating a unique form of solar panels, panels that moved around like playing children, and used herbal turmeric chemicals inspired from the herbal soups his grandmother had prepared for him. “This inventor – he’s just like you, huh? Not just a survivor. He was a dreamer.” U elbowed her.

F smiled. “Just like me…” She looked again at the messy streaks of colors. “Northern lights. He was dreaming the same thing… We were both dreamers.”

[Headquarters, this is Agent F. The missing key is Aurora Borealis! Auroras change UV light to visible light; by using the herbal coatings and the shape-changing panel design, we can mimic the style of auroras and absorb solar energy despite the clouds of pollution!]

F smiled after hearing their team cheering on the other side of the phone. “Ready to go back?” U held her hand.

Walking out of the shelter, the two waited for the chopper to reach them. F took one last look at her surroundings: typhoons poured down from the heavens, and floods devoured the isles of her country. This would change soon. Perfecting renewable energy would be the first step to resisting the polluters’ regime, the first step to reclaiming the poisoned world.

“We can save the world, F. We can save Philippines. I promise you that,” U beamed, and F smiled back.

“Of course, we only need more dreamers.”

Honorable Mentions

The Adventures of Nut Brother

Kyra Bi (Newton, MA)

Climate Hero: Nut Brother

A Final Plea

Yueyi (Taylen) Huang (Shanghai, China)

Climate Hero: Berta Cáceres

The Little Sapling

Godha Venugopalan (Bridgewater, NJ)

Climate Hero: Elizabeth Wathuti

A Voice Yet to be Heard

Rosie Hong (Sugar Land, TX)

Climate Hero: Howey Ou

Constructing Climate Solutions

Jonathan Moon (Singapore)

Climate Hero: Prashant Kapoor

Bay State Award

Taking Back Tehran’s Sky

Anouk Shin (Southborough, MA)

Climate Hero: Sophia Kianni

Notable Submissions

The Artist and the Curmudgeon

Xinyao Sarah Huang

(Newport Coast, CA)

Climate Hero: Silvia López Chavez

The Sea Woman

Chloe Park (Fort Wayne, IN)

Climate Hero: Haenyeo

The Water Man and the Water

Gods

Dhruv Bhatt (Nainital, India)

Climate Hero: Rajendra Singh

First Snow

Fiona Gu Feiyang (Shanghai, China)

Climate Hero: Rose Abramoff

The Silent Climate Champion: Ruojin’s Green Legacy

Genghao Ye (Woodbury, NY)

Climate Hero: Ruojin Wu

Getting Our Feet Wet

Angela Zhang (New Albany, OH)

Climate Hero: Joel Davis

A Hero Inside a Guard Post

Ajin Jo (Seoul, Republic of Korea)

Climate Hero: Mr. Kim

South Coast, Cape & Islands Award

Journey with Ayana Johnson

Zhiyang Zhong (Marion, MA)

Climate Hero: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

SENIOR FILM SENIOR FILM

CYNTHIA ZHANG

AGE 15

GREAT NECK, NY, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: RAJU RAJAN, REWILD LONG ISLAND

Coordinating the 2023 ReWild Summer Program to Fight Hunger and Climate Change as a student organizer/mentor and leading ReWild’s Social Media Committee as the co-chair have allowed me to watch the magic unfold behind ReWild Long Island, and that magic is only possible because of Raju Rajan, the board president and a co-founder of ReWild. Since I participated in ReWild’s 2022 summer program as an intern, Raju’s passion and dedication towards this nonprofit organization have inspired me to join the fight against the climate crises by starting a balcony garden from growing kitchen scraps, engaging in my school’s two environmental clubs, and collaborating with the ReWild Gardens Program to initiate a wildflower garden at my high school. I am immensely grateful for having a local organization like ReWild, which has taught me the importance of sustainable landscaping and native fauna and flora, which are crucial for healthy and biodiverse ecosystems that we and wildlife depend on. I collaborate and meet with Raju every week, discussing upcoming activities and plans to further our mission to raise awareness about sustainability through Long Island’s communities. Through my film, I hope to present Raju’s work and ReWild’s message to more people worldwide. Spreading awareness and inspiration is key to making change locally, thereby leading to change worldwide, as alluded to in the film’s title: “ReWild Your Yard, Revive Our World.” As passionate activists like Raju take initiative in their local communities, it gives me hope that we can protect our planet from future harm.

SILVER AWARD

LEAH ZHANG, TRONTOUR WANG, & ANTHONY ZHAO

MCLEAN, VA, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: MONICA JAHAN BOSE

We wished to create a film involving one woman who connects culture and climate. She raises saris, a preindustrial clothing, like she raises awareness of climate change. Her name is Monica Jahan Bose. Through creating our short film, we learned Monica is an artist who fights against climate change - without words. Many people view climate change as a statistic. They do not feel the urgency. However, in Monica’s words, “Art makes you feel emotion.” With her saris - which connect to her Bangladeshi cultureshe imitates the rising waters. The light blue cloth waves around the city; both men and women raise the sari boldly as they walk across the streets. Similar to the rising sea levels, the saris flood the sidewalks. Rather than presenting a statistic, Monica Jahan Bose brings our shared climate threat into a visual, tactile reality. By making this film, we’ve come to realize that every one of us can be a climate hero.

Stills: Threads of Change: Weaving Climate Activism into Art

ALLISON PARK BRONZE AWARD

AGE 15

WYCKOFF, NJ, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: PAULA ROGOVIN

Iam sure that there are a lot of people who feel as if they do not have the power to make a difference in this climate world. Therefore, I hope to inspire others through this documentary that highlights activist Paula Rogovin, by showing that anyone can take action. When I first heard stories about Paula, I was intrigued and wanted to hear more. After getting to know her, I chose to create a documentary to display her liveliness and enthusiasm to the world. She is not only ambitious and kind, but she spreads these positive traits to others in hopes to better our planet and empower others, specifically our future generation. Getting to know Paula has brought me more hope for the state of our planet, opened my eyes to the beauty of believing in everyone, and taught me that it is the collective smaller steps that ultimately lead to a better future. There are so many unheard stories and everyday heroes; I believe it is greatly important to recognize and honor their achievements and efforts, and to hopefully encourage others through those stories as well! We are all capable of change.

Honorable Mentions

An Action for a Change

Ramzy Fauzan Ma’arif, Rizqi Muhammad Syahrul Ramadhani, Faiq

Admaja Wibowo, & Muhammad Kiswah Mubarok (Sidoarjo, Indonesia)

Climate Hero: Arike Gill

Summits to Sustainability

Calvin Cha (Campbell, CA)

Climate Hero: Alex Honnold

Francia Márquez - Her Story

Natalie Damer-Salas (Suwanee, GA)

Climate Hero: Francia Márquez

The Power of Film: Robert Redford

Maximillian May (Selkirk, NY)

Climate Hero: Robert Redford

An Interview With Shelley Bennett

Linnea Anton-Williams (Silver Spring, MD)

Climate Hero: Shelley Bennett

Notable Submissions

We Can

Elaine Kim (Stevenson Ranch, CA)

Climate Hero: Miranda Wang

Vandana Shiva

Harsh Khandal (Jaipur, Rajasthan, India)

Climate Hero: Vandana Shiva

Saoirse Exton | In Her Own Words

Sophie Kim (Huntington Beach, CA)

Climate Hero: Saoirse Exton

The Pictures He Drew on the Canvas

Zachary Brennan (Honolulu, HI)

Climate Hero: Robert Wyland

The Ocean Story

Jimin Park (Seoul, Republic of Korea)

Climate Hero: Jo Sang-hee ( 조상희 )

Creating Stars

Annette Kim (Mountain House, CA)

Climate Hero: Kristy Drutman

Haenyeos, Traditional Female

Sea Divers: Hidden but Precious

Environment Activists to Remember

Dain Choi (Seoul, Republic of Korea)

Climate Hero: Haenyeo

Maya Penn: Climate Heroes in Action

Lea Lavalley (Regina, Canada)

Climate Hero: Maya Penn

Melodies of the Earth

Grace Puma (Virginia Beach, VA)

Climate Hero: Joy Hardjo

SENIOR PERFORMING ARTS SENIOR PERFORMING ARTS

REIHINNA HARRIS

AGE 17

PHILADELPHIA, PA, UNITED STATES CLIMATE HERO: JOANNA SUSTENTO, GREENPEACE; LIVERARY: LIVING BOOKS AND READERS

My original song, “Making Waves,” is about Joanna Sustento, a Filipino woman who survived Typhoon Yolanda, one of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded, on November 8, 2013, and lost her family to the raging waters. In response to this disaster, Joanna fought for climate change justice with Greenpeace by demanding accountability from fossil fuel companies such as Shell and protesting against oil drills in the Arctic. She also co-organized a project entitled “LIVErary: Living Books and Readers,” which allowed other survivors to share their experiences through storytelling. Even though Yolanda happened almost ten years ago, the impact of climate change still affects the Philippines. It is the efforts of activists like Joanna who will protect the Philippine waters. I felt a deep connection to Joanna’s story not only because of how inspirational it is, but because I, too, am Filipino. Though I am half-Filipino and live in the United States, I can still understand the devastating effects that typhoons can have on families. Whenever a typhoon hits the Philippines, I always keep the safety of my family there in mind. In “Making Waves,” I included the phrase in Tagalog, “kalikasan ay ingatan,” or “protect nature,” to add more cultural layers to the song.

Making Waves

[Verse 1]

She watched as the waters

Came up and Swallowed her home

Pretty soon

The typhoon Drowned 6,000 Dreams and hopes

[Pre-chorus]

Swimming in an endless tide

Joanna kept her head up high

[Chorus]

Now she fights for the waters And learns to forgive

All of the damage they did Last of her family, isn’t she brave?

“Making Waves” by Reihinna Harris,

continued

By saving the sea

She’s making waves

[Verse 2]

She protests the grotesque Effects of

The damage we’ve done

Fossil fuels and arctic pools

She joins with Greenpeace until peace is won

[Pre-chorus]

Swimming in an endless tide

“Kalikasan ay ingatan,” (protect/take care of nature in Tagalog) she cries

[Chorus]

Now she fights for survivors

Helps them to give

Stories of how they all lived

Last of their family, aren’t they brave?

Through her Human Library

She’s making waves

[Bridge]

Save our seas please hear our pleas

Save our seas please hear our pleas [kalikasan ay ingatan]

Save our seas you hear our pleas [kalikasan ay ingatan]

Save our seas you hear our pleas [kalikasan ay ingatan]

[Chorus]

We must fight for the waters

So they will forgive

All of the damage we did

And just like her oh we could brave

Helping save others and making waves

GOLD SILVERAWARDAWARD

PATIENCE NAMEGEMBE, LILLIAN NAJJUMA, LUCKY AKELLO, CLOE TENDO, PROSSY NAKYAZZE, LUKIAH NAKIGUDDE, PAULINE NAMWANJE, PRECIOUS

NANKABIRWA, SUMAYAH BABIRYE, FLAVIA

KISAKYE, DIANA KWAGALA, IMMACULATE NANYANGE, ANGELLA NANSUBUGA, ARNOLD MUKISA, REUBEN

BUSIGYE, JAMES KITENDA, DAISY MUKISA, TRACY

AKATWIJUKA, RAYMOND BUKENYA, IVAN TUSIIME, BEN -

DICT JUMBA, JOAN NAKIGUDDE, ENOCK OKECHA

KAMPALA, UGANDA

CLIMATE HERO: VANESSA NAKATE

Our work and creative process were inspired by the urgency and importance of addressing climate change. We wanted to use our talents to raise awareness about the impact of climate change on our planet. Our interest in the performing arts comes from the diverse cultures we all belong to as a group; the benefits and confidence stage performance bring to individuals and audiences further boosts our creative process endlessly, while the process of creating our dance performance on climate change awareness raised emotions of consciousness in most of us. We felt a sense of responsibility to use our most available resources to act and raise awareness against climate change, just like the hero we celebrated. The audience of our performance should not just be entertained but rather take it from our energetic performance to use the same energy and enthusiasm to create solutions to the current climate crisis; our moves should remain in the minds of every viewer to use the same energy in our dance to act quickly. The efforts of Vanessa Nakate as a young climate hero encourages us as young people to bring change to this crisis.

A Young Woman of Change

Stills:

MILO KLISE

AGE 18

BERKELEY, CA UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: HEIDI PEARSON, UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA SOUTHEAST

After being a musician for over ten years, nothing from the animal kingdom has ever spoken to me more than songs of humpback whales. Recent studies and articles about these intricate compositions have been bringing widespread recognition of the similarities between human and whale music. Whales are not only poised musicians but phenomenal climate change indicators. Many times when I think about our oceans and marine ecology as a whole, endangered species and human-caused problems are all that come to mind. Here’s a sliver of good news: currently, the global humpback population is on a steady incline. After the ratification of the Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1970, humpback whales recovered from near-extinction numbers and are now labeled “least concern” when considering population. My climate hero, Heidi Pearson, is a researcher and author at the University of Alaska Southeast. Some of her most recent work found its way into my daily news cycle and inspired me to read more about her paper, “Whales in the carbon cycle: can recovery remove carbon dioxide?” Any cynics arguing against biodiversity would be stumped after taking a look at this well thought-out and highly researched paper. If someone were to read Heidi Pearson’s study and not be sold on whales being crucial against the fight of climate change, maybe they could listen to my music and appreciate their beauty and be convinced otherwise.

Humpback Harmony

MILO KLISE

BRONZE AWARD

JANESSA MONTILLA

AGE 17

PLANTATION, FL, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: LEAH NAMUGERWA, FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE UGANDA

My work and creative process were inspired by the musician, H.E.R.. I’ve listened to her music for about five years now, and I really enjoy watching videos related to her creative process. I like how she approaches each song she makes differently, and how she uses her music to spread important messages and highlight people who are making an impact in the world today. Leah Namugerwa makes me feel positive about the future. She reminds me that there are people in the world who really care about our current situation and want to protect our future. She frequently speaks at climate change events, and she shows me how important it is to use your voice. She isn’t afraid to stand up for what she believes in, and she inspires me to contact my government officials to try to create change.

Love on the Brain Parody

JANESSA MONTILLA

Climate change has us like, oh

What’s it want from us

And we can try and ignore what’s going on, but the price is too high

Baby it has us like, oh

It wants us to fall apart

But if we work together then we can stop it all

Baby it has us like ah, woo, ah

But let’s not stop trying

Don’t quit trying

Just keep trying

And there are climate heroes across the world

Trying to save the earth

And Leah, from Uganda, is a climate hero

She is saving the Earth

Leah Namugerwa

She planted 200 trees for her 15th birthday

She is saving the earth

And we will remember her name

No matter what we do, we’re inspired by her

We all must keep trying

We must save the earth

Let’s keep trying

Let’s keep signing

All we need to do is keep protesting

Got me like ah-ah-ah-ow

I’m tired of seeing plastic in the ocean

Leah started a petition to ban plastic bags in Uganda

Uganda

She’s organized marches and created the Birthday Trees project

It gives people seeds to plant on their birthday

Their birthday

What a special thing

And she’s trying to find ways to resolve the droughts and landslides in Uganda

We thank people all over the world

Trying to save the earth

And I am so grateful to have these role models

We will save the Earth

Honorable Mentions

Feel It All Around

Changjoon Cho & Juhyuk Park (Seogwipo, Republic of Korea)

Climate Hero: Jaeyoun Kim

Echoes of Change

David Oladejo (Milton, Canada)

Climate Hero: Daphne Frias

All the Young Ones

Audrey Limb (Burlingame, CA)

Climate Hero: Billie Eilish

Hometown Award

Hey There Ms. Pocius

Mohamed Ali Hafez (Boston, MA)

Climate Hero: Nicolette Pocius

Notable

Submissions

In Between the Sky and Water

Xiaoxiao Chen (Beijing, China)

Climate Hero: Marina Zurkow

Break in Case of Change in Perspective

Mae Anderson (Gurnee, IL)

Climate Hero: Arzucan Askin

Waterland

Davidoula Georgopoulou (Arta, Greece)

Climate Hero: Brigitta Gunawan

The River’s Tumult

Aarini Sheth (Ahmedabad, India)

Climate Hero: Sneha Shahi

Peacock Dance

Tamilakhon Khaydarova (Tashkent, Uzbekistan)

Climate Hero: David Attenborough

Activism - Purifying Water

Clarissa Sung (Fullerton, CA)

Climate Hero: Autumn Peltier

SENIOR INTERACTIVE & MULTIMEDIA SENIOR INTERACTIVE & MULTIMEDIA

ARIELLE KOUYOUMDJIAN

AGE 16

FAIRFAX, VA, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: HUSSAIN, OURIGANE

ECOLODGE

For over four years, I’ve produced Changing Planet Justice, a podcast that explores how climate change disproportionately impacts marginalized communities around the globe. I visited Morocco with my family, hoping to find the answer there. I came prepared with my mini-microphone, and as always, kept my eyes peeled for signs of climate change’s impact on local communities. I spent four days trekking the High Atlas Mountains with Hussain, whose Berber heritage and home in Imlil gave him a unique perspective on the nomadic people who roam the surrounding hillsides. I interviewed Nordeen, a Moroccan native from Tinghir who’d watched the oasis and its irrigation system change over decades. I met with the head of the High Atlas Foundation about their women’s empowerment and climate change mitigation initiatives. When I witnessed first-hand climate change’s impact on the food security of the nomadic citizens of Morocco, I knew that this would be the focus of my submission. Climate change, and the impending devastation of our planet, constantly weighs on me. When I discuss this gnawing sense of doom with my friends, we fall silent after a while. Politically paralyzed, and without a stake in the financial game, we are frustratingly limited to peaceful resistance and speeches that draw tears, but fall on deaf ears. I want not only to be heard, but to be listened to. In the field of climate justice, rhetoric is key. I want to speak to all the climate skeptics, the adults who say, “I’ll be dead by then anyway…”, the politicians who have bigger problems to worry about than global destruction, the economists driven by the short-term reward of gas guzzling industries, the school administrators who ignore emails about sustainability initiatives, the kids who have given up on climate change because they feel they can’t make a difference. I want to convince them all that change is possible. It requires momentum, dedication, and discomfort, but change is possible, and within reach.

Unsung Climate Hero: Wisdom from a Berber High

Atlas Mountain Guide

Podcast Description: Some of the most impactful climate heroes are the ones you’ve never heard of. For four days, Hussain of the Ourigane Ecolodge guided my family and me through the craggy High Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Hussain is an outspoken environmentalist in his rural village; climate change threatens his livelihood and the land his ancestors have treasured for millennia. Learn about how many Berber communities in the High Atlas Mountains are returning to the sustainable ancient farming methods of their nomadic ancestors, and abandoning modern irrigation systems that deplete Morocco’s precious groundwater reserves. Plus, hear about how climate change is impacting Morocco from someone who spends thousands of hours each year trekking through the wilderness.

YUWAN LUO

AGE 15

REDMOND, WA, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: CAI GUO-QIANG

When I began this project, I wanted to address a few problems that have been lingering in my mind for awhile. Climate change is an interconnected, complex event with a multitude of factors and effects--in other words, it’s confusing. Especially for younger students, who may not have access to the news, or simply aren’t interested in scrolling through long articles. Recognizing these factors, I combined it with my love of art, which has blossomed ever since a young age. The first step to this project was research-a lot of it! I found a lesser-known artist who created stunning pieces of climate change, Cai Guo-Qiang. Throughout my creative process, I focused on user interaction and important facts they should learn. I made sure the facts were accurately presented in a fun manner, allowing the player to navigate around Cai Guo-Qiang’s exhibits to learn more about his pieces and climate change. Additionally, I wanted to spark hope for the user. Although climate change is a bleak and depressing topic, my goal was to show the user that this process could be stopped. And that is evident through Cai Guo-Qiang’s pieces--his work to raise awareness has helped the public be more mindful of their actions, and inspire the player to rethink their effects on earth. By the end of the game, the user is prompted to pledge to reducing their impact on our planet and spreading the word about. Hopefully, players are enthusiastic towards our future and motivated to positively benefit our shared earth!

“Climate Hero: Cai Guo-Qiang” by

Yuwan Luo, continued

As the user starts the game by clicking “Learn”, they are prompted to press the spacebar in order to learn about what climate change is–and why it matters. After learning about the detrimental effects of climate change, the user is introduced to climate hero and groundbreaking artist Cai Guo-Qiang.

The user plays as a young student with a backpack, navigating through Cai GuoQiang’s museum exhibit with arrow keys. The user is then able to interact and “talk” to Cai Guo-Qiang through various interactions. The goal of this game is to help players understand the severity of climate change, as well as introduce a not so well-known climate artist–Cai Guo-Qiang, who dedicates his pieces towards educating the public about climate change. Hopefully, players walk away inspired by the climate hero Cai Guo-Qiang–and a climate hero themselves!

BRONZE AWARD

YUZUNA

KUDO

AGE 18

GLENDALE, CA, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: JACK DANGERMOND, ESRI

In high school, I was exposed to Esri tools like ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS StoryMaps through the GIS career pathway. Learning to use these tools empowered me to pursue self-directed projects exploring the complex connections between society and the environment, while also providing me with the resources to develop creative climate solutions. It wasn’t until recently that I learned that I had a deeper connection with GIS and Esri. As I uncovered old picture albums, I came across an image of the CEO and founder of Esri, Jack Dangermond, holding me as a baby. Through this project, I hoped to convey the inspirational work Mr. Dangermond has done on the technological front of the climate revolution, and how he has empowered students like me to pursue our particular curiosities and develop solutions for the climate crisis. After reconnecting with Mr. Dangermond years after our initial encounter, I reflected upon my journey of environmental activism. Every project I worked on, started with GIS. Hopefully, with this StoryMap, I am able to communicate the profound impact Esri has had on me and the rest of the world.

Jack Dangermond

Project Description: My project is an ArcGIS StoryMap. It functions as a website but includes various forms of media such as 3D maps, videos, and images. Users can interact with each element by scrolling down and clicking on each element.

YUZUNA KUDO

IAWARD

KESHAVI RAMKISSOON BRONZE

AGE 17

SANGRE GRANDE, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

CLIMATE HERO: GUY CALLENDAR

am highlighting is Guy Callendar, the first researcher to record an accurate calculation of Earth’s increasing temperature thereby beginning the chain of climate change activists and scientific research on global warming. Whilst he may not be alive in this century, he is one of the lesser known contributors to substantive proof of the earth’s rising temperature. He suggested the arbiter of the problem; which is human activity and industrial use of fossil fuels in a time when many scientists did not acknowledge the correlation of carbon dioxide levels, human activity and global warming. I believe Guy Callendar deserves more recognition for the work he did.

The Climate Callendar

Project Description: A creative and interactive website using Tilda as the website builder and Canva designs for other elements within the website along with Rawpixel. It is recommended to scroll through the website at a moderate pace for animations to properly load.

Honorable Mentions

Human Duality

Matthew Sheng (Saratoga, CA)

Climate Hero: Álvaro Herrero

Coral Gridscape

Zhe Qi Bai (Beijing, China)

Climate Hero: Johnny Gaskell

Wangari Maathai: Climate Hero

Ibrahim Ahmed (Glendale, CA)

Climate Hero: Wangari Maathai

Notable Submissions

Bridging Worlds of Sustainability: The Story of Elizabeth Johnstone

Nathalie Leung (Encino, CA)

Climate Hero: Elizabeth Johnstone

Eco-Artistry

Ethan Yoo (Jeju, Republic of Korea)

Climate Heroes: Jeong-a Bang, Ji-hae Hwang, Soyoung Jung

Maldives’ Coral Reservation Installation

Wanyi Zhu (Shanghai, China)

Climate Hero: Miao Wang

An Arctic Scientific Adventure

Peter Watts (Sunnyvale, CA)

Climate Hero: Garry B. Stenson

I Am Boyan Slat

Victoria Lin (Rocklin, CA)

Climate Hero: Boyan Slat

Franziska Trautmann: A Revolutionary Recycler

Brandon Choi (Seoul, Republic of Korea)

Climate Hero: Franziska Trautmann

AR Masks: Plato’s Atlantis

Meilin Liu (Shenzhen, China)

Climate Hero: Alexander McQueen

Rewilding

Leo Roth (Scarsdale, NY)

Climate Hero: Elise Van Middelem

JUNIOR VISUAL VISUALJUNIORART ART

SACRED HEART SCHOOLS, ATHERTON 8TH GRADE STUDIO ART

AGE 13-14

ATHERTON, CA UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HEROES: TOM FORD, ÁLVARO SOLER-ARPA, JAE RHIM LEE, NALLELI COBO, EUGENIE CLARK, XIUHTEZCATL MARTINEZ, ST.FRANCIS, BOYAN SLAT, CYRILL GUTSCH, BREN SMITH, AUTUMN PELTIER, CARLO HEIN, ISATOU CEESAY, JAMES E. HANSEN, EMMA SLADE EDMONDSON, GRETA THUNBERG, CRAIG FOSTER, ANITA VAN BREDA, DR. AYANA ELIZABETH JOHNSON, ALEXANDRIA VILLASEÑOR

The 8th Grade Studio Art Elective from Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton have created an exceptional quilt that showcases the journeys of various artists and the remarkable efforts of climate heroes. Despite our initial inexperience with sewing, we were able to overcome this obstacle with sheer determination and hard work. Through our unwavering efforts, we quickly acquired the skills of embroidery and sewing, which proved to be an immensely gratifying experience. We are extremely proud to have used our newly acquired skills to honor the incredible accomplishments of our climate heroes. In addition to highlighting famous activists like Greta Thunberg and Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, we also showcase lesser-known but equally impactful activists such as Emma Edmonson and Isatou Ceesay in our quilt. Before creating our artwork, we thoroughly researched each activist and discovered that many of them started their activism at a young age. By exploring the work of numerous activists, we familiarized ourselves with their inspiring efforts and aimed to encourage our audience to join the climate movement. Throughout this project, our 8th Grade Studio Art class demonstrated maturity and proactivity. Fueled by our passion for the arts, we dedicated ourselves fully to this endeavor. Our goal was to raise awareness about the climate crisis and offer comfort in the knowledge that many dedicated individuals are working to combat it. We hope to inspire our audience to take climate action seriously and follow in the footsteps of celebrated activists. Our patchwork quilt serves as a symbol of solidarity among climate activists and evokes feelings of hope while encouraging others to support the climate movement. Thanks to the hard work of our student artists, we created an impressive piece of teamwork and collaboration that honors numerous climate heroes. (Written by: Avroh Shah ‘27, Caven Yip ‘27, Teddy Parrett ‘27)

Climate Heroes Quilt

fabric, thread, iron-on adhesive, acrylic medium photo transfer on fabric

Quilted

SILVER AWARD

MAGGIE FANG

AGE 13

LAKE FOREST, CA, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: NEMONTE NEQUIMO, CEIBO ALLIANCE

This acrylic painting is of Nemonte Nenquimo, a leader of the Waorani Nation in the Amazon Forest. I was greatly inspired by her bravery and courage in protecting the Amazon Forest and the many animals who call it home. While researching climate change, I learned that deforestation has a really big impact on nature and can lead to global warming – something that is especially true of the Amazon Forest because of its large size. The efforts of our hero Nemonte have inspired me to protect the Forest by using less paper and planting trees whenever I can.

The Future of Amazon Forest is in Our Hands

Acrylic paint

MHAJIN LEE SILVER

AGE 15

AWARD

SEOUL, REPUBLIC OF KOREA

CLIMATE HERO: DOMINIQUE PALMER

y project is about climate justice activist, speaker, storyteller, and writer Dominique Palmer. She has led protests against climate change and is involved in Fridays for Future, a youth-led movement that was started in August 2018 by Greta Thunberg. I’ve decided to make my artwork revolve around Dominique Palmer because I felt like she wasn’t really being talked about despite the fact that she has been fighting for justice for a long time. In my art piece, Dominique and the fish in the background wear blue ribbons because members of the Fridays for Future movement wear blue ribbons to show support for stopping ocean pollution.

Climate Justice

Acrylic paint, marker, colored pencil

AWARD

ERIN KIM

AGE 13

SEOUL, REPUBLIC OF KOREA CLIMATE HERO: LUDOVICO EINAUDI

This artwork portrays Ludovico Einaudi, an acclaimed Italian pianist and composer. In 2016, he partnered with Greenpeace, an international organization that works to help the Earth, and he traveled to the Arctic to perform his composition, ‘Elegy for the Arctic’, surrounded by melting glaciers and chunks of ice in the ocean. In music, an elegy generally refers to a sad song, in this case, a song mourning for the climate crisis our world is facing. Einaudi’s performance and piece helped raise awareness for melting glaciers and rising sea levels. In this artwork, Einaudi is playing his music on a massive chunk of ice that is floating in the ocean, surrounded by even more. The polar bears, a species that is greatly negatively affected by climate change, watch his performance and are overjoyed to hear his beautiful music and see someone who cares and performs for their problems. In the background, there are glaciers that melt and dissolve into the waters. However, in this artwork, we can see how Einaudi’s music portrays the once beautiful glaciers that once existed. It shows how the world has changed and reflects on the sad condition of the melting glaciers by contrasting these two glaciers at different times, one magnificent and one disappearing. It’s my hope that Earth can return to its original state where there was no climate change and there were full and beautiful glaciers, like the one in the piano.

Arctic Performance for the World

Black pen, markers, colored pencils

BRONZE AWARD

GOLD AWARD

CHUHAN SHAN

AGE 11

SHANGHAI, CHINA

CLIMATE HERO: VANDANA SHIVA, NAVDANYA RESEARCH

FOUNDATION FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ECOLOGY

My art was inspired by Vandana Shiva, an Indian environmental scientist and activist. My work is centered around the theme of food security. Although the process was really hard and exhausting, I enjoyed putting beans on the canvas and creating my final work. Through my research, I’ve learned that climate change is a really serious problem that impacts both living things and the earth. I have come to believe that if every person becomes a climate hero, we can terminate all the problems on the earth.

Seeds on canvas Gandhi of Grain

PEARL AWARD

CELENE CHEN

AGE 14

CUPERTINO, CA, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: DR. TIARA MOORE, BLACK IN MARINE SCIENCE

For my art piece, it all started with a beautiful smile. While searching for a climate hero, I came across Dr. Tiara Moore and was immediately drawn to her warm smile. I looked into her fantastic work as a marine biologist and decided she would be my climate hero. I drew a portrait of Dr. Moore in the middle of my piece and from then on, I added sea animals swimming around her. I did this to show the viewer all the animals that Dr. Moore helps through her work to save our planet. I used bright, lively colors to create feelings of joy and hope. I wish for those who see my artwork to realize that there are people out there trying to save the Earth and that they can, too.

Climate Heroes Making Differences

Colored pencils, acrylic paint

PEARL AWARD

AWARD

JASON KANG

AGE 14

SEOUL, REPUBLIC OF KOREA

CLIMATE HERO: COURTNEY MATTISON

When I found out about Courtney Mattison, I was drawn to the giant corals she made. At first, I thought she took actual corals from the sea because they looked so realistic and beautiful. I eventually found out that she is a sculptor who designs corals out of clay. She is passionate about the ocean and raising awareness about coral bleaching. The message I am trying to send to the viewers of my artwork is to do anything to raise awareness about issues you care about. Courtney Mattison helped me realize that there are people who try to spread the message, even though they might not be gaining lots of fame in the process.

The Revival of Nature

Acrylic paint, colored pencils, markers

Distinguished Honorable Mentions

When Won’t We Need an Umbrella?

Marine Sevel (San Diego, CA)

Climate Hero: Rachel Carson

Harmony of Um and Yang in the Universe

Jimin Lee (Langley, Canada)

Climate Hero: Elizabeth Kolbert

Liberty Leading the Soul

Adam Zhang (Beijing, China)

Climate Hero: Ocean animals

Jill Pelto

Renny Gao (Great Neck, NY)

Climate Hero: Jill Pelto

Our Last Hope

Thea Chen (Syosset, NY)

Climate Hero: David Hawks

Honorable Mentions

Shrinking the Problems Away

Soyeong Jang (Pleasanton, CA)

Climate Hero: Marino Morikawa

Dreams of Resurrecting Earth

Jeong-Won Namgung (Ridgewood, NJ)

Climate Hero: Jaewon Namgung

Ocean-Friendly Technology

Seunggyu Lee (Seoul, Republic of Korea)

Climate Hero: Vriko Yu

The Surfrider

Maxx Xu (Beijing, China)

Climate Hero: Dr. Chad Nelsen

Would They Eat a Golf-Ball “Clam”?

Athena Luo (Palo Alto, CA)

Climate Hero Alex Weber

Greenpeace

Jannie Mei Kool (Shanghai, China)

Climate Hero: Ludovico Einaudi

The Future at Stake Wanyu Qiao (White Rock, Canada)

Climate Hero: Jane Fonda

Resilience of Ilyess El Kortbi

Lance Lin (San Diego, CA)

Climate Hero: Ilyess El Kortbi

Honorable Mentions, continued

Licypriya Kangujam

Alina Lee (Seoul, Republic of Korea)

Climate Hero: Licypriya Kangujam

Charles Herve Gruyer’s

Environmental Revolution

Ella Zhu (Vancouver, Canada)

Climate Hero: Charles Herve

Gruyer

Digital Awakening of All Generations

Raina Kim (Brea, CA)

Climate Hero: Peter Kalmus

True Hero

Yulha Bae

(Seoul, Republic of Korea)

Climate Hero: Old Women

Rebuilding the World With Words

Phoebe Knight-Richard (Northampton, MA)

Climate Hero: Mitzi Jonelle Tan

A Lover of Iran’s Nature

Diana Noshad & Ronia Noshad (Tabriz, Islamic Republic of Iran)

Climate Hero: Hayedeh Shirazi

Guardian of the Forest

Evangeline Lin (Vancouver, Canada)

Climate Hero: Elizabeth Wanthuti

Notable Submissions

Make a Better World

Ahin Priscilla Kim (Seoul, Republic of Korea)

Climate Hero: Dr. Susan M. Natali

Team Trees, Team Seas

Marcus Choi (Vancouver, Canada)

Climate Hero: Mr. Beast

Climate Warrior

Vedha Athmanathan (Coventry, United Kingdom)

Climate Hero: Jean Wiener

Get Off the Fashion Trend-Mill

Gloria Harris (Corpus Christi, TX)

Climate Hero: Nina Gbor

Tears of Hope

Esther Chae (Cresskill, NJ)

Climate Hero: Sylvia Earle

Ocean Protector

Niamh O’Sullivan (Johannesburg, South Africa)

Climate Hero: Vanessa Nakate

The Story of Phra

Mahapranom Dhammalangaro

Devin Lew (San Francisco, CA)

Climate Hero: Phra Mahapranom Dhammalangaro

Nature’s Voice

Victoria Ang (Singapore)

Climate Hero: David Attenborough

Liberty in a Sea of G arbage or Wheat

Anna Fedorova (Kazan, Russian Federation)

Climate Hero: Agnes Denes

It’s for the Greater Good

Nicholas Hyunwoo Ha (Seoul, Republic of Korea)

Climate Hero: David Attenborough

Guardian of the Seas: A Goddess’s Tears of Hope

Jiho Hyun (San Diego, CA)

Climate Hero: Karlie Kloss

The Hidden Cape

Kayla Yoon (Northbrook, IL)

Climate Hero: Greta Thunberg

Right in Front of Us

Liliana Poletti (Queens, NY)

Climate Hero: Elizabeth Wathuti

Dyeing Ocean

Sarah Na (Flower Mound, TX)

Climate Hero: Natsai Audrey Chieza

Speech

Tekkyu Lee

(Seoul, Republic of Korea)

Climate Hero: Oluwaseyi Moejoh

Hello My Name Is

Seoyoung Wee

(Seoul, Republic of Korea)

Climate Hero: Valeria Vergara

Guide Us Through

Edison Lee (New York, NY)

Climate Hero: Lefteris Arapakis

Transformation

Victoria Huang (San Jose, CA)

Climate Hero: Boyan Slat

The Sun Will Recognize All

Seray Keskincelik (Lansdowne, VA)

Climate Hero: Natalia Sali

Caressing the Sea

Daniel Suh (San Diego, CA)

Climate Hero: Enric Sala

Climate Change

Yvonne Yu (San Francisco, CA)

Climate Hero: Tori Tsui

Save the Earth Today or No

Tomorrow

Cora Mui (San Francisco, CA)

Climate Hero: Licypriya Kangujam

The Healing Melodies

Amelia Runming Zhang (Shanghai, China)

Climate Hero: Lola Perrin

Coral Revival: A Wave of Regeneration

Caroline Liu (Oakland, CA)

Climate Hero: Vriko Yu

The Creation of Hope

Yutian Tan (Singapore)

Climate Hero: Sidhant Gupta

Ripple in Still Water

Ariana Yi (Fremont, CA)

Climate Hero: Sylvia Earle

changing weather forecast

Arrada S. (Thailand)

Climate Hero: Greta Thunberg

A Sight for Sore Eyes

Madeleine Tseu (Ellicott City, MD)

Climate Hero: Nguy thi Khanh

Re-born

Hongyu Gao (Thornhill, Canada)

Climate Hero: Tim Wong

Spread the Word

Julie Cho (Irvine, CA)

Climate Hero: Tiza Mafira

Bay State Award

Polar Bears in a Fridge

Louisa Sun (Belmont, MA)

Climate Hero: Steven Amstrup

Painting Our Future

Jasmine Wang (Lexington, MA)

Climate Heroes: Young artists, workers, volunteers, scientists

Ocean Soul Award

Liberty Leading the Soul

Adam Zhang (Beijing, China)

Climate Hero: Ocean animals

JUNIOR POETRY & SPOKEN WORD JUNIOR POETRY & SPOKEN WORD

ELA KINI

AGE 14

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: DISHA RAVI, FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE INDIA

My work was inspired by my Indian heritage. In recent years, pollution has skyrocketed in the country largely due to significant industrialization and construction efforts. When reading about this issue, I learned about Disha Ravi, an Indian climate activist who saw the effects of drought on the farm her grandparents owned. Because of this, she became an impactful climate activist, fighting for the rights of the planet we live on as well as the rights of the farmers who cultivate it. Her work is critical. She brings attention to the diverse effects of climate change, as often the worst effects are in poor, rural areas unseen by the media. In this time of mass farming by corporations overtaking lesser-emitting family farms, Disha Ravi fervently protects the natural flora of India and brings many others to action alongside her. This work in her home state of Karnataka - the home state of my own parents and the many generations before them - struck me particularly in how her love for her grandparents led to her embracing climate action. There is no future for any of us without a future for the planet, and I find that to be a beautiful element of her activist efforts. In my piece, I work to convey the need to protect family farms to prevent over-industrialization. Furthermore, I build a parallel between the suppression of climate activists globally (as Ravi was once arrested for her climate protests, the government considering her work an act of “sedition and conspiracy”) and the criticality of such activism in order to see change. With dedicated activism from individuals such as Ravi, the worsening of current issues can be avoided, and hopefully, the damage already inflicted on the planet can be undone.

Farmer’s Daughters As Waterfalls

with their guns pressed to our throats, our voices turn to choked whispers and we are silenced. again and again. poor bodies as mere vessels for the wealthy’s labor.

my grandfather’s calloused palms tug mango flesh from the trees, my grandmother drags sacks of rice to the markets and the oceans are flooding our fields

yet they value us like they value dirt flattened beneath the well-polished dress shoe, leave us to drown in oceans that we did not set aflame, leave us in crises for which we are not responsible. see us, see us trodden upon, street dung.

where once there was earth, there is coal and diesel and flooded farmland; there are the gaunt and hungry, the victims of this dying planet earth.

the ocean splinters into flames – this land as nothing but a battleground between the money that is burning down homes and the poor bodies being dragged away in chains for begging and begging for change.

see us, see us fallen and abused, the way they have stripped us of our homes and devastated our livelihoods.

but we will rip words from our throats.

this is our protest: daughters of the generations past defending our homeland and protecting the earth that is our ancestors’ cultivation.

in this time of alternating droughts and floods, our words will pour in droplets from the waterfall’s lip and restore the balance of centuries’ past.

DVOICE OF THE SEA AWARD

GOLD AWARD

KHWAHISH PUNJABI

AGE 12

SHARJAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

CLIMATE HERO: JULIE HEFFERNAN

uring my research, I came across an artist known as Julie Heffernan, who inspired me to write the poem, describing her ambition and the urgency for us all to achieve it. I used both of my strong talents in visual art and poetry to write this, expressing the damage to the oceans through various shades and colours that an artist would use while painting. This poem is metaphorically describing the oil spills, plastic pollution, and the ignorance of people towards environmental damage, specifically climate change associated with the oceans, which is compared to destroying the simplicity of a canvas when you add too many elements. The message I want to convey through my poem is to work upon viewing how simplicity can be not only beautiful in various aspects but can have positive impacts. Through Heffernan’s work, we understand that our brain has multi-rooms which are of different colours; this metaphor means that our brain has different aspects. Taking an example, our compartmentalized brain allows us to express concern for the environment and simultaneously make unsustainable choices. For us to achieve the goal of sustainability, we should all eliminate those unsustainable choices.Heffernan’s vision is to find solutions on how we can remake our world, and if we began working collectively as earthlings, we can surely achieve it!

The Canvas of Environmental Consciousness

For quite some time, the canvas on the easel was painted azure, The conception was minimal, yet so unequivocally pure.

Soon came a limited of components, of various colors and hues, But the artists felt as if the elements and blues were overused.

And so, they grasped and budged the tip of the soaked brush,

A splash of fluid black spilled onto the blue did not seem to affect the visual much.

As the droplets of the shadowy shade moved along over the canvas, Evident vibrant elements were coated in darkness.

A stroke of “smoke,” and a dash of “fish-hunter green,”

A hint of a “blue plastic bottle” and a swirl of “medical waste bag orange” in between. One from the group of painters asked, “Are you certain it doesn’t look ugly?”

The rest didn’t lay an eye on the wound of the painting, said “It looks lovely.”

You artists must perceive that it was picturesque by itself, It doesn’t require any more elements, nor the brushstrokes you compelled, A question should be raised, now that the damage has been done, “Can we restore the canvas, that the world had with, began?”

Yes, we can, we certainly can!

If all us artists work concurrently to paint the oceans cyan.

If we eliminate the multi-rooms full of discrete pigments from our mind, Maybe the goalmouth won’t be left so far behind.

“The Canvas of Environmental Consciousness” by Khwahish Punjabi, continued

Let’s take a fresh new canvas, And lay the signals that we desire, they voice for us. If we lay the mural of the awareness for the eyes to meander, To explore the aesthetics of nature, and the earth that we step-by-step slander. There is only one chamber, that we must persist in, The room from which the voyage of our resolutions begins. Take the colors of the earth, and bandage the canvas to repaint our masterpiece, Find hope in each stroke, recover harmony with each shade, and blend the simple colors to reinstate Nature’s peace.

GOLD SILVERAWARDAWARD

CHRISTABELLE KIRKHAM

AGE 13

CARLISLE, PA, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: WILLIAM “BILL” ERNEST

MCKIBBEN, 350.ORG AND THIRD ACT

Poetry and spoken word have been passions of mine since a young age. I am interested in the arts because they allow for creativity and self-expression while voicing opinions about topics that matter to me such, as climate change. For my climate hero, I chose Bill McKibben, who is considered to be one of the greatest climate activist authors of all time. This piece is more abstract in its approach to addressing my climate hero, starting in a way that addresses him while presenting views about climate change and the destruction being caused by humanity. It shows how we are all at fault, and how each of us have had a role to play in the disasters that face our earth today. The format is unique, swelling more in some areas than others, as waves would. Interestingly enough, while writing this piece, I was listening to the sounds of the ocean in order to create a background “heartbeat” or rhythm to the poem. (Tip: try reading the piece against a background of wave sounds to gain the full experience.) I have learned so much from writing this piece and from reading many of Bill McKibben’s books. He is an inspiring author with a unique take on climate change and our global situation: “Climate change is the single biggest thing that humans have ever done on this planet. The one thing that needs to be bigger is our movement to stop it.” I encourage all of those viewing this piece to explore more of his writing because I have found it to be enlightening and inspiring.

Headphones

CHRISTABELLE KIRKHAM

AMY LEE GOLD

SILVERAWARDAWARD

AGE 14

SEOUL, REPUBLIC OF KOREA

CLIMATE HERO: HAENYEO

In my poem, I worked to convey the inspiring resilience and strength of the haenyeo divers. These women, who fight against the swirling currents and dive into the depths of the cerulean hues, exemplify the qualities of being a climate hero. Their nets, once filled with a mix of urchins and haesam, now reveal a deeper purpose. Alongside these treasures, they cradle shells and clams, bottles and scraps, recognizing the significance of cleaning up the ocean and reducing pollution. Their weathered faces and hands, hardened by years of labor, prove their dedication to this cause. As the haenyeo divers navigate through smog against their masks and worn wetsuits, they become symbols of resilience in the face of environmental difficulties. The tools they use to defend and repair the coastal waters are represented by their fingers, which are wrapped around sharpened taewak. In the presence of the haenyeos, standing tall like namdong trees, we become witnesses to their efforts. Every dive they undertake leaves a ripple of positive impact that serves as a constant reminder of our duty to protect the oceans.

Haenyeo

Amidst swirling currents, where darkness enshrouds the fields, Haenyeo divers rise from the water. At tide’s shift, these women plunge into the depths of cerulean hues, where calm currents bring more jeonbog to take.

In their nets, a mix of urchins and haesam, yet alongside, gently cradled in their hands, shells and clams to bottles and scraps. Smog against masks, over pado, worn wetsuits, bare branches, crashing waves, fingers wrapped around sharpened taewak.

In the shallow coastal waters, rocky cliffs, a murky shroud, and like namdong trees we stand witness. Every haenyeo leaves a ripple, Spring of 1981, they stand with hands outspread, like mountains towering. At the photo’s edge, a hint of bronze hue, their weathered face, and lines etched deep.

In the wake of the haenyeos’ fading footsteps, the unanswered question drifts upon the air: Who shall cradle the ocean’s depths now?

BRONZE AWARD

KEYA MEHTA

AGE 14

TROY, NY, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: ELIZABETH WATHUTI

Ihave always believed that to solve issues, we must find their roots. Regenerative agriculture is one of the parts of eco-activism that I am most intrigued and inspired by. This system doesn’t just examine the roots of environmental problems, but cultivates new ones to create solutions. When searching for eco-activists who utilized nature itself to combat climate change, I came across Elizabeth Wathuti’s 2021 UN Climate Change Conference speech. Wathuti spoke about the calamities in her homeland of Kenya that had been instigated by climate change, including droughts, deforestation, and starvation. I began researching her organization, the Green Generation Initiative. I was amazed by how the Initiative engages youth in more than 35 Kenyan schools. Through her Eco Schools Program, students learn regenerative farming techniques that promote food security and help local communities. I have always enjoyed writing poetry, and I found Wathuti’s expressive and eloquent speech energizing. I was deeply moved by reading about how she spent time absorbing the natural beauty around her home as a young girl, and how the effects of climate change devastated her, forcing her to watch that beauty wither away. In her 2021 UN Climate Change Conference speech, Wathuti emphasized the importance of unity and persistence, stating that “People who truly understand why this work is really important need to also continue putting up so much pressure on everyone... we need more people who care and are concerned about the planet to join this movement and make sure that we are holding everyone accountable.” It dawned on me that Wathuti wasn’t just planting trees. She wasn’t just sowing soil. She was planting new ideas, new solutions. She was helping people sprout and grow in a new and better way. Because ecoactivism isn’t just about reversing the horrific effects of climate change; it is about changing ourselves as a collective human race to ensure that we never again make the same mistakes that induced this devastation in the first place.

We Rise

HAL GARRETT PIPER

AGE 14

SAVAGE, MN, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: DR. ANDREW BRYANT

Climate change fills me with rage and sadness, two feelings that are different, but make me shed the same tears over the destruction of our home. I wanted to incorporate the feeling of hopelessness that climate change gives me and other people in this poem, conveyed through a metaphorical fire. I also wanted to convey the hope that is still here. Despite everything climate change will throw at us, we live. We don’t live by ourselves, though. There are people out there who can help you. Therapists seem to go under the radar whenever people talk about climate heros, but they do so much for us. They help us get by in this ever-changing world. They help us sort through the tangle of feelings climate change gives us. The specific therapist that inspired this poem is Dr. Andrew Bryant.

A LONE FIGURE IN THE FLAMES

The fire is loud

It screams as it steals the lives of those who just wanted to live

It burns away what remains of a smile on your face

The silence of those who let the fire burn is loud

It’s louder than any throwaway excuse they use

To brush the ashes of those lost to the fire

Off their fine pressed navy suits

They put on sunglasses as they stare into the waltzing flames

They think the shade protects them from the encroaching heat

They do not notice the embers gathering at their feet

The shouts of those who fight the fire contest the observers’ silence

You wish you can be like them

Someone that can look ahead

Despite the fire scorching their eyes

You wish you too could make a difference

To save the plants, animals, and people

Whose ankles the fire laps at

The words of those who help you breathe in the fire are quiet

They provide you solace in the destruction

They clear the air of smoke

But don’t rid you of its scent

They don’t cover your eyes

But the fire no longer forces them shut

You still see the fire carving its path of destruction

But now you don’t feel scared to face it

The fire has still left its scars on you

But now you lift your head and despite

The heat that dried your eyes

The smoke that destroyed your lungs

The observers that watched you burn

The fire in your heart rages hotter and brighter than the one that surrounds you

Distinguished Honorable Mentions

Possibilities...

Genesis Bo (Toronto, Canada)

Climate Hero: Autumn Peltier

Haiti: Jean Wiener’s Work

Widley Joseph (Neptune, NJ)

Climate Hero: Jean Wiener

Voice of the Sea Award

Honorable

Mentions

Zaria Forman’s Pen: A Weapon Against Climate Change

Angel Zhang (Lisbon, Portugal)

Climate Hero: Zaria Forman

My Mushroom Hero

Ivan Zhang (Irvine, CA)

Climate Hero: Paul Stamets

Headphones

Christabelle Kirkham (Carlisle, PA)

Climate Hero: William “Bill” Ernest McKibben

Honorable Mentions

Power

Josephine Salako (Rosenberg, TX)

Climate Hero: Mark Ruffalo

Invisible Memorandum

Danielle Choi (Hanover, MD)

Climate Hero: Sarah Nicolls

Versova’s Unstoppable Hero

Angelina Zhang (Irvine, CA)

Climate Hero: Afroz Shah

Hand in Hand

Faye Tang (Sugar Land, TX)

Climate Hero: Natalia Sali

We are All on the Same Boat

Allison Hsu (Osaka, Japan)

Climate Hero: Jacques-Yves

Cousteau

Shrooms to the Rescue!

Emilee Sung (Yorba Linda, CA)

Climate Hero: Professor Scott

Strobel & his students

Acta, Non Verba Makayla Zhong (Shenzhen, China)

Climate Hero: Bun Saluth

Her Paintbrush

Alice Thompson (San Diego, CA)

Climate Hero: Silvia Lopez Chavez

My Favorite Fruit: Candy

Lindsay Li (Saratoga, CA)

Climate Hero: Amy Keller

A Force to be Reckoned With Katie Fenco (Miami, FL)

Climate Hero: Leah Namugerwa

Notable Submissions

A Brew of Change in the Urban Landscape

Jueon Kang (Jeju-Do, Republic of Korea)

Climate Hero: Sungwon and Suyoul Birth

Evonne Zhang Yun (Lakeville, CT)

Climate Hero: Ursula K. Heise

Changing Leaves

Brooklin Jackson (Pearland, TX)

Climate Hero: Elizabeth Wanjiru Wathuti

Song of the Lonely Iceberg

Isabella Lin (Diamond Bar, CA)

Climate Heroes: Martin Sharp, Grant Deane, Mia Feuer, Jana

Winderen, Philip Samartzis,

Thomas Köner, Eliza Bozek, and Susan Schuppli

My Secret Fish Farm

Natalie Chien (Diamond Bar, CA)

Climate Hero: Félix Hernández

Barrera

Choking

Sienna Shaner (Prior Lake, MN)

Climate Hero: Tori Tsui

My Mushroom Hero

Ivan Zhang (Irvine, CA)

Climate Hero: Paul Stamets

Bridge of Hope on Land Before Sea

Aari Hartley-Marengo (Kansas City, MO)

Climate Hero: Vivien Li

The Spirit of Nature

Elly Yang (Quincy, MA)

Climate Hero: Howey Ou

Early October in Seodaesan

Amy (Jae Hee) Lee (Manila, Philippines)

My Neighbor’s Doomsday Clock

Soeun Lee (Tenafly, NJ)

Climate Hero: My neighbor, Mrs. Kim

The Ballad of Carlee Jackson

Vivian Wong (Beijing, China)

Climate Hero: Carlee Jackson

Fatou Jeng

ömer bezircilioğlu (İzmir, Türkiye)

Climate Hero: Fatou Jeng

JUNIOR CREATIVE WRITING JUNIOR CREATIVE WRITING

JASMINE ARISANDY

AGE 14

ASHBURN, VA, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: SOPHIA KIANNI, CLIMATE CARDINALS

Ibelieve knowledge is the greatest weapon we have against the great beast of climate change. When I first heard of Sophia Kianni and her work, it resonated deeply within me since I could relate to her struggles on a personal level. Thinking about my own anecdotal experiences with my relatives made me want to observe the effects of climate change in other countries. As I learned more about these global issues, I felt like I was also diving deeper into these foreign cultures. I wanted to celebrate this diversity through a shared love for something universal: food! I hope my writing can influence others to open up their minds and start thinking about global warming on a global scale. I feel like, as an American, I’ve been so unaware of my privilege, such as being able to learn these things in school, having resources at my fingertips, and having a recycling bin at every corner. This Contest has not only enriched me in knowledge but instilled a renewed hope for the future. I’ve researched so many young activists, and it truly inspired me to not only take action, but bring back some of that optimism to restore this planet. I believe that all it takes is a conversation to trigger something big. For me, that was pressing the Skype button to let my relatives know my findings, with my improved Indonesian.

Dinner Table Conversations

At 12 years old, Sophia Kianni gazed at the sky in Iran. She yearned to unveil the constellations that hid behind its celestial tapestry. However, its allure was blanketed with a thick layer of smog, a seemingly eternal smoke that choked the stars’ glow. She would ask with innocent eyes what her family thinks of the obvious climate disaster surrounding them. Temperatures in the Middle East were rising at twice the global average. They would stare back, unsure of what she was talking about. It was here that she first realized: no one understood.

I

A girl stands near the shores of Kawasaki in Japan, yearning to wiggle her toes into the soft sand. As she admires the waves’ rhythmic lapping from the railing, her mother hurriedly pulls her away, citing the recent flood warnings.

“Come, isn’t Udon and ginger tea comforting in this weather?” Her mother always said she could smell the start of Tsuyu, the rainy season.

Tsuyu had been moving forward every year, and the line between could and could not go on the beach was shrinking. But even so, it wasn’t as bad as in the prefectures next to them, where sea had swallowed land. Her mom said, “Maybe I’m getting old, but maybe the storms are getting worse.” But then she would say that’s just how it is. She didn’t understand. Just seven years ago, 40% of adults in the world had never heard of climate change.

II

A boy and his brothers count down on their hands the days of Madagascar’s dry season. The number seems to increase every year. By a day. By two. By a week. The dry season meant the water supplies would run out. It meant their feet would become more calloused, the crops would die, and the closest thing to clear water was the sweat they shed on the journey to the river. With swollen shoulders, they brought back filled containers before dinner time, when they were greeted with mashed cassava. They told their dad about their day, and the youngest laughed that the river was like chocolate milk. He did not understand. Their school did not teach what caused waste in the river, what caused the air to be hotter. No research papers were produced in the language of Malagasy. Even if they were, the pursuit for water cut off their path to education.

III

The sunset livened the playing in front of my kakek’s house in Surabaya, Indonesia. Kids yelled down the street, their clothes muddied with dust as they kicked around

“Dinner Table Conversations” by Jasmine Arisandy, continued

the littered bottles they labeled “bola,” or “ball.” These bottles would eventually find their place in the towering mountain of trash at the town’s entrance, awaiting the flames of morning. The wisps of smoke would wake me up early, mixing with the fragrance of a salty egg and rice breakfast.

When the boys get too tired to score another goal, my grandma yells that it’s time for dinner, and everyone gathers their plastic bowls and fills them up with fresh soto. As we sit cross-legged on the rug, I ask, “The trash, there’s so much. The smoke, too. Aren’t you guys scared of climate change?”

My cousin tilts her head and says, “Climate change? The weather changing? The weather changes every day.”

She is met with a chorus of giggles. I laugh nervously, trying to explain. But my tongue was raised in America, and I only sputter out broken sentences. They do not understand.

* * *

While some sit in blissful ignorance, clinking their forks as they sweep these uncomfortable conversations under the table, Kianni will seek to bridge this gap of information. How is it fair that 80% of climate change articles in the largest peer-reviewed database are in English, while 75% of the world does not speak it? She takes it into her own hands to translate these documents, fueled by a sense of purpose. Witnessing her relatives’ face contorting into fear as they read through statistics brings her unparalleled joy. The first twinkle of realization in their eyes is brighter than any star she seeks. It ignites an unwavering spark. Gathering a diverse cadre of passionate teenagers online, hailing from far-flung corners of the globe – Japan, Madagascar, Indonesia, and beyond – she is no longer alone in this pursuit. Armed with conviction, she works to spark a wave of change that ripples across borders. In a world where some have the privilege of concern, she vows to give everyone the right to simply understand.

ALICE WU

AGE 12

SHENZHEN, CHINA

CLIMATE HERO: NICOLE HORSEHERDER, TÓ NIZHÓNÍ ÁNÍ

Climate change goes beyond harming the environment. Bit by bit it also erodes people’s culture. If we are unwilling to fight together for the common goal of preserving the Earth – a task that may seem too remote and too difficult to accomplish – why don’t we fight for something more personal: the preservation of our culture and beliefs, as the Navajo did? I chose to write about Nicole Horseherder and the struggles of the Navajo because I felt it would be interesting to write about climate change from the perspective of long-suffering people fighting against a merciless company – and winning. Not many people (including me before I wrote this) know or care what happens when big, rich factory owners storm into other people’s homes, bribe them with money and promises, and take something that can’t be replaced or bought with money. I hope after reading my story, when people flip a light switch, they think about what that energy really costs, and they choose to make a difference in the global fight against climate change.

Generations of Power

ALICE WU

As far as the eye could see, there was only mist. It surrounded her, changing forms as it churned like the ocean. Then, all was still, except for ripples coming from a looming shadow. When the figure drew nearer, Nicole saw that it was an older woman, her back stooped with age, but a lively glow still alight in her eyes. Something about this old lady seemed familiar…

“Grandma?” she whispered. The old lady smiled but gave no response. She turned around and gestured to the mist. As if on cue, the mist parted to reveal Black Mesa in all its former glory. The desert was alive, its landscape dappled by juniper, buckwheat, and blue grama grass, the last of which grew stubbornly in patches, as if it owned the place, so that no one in their right minds would dare try to remove it. Further back, horses and sheep grazed among the grasses, lazily drinking water, chatting amongst themselves. Behind them, the Mesa Mountains stood tall and true, overlooking all their children.

Nicole gawked at the old lady, trying to form words, but nothing came out. The once hushed sounds of nature: the birdsong, vegetation rustling in the wind, horse neighs and sheep baas, suddenly increased in volume, becoming more and more deafening. The old lady no longer seemed peaceful and serene. Nicole stared hard at her granddaughter and a message seemed to pass between them. “Yes, Grandma, I promise.” These were the last things Nicole Horseherder remembered saying before she woke up sweaty and panting.

Although on the surface Black Mesa was a desert, it covered vast amounts of water and coal underground. The water was essential for life on the Mesa. It supported its people, the Navajo, who were as hardy as the desert scrub that dotted their ancestral landscape. But the coal represented progress, and John Sterling Boyden saw an opportunity. He strode into a meeting with the Navajo elders. It was June 12, 1960. Like most summer days on the Mesa, this one was blisteringly hot, but Boyden looked cool in his neatly-pressed, double-breasted suit. He worked for Peabody Energy, and in glib tones, he placated the elders’ concerns of disrupting their centuries-old way of life. He promised them that the new power station would bring jobs, money, and progress.

For centuries, the Navajo tribe has been breeding sheep and selling their wool. Nicole and her grandmother – before she passed last spring – were part of this traditional way of life. Every morning, well before dawn spread her rosy fingers over the desert landscape, they guided their sheep to springs in an effort to beat the heat of the day. Everything in this desert region depended on water, and the Navajo strongly believed in the interconnectedness of all things in nature. The water was not their possession. Rather, it represented a delicate balance, and the people knew to use only as much as they needed, or else that balance would be disrupted. With the arrival of Peabody, however, this all changed. Peabody’s Mohave Generating Station drained 3.3 million gallons from the aquifer every day. What little surface water remained in the Mesa flowed only intermittently through the cracked and desiccated landscape.

As Nicole returned home on the morning of her dream, her thoughts fixated on her grandmother and the promise she had made. That afternoon, the tribe would be holding a Naach’id, a special meeting held to address emergency situations. They needed to decide what to do about Peabody. After two years of plant operations, things had reached a boiling point. Those who followed the traditional ways of herding, like Nicole, wanted to shut down the plant. But many others, who had abandoned the old ways, desperately wanted the plant to remain open; they depended on Peabody for their livelihood. As Nicole entered the Naach’id, she was only able to ease the knot of tension she held within her by recalling the image of her grandmother. The meeting was a whirr of emotions and differing opinions.

“Peabody pays us!” one of the Elders contested. “$4.3 million a year so they can use our water. I care about the water drying up, but what will we do when the money dries up?”

A younger man continued in the same vein, his voice passionately restrained. “Before Peabody, I had no chance of finding a decent paying job in this dry Mesa! What will I do to feed my family without them?”

Amidst the building tension, Nicole rose up. She struggled to keep her hands steady as she gathered the courage to speak. “I had a dream last night. My grandmother visited me. There was mist surrounding her and this land. We all know what this symbolizes. If we don’t protect the Mesa, its water, we will lose it all. This land is ours. It always has been, and only we know how to care for it, to maintain its delicate balance. Are we willing to sell that for a few dollars, just so people hundreds of miles away can have electricity, while we have none? We must protect this land and that will take sacrifice… from all of us. We are already losing our way of life, but when the water dries up, even the plant workers will be out of work. And what will we tell our grandchildren then? That we gave up their

“Generations of Power” by Alice Wu, continued land and traditions just for money?”

Nicole took her seat as nods of assent made their way through the room. The tribe feared fighting back against a ruthless and rich company like Peabody, but they knew it was the only way to return to nature’s balance, the interconnectedness that animated life on the Mesa.

* * *

Everyone watched as the long smokestacks of the power plant wobbled and stumbled in parallel motions, for a moment stubbornly refusing to fall over. But that moment passed, and now the supposed root cause of all their troubles lay helpless at their feet, as clouds of dust spread through the eerie silence. Uncomfortably, they turned to each other with mixed emotions. No one felt triumphant, because the power plant had been where so many of them had worked. Nicole, sensing everyone’s unease, spoke first. “I know we’re all scared, but we made a commitment not to be fooled anymore by the company’s big talk. They came in here saying they would make it a better place. Look around. Our dying animals, the cracked surface of the Mesa, represent the dying of our culture. Today, we are taking the first step to return to the ways that have sustained us and this land for centuries.”

The people looked around at the landscape. Once beautiful, it now resembled some sort of mechanical nightmare. But trusting in Nicole, they began the most daunting part of the project: restoring a way of life and restoring the delicate balance of nature. Even if they weren’t heroes in a story, even if they didn’t feel truly high and mighty, they would step into the unknown for their children and grandchildren, those who would one day inherit this land. * * *

The alarm rang. A little girl sprinted from her bed and out the door. The scene she saw drew a stark contrast to that of Nicole’s dream generations before. Where there used to be dust and wilted grass, today a juniper-covered hilltop stood triumphant and alive. The little girl gave a contented sigh and whispered under her breath, “Thanks, Grandma.”

MAKAYLA ZHONG

AGE 13

SHENZHEN, CHINA

CLIMATE HERO: BUN SALUTH, MONKS FOREST COMMUNITY

Through my exploration and research of the Contest theme, I have discovered not just one, but many unrecognized people who have chosen to fight climate change even when their own lives are at stake. When countless numbers of climate change heroes are working towards saving our planet Earth, what reason do we have not to put in our own efforts? One might say that the root cause of procrastination is the fear that our efforts may be negligible – but they aren’t. Bun Saluth’s actions, my voice, and your support, are not insignificant. Added together, they begin to create an irresistible momentum to reverse the damage that climate change has wrought. As Bun’s story proves to us all, there is always hope if you insist, persist, and coexist with nature. It’s 2023, and we must act now.

A Voice in the Wilderness

MAKAYLA ZHONG

It was a miracle he had survived. Days of barefoot trekking from Oddar Meanchey where his dreams originated had drained the would-be Buddhist monk’s youthful energy. His shaved crown burned under the scorching sun, and his mouth was dry like a forlorn desert yearning for a drop of rain. But he had made it. The bottomless pits of his tired irises were fixated upon the Thai temple in front of him. After wiping away the dirt from the soles of his feet, he took a hushed step across the spotless threshold.

The head monk, wearing a saffron robe that shined amid the sweltering sun, stopped short after spotting him. “What’s your name, lad?”

“Bun, Bhante. Bun Saluth.”

“And I assume you seek my guidance in becoming a Buddhist monk?” He sighed slightly, his lips pursed, as if he had met more than enough wanna-be monks for a lifetime.

“Yes, Bhante.”

“Follow me.”

Jauntily, crickets chirped as the two Bhante friends hurried silently to class just as the teaching monks began.

“Trees, as we all know by heart, are sacred beings that are meant to be treasured. They are selfless givers of shade and food, and help one to reach enlightenment.”

“Thailand,” said another in an echoing voice, “was once thickly forested. Yet people became overwhelmed by their greedy desires: pleasures, material goods, standards of living. They began intentionally slaughtering the plants and animals our Buddha taught us to love. Hence, the coexistence of man and nature was broken.”

The other monk continued. “And so our mission is to pass on the ancient conservation techniques and rituals Buddhists have used. Learn to love the nature that nurtures us at all costs.”

As Bun sat attentively listening, his mind drifted back to a Tuesday afternoon from his childhood, when he lay on the tender grass, pouring his heart out to an elder

tree about his dreams. The forest was more than sacred – it was a symbol of the childhood he could never return to again. * * *

Five years in, Bun received his very first piece of mail from home. With trembling, sweating hands, Bun’s fingers flicked open the flap. His dreaded gaze brought him to three empty words: “War is gone.”

With those words, Bun heard the drop of the stone that was hanging at the top of his heart. The bloodshed was finally over; the bombing, the ransoms, the fear that had accumulated over the years and come to haunt him each night before bed. Yet Bun had a sudden awakening – the money-driven townspeople would seek to profit from the only free resource they could still get their hands on: trees, soon to be slashed for cash. He needed to get back home to lead the monks there and conserve the forests of Cambodia. Otherwise, his homeland would end up just like Thailand. A daunting feeling lingered in his heart – it was do or die to leave. * * *

Oddar Meanchey was different. The locals appeared to be at ease, as if their bottled-up fears were drained following the war. But Bun had pressing matters to attend to at once.

He returned to the gathering place of the monks. He persuaded them to help easily, but it was a different story with the townspeople.

”Nonsense. Total nonsense!” an angry resident shouted.

”After decades of bloody war, you expect us to wait for nothing?”

”If you dare hinder our business plans, we will hunt you monks down!”

“All that will be left of you will be bones, you hear me?”

Those harsh words instilled an immeasurable amount of dread and panic in the monks’ hearts. Thereafter, the monks lived in fear in their locked-up houses. Each night, they prayed for all beings to be free from sorrow; they prayed for the sacred forest; they prayed for their own lives.

* * *

Bun awakened to the sounds of giant thuds. The clock that hung above his dresser shattered. Startled, Bun peeked through the curtains and gasped at the locals’ progress. Staring back at him was a stranger – what was formerly the home of hundreds of species looked as if it had been shaved clean off by some ruthless razor. The locals had made the forest resemble the surface of the

“A Voice in the Wilderness” by Makayla Zhong, continued

moon: rocky, cratered, and pitted, having taken impact not from asteroids, but harvesters. The machinery had left only clods of chalky soil.

As Bun opened his door to investigate – thwack!

A tree fell just inches away from his house.

And the heat. The heat came pouring in, reminding him of his walk to Thailand, except this time, it was blended with suffocating smoke. Forest fires had become the norm – flames were always shimmering in the dried grass, smoldering and scorching. The place was no longer lush green. It was now the color of sangria. Of a burnt tortilla. Of danger.

* * *

The next day, Bun awoke to hear that a young boy had been found lying dead next to a tree stump. The boy’s face was now unrecognizable, his arms swollen and burnt, his ebony body curled up as if manifesting the last second of cacophony before his soul lit up to become nothing more than the ashes lying below the very loggers that killed the boy. The local doctor said that he died due to smoke inhalation from the fire.

As the locals mourned the boy, they each felt their heart heaving in regret for their actions. But it was also that very moment that a magical agreement, a realization, an impulse, appeared in all of their desperate eyes – with the help of Bun’s organization, they could finally change their rapacious ways.

* * *

If one takes a stroll through the lush green land, keenly peeking through the crowded leaves, if he’s lucky, he can spot the eyes of a lemur staring curiously back at him.

Wearing his bright, saffron robe, standing barefoot on the soil he nourished, and looking into the thick forest he still safeguards to this day, Bun Saluth feels extremely proud. Due to his age, he has trouble walking, so he sits down on the wet soil, inhaling its earthly scent. He leans back upon an elder tree that hugs his back firmly. Meanwhile, the town hears the sharp cry of an infant. A woman has just given birth to a baby girl, who will grow up one day to become brave and influential, not unlike Bun. And she will decide their future.

IBRONZE AWARD

MANNAN KAUR

AGE 14

MOHALI, INDIA

CLIMATE HERO: JADAV PANYENG

have always loved expressing myself through words. Sometimes words get stuck in my throat, too thick to swallow down, but too nervous to say them out loud. I learned that expressing my creativity through writing is the best way. Climate change is talked about enough, but not acted on, and I truly wish that we can give an honorable mention to all those silent heroes who have kept our planet running. From the media and its negative content, I had lost all hope in humanity, but through my research, I learned how many are saints. We only get one earth, so we should make it a place worth living.

Our Molai Forest

MANNAN KAUR

“Come on, Guddiya*, let’s plant some trees together. It’s even raining outside! Just this last time, I promise.”

His voice was soft orchestrated music, and my ears were devotees. I stopped and breathed my father in, his scent musky and piquant, and his aura assuring and brave.

We drifted, like a ship steering through the ocean, through the rows and rows of saplings he had planted. The stems were green and puny, barely up to his waist. I was always dubious about their success, but when his comforting voice reassured me, all my doubts melted away, like ice in sun.

“Don’t worry,” I remember him saying. “All they need is a little patience and love. Just promise me that you’ll continue doing this after I mix with the skies. Promise me, please.”

* * *

The heat of the sun bore down on me, turning my lungs to paper and my feet to lead. The scorching rays turned the sand into blazing coals, making me dance across them like a clumsy ballerina. The beams turned the water pouring steadily down my watering can shine like crystals, pure and indestructible. The saplings for tress I had planted a few weeks ago had begun to grow, but they were still young. Their soft green stems were still wobbly in my fingers, but the jade-coloured leaves were determined. As I finished watering them, I reminisced where it all started; the memories flooded back to my brain like a sudden tsunami of emotions. Whether of inspiration or an obsession, I’m not quite sure yet.

I’m brought back to when I was a child. The shoes that had been left for me seemed too big to fill and life too far away to care. I had been reading the newspaper with keen interest. The printed had always been a source of entertainment for me, coming from a rural part of India. The recollection is vivid; I remember it so vibrantly because it was the first time that I was truly left in awe of what my father had done. The story was of Jadav Panyeng, my father, and our Molai forest.

I imagine the barren land that stretched acres in front of him. The lump of hesitation lodged in throat, quickly washed down by the vision of the lifeless entangled bodies

of washed-up snakes on his eyelids. The buzz of excitement and anticipation in his mind, dreaming of the day when the hard sand underneath him became covered in muddy leaves and the roots of trees spread like the veins in the soft earth. I admired how he didn’t see the dying life, but saw the living potential the land had, and the potential he had in himself.

40 years he told me he toiled. From his hands, calloused yet delicate, he blessed the land with life. From his hands, grew the trunk and the moss that stubbornly clung onto it, claiming it as its own. From his hands, grew 40 million bamboo seedlings in over 300 hectares of land. And, from his hands, grew the Molai forest. Our Molai forest. A forest home to hundreds of endangered species. Bengal tigers, rhinoceroses, vultures, and peacocks all found their home there, and slowly but surely, so did my heart.

Finally, his efforts were recognized when he received the Padma Shri in 2015 and the Commonwealth Points of Light Award in 2020. I remember how much of an impact this announcement had on me. I remember the sudden beating of my heart, the slight tremble of my fingertips, the sudden light in my eyes.

Jadav Panyeng had planted the Molai forest in Assam. My Molai, my father, had planted the trees so deep within me, their roots so intertwined with my mind and soul, that I couldn’t let go.

And I never did.

I sit inside. The memories taste bittersweet on my tongue, like burnt honeycomb. I watch the trees I had planted with my father swaying gently in the wind from the window. I can hear them whistling delicately; the music invades my ears, my heart, my soul. I sip my tea gently.

As my eyes meet the framed portrait of Molai, my father, I wonder if I have made him proud.

I look back outside again, see the water hit the soft dry earth, like cocoa to milk. The faint scent of wet soil overruns my nostrils, and I breathe it all in. It smells earthy and musky, of watering your grass in hot summer evenings with the skies painted vermillion and mustard. It smelled like my dad.

I looked back up to the sky, and I knew I really had made him proud.

*Guddiya – A loving term used to refer to young girls in India

Honorable Mentions

An Unexpected Reformation

Terry Yu (Livingston, NJ)

Climate Hero: Nicole Guzman

Climate Coastodian and the Mighty Mollusk

Eunseo Choi (Bayville, NY)

Climate Hero: Tim Gilmartin

Between Desolation and Hope

Jason Chung (Seoul, Republic of Korea)

Climate Hero: Gregorio Mirabal

Notable Submissions

Entry #337: The Forest Green Rovers

Sawoo Youn (Urbana, MD)

Climate Hero: Forest Green Rovers

From Trash to Gold

Helen Cao Yuhe (Shenzhen, China)

Climate Hero: Isatou Ceesay

A Final Flight

Brianna Su (Cupertino, CA)

Climate Hero: Gonzalo Cardona

Hometown Award

An Awakening

Nathan Byun (Boston, MA)

Climate Hero: Professor John G. Anderson

JUNIOR FILM JUNIOR FILM

ALISSA YANKELEVICH

AGE

14

WALNUT CREEK, CA, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: ELIZABETH WANJIRU

WATHUTI, GREEN GENERATION INITIATIVE

Ifind trees’ roles in the environment fascinating. They help clean the air and release water through transpiration, upholding the water cycle; they provide homes for animals and hold together soil. They can even communicate through signals sent through their roots. There is more to trees than we can see, and Elizabeth Wathuti’s connection with them is powerful. She frequently mentions that she grew up in one of the most forested regions of her home county, Kenya, and reminisces of planting a tree at the age of 7. However, Elizabeth also reflects on seeing the forest and water supply being destroyed before her eyes. Hearing that, I thought about how difficult it must be to see negative change impacting something that holds so many childhood memories and experiences. Reflecting back on my childhood, I used video footage from my own hometown - my “paradise” - to tie in with Elizabeth’s values on the importance of nature. And while I was filming the rustling leaves and abundant wildlife surrounding me, I began to understand how much I could lose. By sharing the experiences of a person who bore the brunt of climate change but continued fighting to protect our planet, I hope that I can inspire others to pay more attention to the world around them.

The One

GOLD SILVERAWARDAWARD

MATTHEW (MYEONGHUN) JEONG

AGE 14

PORTLAND, OR, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: BINA INDELICATO, ECO EVOLUTIONS

Ever since I was a little kid, I have always been inspired to work hard and make a difference in this world, specifically through my passions: animation, tennis, and science. Combining all three of my biggest passions and converting them into a film to showcase the work of Bina Indelicato was an eye-opening experience. Bina’s actions and why she led them opened a new window of perspective on climate heroes and climate change. I want to spread the message of showcasing your own passion and talent for the purpose of fighting our world’s biggest problems, just like Bina Indelicato.

Our Climate Hero’s Carbon Footsteps

AWARD

ZHIXUAN LIU BRONZE

AGE 14

SHENZHEN, CHINA

CLIMATE HERO: SUN GUOYOU, NINGXIA MAJIATAN TOWN FOREST FARM

There are many brave warriors in the world fighting against environmental degradation, and I have chosen Sun Guoyou, a man who undertook the arduous task of planting trees in the desert, as the protagonist of the story I wish to tell. Because the story takes place in China, I chose to use origami paper with Oriental style to create stop-motion animation. Sun Guoyou is a hardworking contractor who, while undertaking a road construction project in the arid northwest city of Ningxia, unexpectedly discovered underground water in the desert. He realized that the current landscape was not as dry as it appeared. Later, he learned that this land was once fertile with abundant water and vegetation a century ago. However, due to population growth and excessive exploitation, the ecological environment deteriorated, leading to severe desertification, turning many areas into barren land. Sun Guoyou was deeply moved by seeing the local people struggling to make a living on this impoverished land, and he decided to plant trees in the desert. However, planting trees in the desert was not an easy task. In 2003, he led his entire family into the desert, and over the course of ten years, many of the tree seedlings he planted died, while the surviving trees also decreased due to adverse weather conditions, such as sandstorms. His friends around him advised him to give up this unrewarding endeavor, but he persisted in planting trees and even spent most of his savings. Although his family did not understand him at first, they remained by his side. Whenever a tree fell, he would continue to lift it up. When the water source was far away, he personally fetched water, and even when a local oil company disrupted the water source through oil extraction, he did not compromise. He actively communicated with the government, raised awareness, and eventually received assistance. Under Sun Guoyou’s influence, his daughter also joined the desert treeplanting cause. Through his continuous efforts, trees are beginning to grow in the dry land. I chose to spread his story, hoping that we all can pay attention to climate issues and protect our Earth. True heroes are those who have the courage to make a difference, who choose to move forward despite knowing the challenges ahead, and who serve for a greater purpose.

Climate Hero Sun Guoyou

Honorable Mentions

Future Forests

Kayla Le (Prior Lake, MN)

Climate Hero: Felix Finkbeiner

Mangroves: The Lungs of Our Ecosystem

Krish Dua (Ruston, LA)

Climate Hero: Tabe Brandon Njume

Notable

Submissions

The Rebirth of Glass Bottles

Yun Stanley Fan, Tong Lin, Yifei Lu, Zejun Zhu, Liqi Sun, & Jiayang Chen (Guangzhou, China)

Climate Hero: Morton Coutts

Our Plastic Hero

Alyssa M. I., Chloe Hannah Tan, Regan P., & Hui Qian Ma (Singapore)

Climate Hero: Tiza Mafira

One Girl, 30,000 Trees

Zeynep Yucesoy (İzmir, Türkiye)

Climate Hero: Elizabeth Wathuti

A Celebration of Joanne Chory, A Climate Change Hero

Sara Newitt (Sioux Falls, SD)

Climate Hero: Joanne Chory

For Blue Oceans

Anastasija Kovačević (Bijelo Polje, Montenegro)

Climate Hero: Chanté Davis

JUNIOR PERFORMING ARTS JUNIOR PERFORMING ARTS

ANNABELLE DEANER

AGE 14

MELVILLE, NY, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: ELIZABETH WATHUDI, GREEN GENERATION INITIATIVE

Inspiration comes in a diverse array of forms as we seek to advocate for the change that is vital to the survival of the Earth during such unpredictable times. My voice lends itself to a song that praises the tireless efforts of Elizabeth Wathuti, who mobilized children to counteract the devastating deforestation in Kenya. Her heroic leadership helped galvanize a movement of unfettered momentum, seeking to build up the level of oxygen to counteract the nefarious effects of carbon emissions. Elizabeth gives me a genuine sense of hope and provides me with an invaluable lesson that we are only limited by the panoramic scope of our imagination. Her work to help girls and women build community gardens to become self-sufficient resonates with me as I tend to my organic garden and bring food to those in need. The time has come for all of us to channel the spirit and courage of Elizabeth Wathuti and sing with limitless passion for a future filled with jubilation, conservation, and revitalization.

Watch What Happens: Elizabeth Wathudi vs. Kenya Deforestation

A parody based on “Watch What Happens” from the Newsies Broadway Musical written by Alan Mencken and Jack Feldman

Looking around, I can say that I don’t see all the trees that I saw as a kid. This has led to less absorption of carbon dioxide And now we’re face to face with global warming.

Trees can absorb CO2 during respiration. Ha, it’s a cinch, it could practically solve itself. More trees mean more air and as I may have mentioned It’s no heat wave it’s disaster.

Who is this brave to stand up and give a solution

Gather the kids and the seeds and the tools

A girl? It’s a girl. How could she? Is that a shovel? Look, just watch her digging. What is her name? It’s Elizabeth Wathudi She has a plan planting trees to replace all the ones they chopped down to make more roofer

“Watch What Happens: Elizabeth Wathudi vs. Kenya Deforestation” by AnnaBelle

Deaner,

continued urban sprawl.

Now, that’s how things get better.

Trees will grow and close the ozone hole and you just watch what happens.

The earth will live and breath again, we’ll stop this warming trend And you just watch what happens.

And who’s there with her shovel and her seeds and sprouts grow into trees

The trees will grow and you just watch what happens when they do.

Call it the Green Generation Initiative

Communities working together to build resilience

Everyone doing their part to ensure the earth will be here in the future

Just look around at the world we’re inheriting and think of the one we’ll create once we stop putting profit ahead of what’s best for humanity and end deforestation.

Give these kids and me the brand new century and watch what happens Defend the Earth, keep battling, do or die

The fight is on and she will change what happens.

But all I know is nothing happens if you just give in. The kids will make the future bright again

With Elizabeth on our side, we just might win

Grab your seeds and shovels, let’s begin.

TSILVER AWARD

ELIANA KOVACOVA

AGE 14

JOHNSON CITY, TN, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: VERONIKA RICHTEROVA

he inspiration for this project came from my climate hero, my love for dance, and realizing how much positive impact and change individual humans who come together can make on our earth. My first spark of motivation was when I discovered who I would be showcasing as my climate hero. Her name is Veronika Richterová, and she is from the Czech Republic. I chose to include her not only because of the inventive, impactful, and beautiful art she creates from plastic, but also because the Czech Republic is my parent’s home country, and it’s almost like my second home. Ms. Richterová uses the billions of options she has to create thousands of beautiful art pieces out of plastic, each being uniquely different. At the same time, she is also raising awareness about the constant negative impact plastic has on our earth. Reading about her story and the influence her work has had inspired me to create the skirt piece you see in the video. The story behind the dance: A plastic bag-creating machine realizes the detrimental effects the work it is doing has on our planet. The melting of fossil fuels emits greenhouse gases, causing heat to be trapped, leading to global warming and climate change. You will see moments throughout the dance when the machine desperately tries to put an end to the work that it is doing to help stop climate change, but it never succeeds. After all, it is an inanimate object and cannot control what it does. This brings me to my song choice. It is titled “You,” and it is by the composer Helen Jane Long. I choreographed my dance to this specific song to tell a story in a more uplifting manner to more effectively inspire viewers to help make a change, because artificial machines cannot. It may seem individual or small, but even just reusing those plastic bags you brought home from the store to create fascinating art like Ms. Richterova’s, or recycling them to be used again is helping our planet one small step at a time. I believe dance is one of the most powerful and influential ways to express concerns to the world. Dance has the power to share these concerns but also morph them into humorous and engaging forms of the serious topic, sparking a determined, driven, and happy inspiration in people’s hearts.

You Can Be the Change

ELIANA KOVACOVA

GOLD BRONZEAWARDAWARD

BAHADIR YERKAZANOĞLU & CEYLIN İÇIER

MANISA, TÜRKIYE

CLIMATE HERO: ZAFER KIZILKAYA, MEDITERRANEAN CONSERVATION SOCIETY

Environmental pollution has become an enormous problem nowadays. Ocean pollution is one of the main environmental issues that affect a significant portion of the ecosystem. Irrespective of the season, the peace and happiness that the sea brings to us are very precious. Our endless passion and commitment to the sea were the biggest reasons why we wanted to participate in this competition. We spent a lot of time by the sea during our school trip to Ayvalık and Cunda Island. The pollution we witnessed at the shoreside greatly disturbed us. We encountered a group of people who were raising awareness about the pollution there. After learning from them, we realized how much sea and ocean pollution is escalating day by day. This competition provided us with a great opportunity to ponder what we could do about this situation. Out of our love for the ocean and our desire to protect it, we wrote this song. The most remarkable aspect of our song is that it solely comprises melodies that evoke the feelings the ocean instills in us and the beauty of the ocean that comes to mind while listening. We hope that through our song, you can experience the perfect rhythm of the ocean, the gradual fading away, and the urgent need for action.

Oceans Blue

BAHADIR YERKAZANOĞLU AND CEYLIN İÇIER

[Verse 1]

I can see through

When I look at you

I’m in love with the blue shores of you

So don’t get ruined

I will find somewhere pure

Clean and clear I won’t leave there

This shiny blue that makes you feel

The true will leave you

[Chorus]

Oceans blue

Never breaks up with you

Don’t waste the precious time

Just save the ocean’s blue

Maybe true

With a little help of you

Still we can see the bright Clean future of ocean’s blue

[Verse 2]

Feel this freedom

And breeze in your hair

Golden sun is rising

Above the blue horizon

It’s not hard to foresee

Death of the beautiful sea

Now we should save the blues magic cause It’s with us

[Chorus]

Oceans blue

Never breaks up with you

Don’t waste the precious time

Just save the ocean’s blue

Maybe true

With a little help of you

Still we can see the bright Clean future of ocean’s blue

Honorable Mention

Heroes Let’s Carry On

Djahlisa Fenelon (Brooklyn, NY)

Climate Hero: Bill Weir

Find a Way to See Lynnlee Merrell (Glenns Ferry, ID)

Climate Hero: Pharrell Williams, G-Star RAW

South Coast, Cape & Islands Award

Abyssal Depths

Vincent Couto (Fairhaven, MA)

Climate Hero: Sea Lab New Bedford

Notable Submissions

To Every Ordinary Person that Walks on the Earth

Jianuo Zou (Qingdao, China)

Ink and Courage

Tanish Gaglani (Palo Alto, CA)

Climate Hero: Rachel Carson

A Helping Hand

Chloe Hall (Honolulu, HI)

Climate Hero: Cory Yap

JUNIOR INTERACTIVE & MULTIMEDIA JUNIOR INTERACTIVE & MULTIMEDIA

ESTELLA GU

AGE 12

CARLISE, MA, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: BERNICE DAPAAH

Ilove to create! Writing, drawing, coding, and exploring science make me happy. I’m constantly looking for new tools and opportunities to learn and turn my ideas into reality. I create to learn. I chose Bernice Dapaah is because she is a maker. When her bike always broke on the way to school, she thought of creative ways to build her own bike with bamboo. She also worked with engineers and others in her community in Ghana to improve her design and build a company and movement. Scratch allows me to tell her story in a fun way! I like making interactive games because the user can actually learn by doing. The future will be brighter if more people are engaged!

Bamboo Bike Maker Bernice Dapaah

Project Description: This project follows a turtle informing the user about climate change and a climate hero, Bernice Dapaah. The user needs to drag articles from a computer to a mailbox to educate people about climate change; “pick up” ocean trash; plant a tree; and harvest bamboo. The user can also answer questions such as “What climate heroes do you know?” From there, I introduce my climate hero, Bernice Dapaah. The user can drag bamboo sticks to the right part of the bike and it will click in, completing the bamboo bike. Enjoy!

“Bamboo

Bike Maker Bernice Dapaah” by Estella Gu, continued

SILVER AWARD

CHUJIA YANG

AGE 14

GUANGZHOU, CHINA

CLIMATE HERO: JULIA JACOBO, ABC NEWS

As people are increasingly interested in sustainable practices and environmental management, I have noticed a need for comprehensive resources for individuals to actively participate in addressing climate change. The power of communication is immense, which is why I believe the news industry is also crucial for the environmental protection. It urges us to constantly pay attention to the state of our environment. Julia Jacobo, a prominent female journalist focusing on environmental news reporting, help me to bring a unique perspective to this book. She delves into how the journalism industry can contribute to the environmental cause with her expertise. Her insights enrich the book’s approach to empowering individuals to make a difference in this global crisis.

How to be a Climate Change Hero

Project Description: My submission is an interactive book that guides how to become a hero in the face of climate change. Unlike traditional books, my artwork combines tactile elements with interactive elements, such as pull tabs and pop-ups, allowing readers to actively engage with the steps to become climate change heroes.

BRONZE AWARD

BENJAMIN PATTERSON

AGE 12

WILBRAHAM, MA, UNITED STATES CLIMATE HERO: MARINO MORIKAWA, NANOPLUS 7

Ihave always loved robots and nanotech, and I am always interested in hearing about how they are applied in society. I chose Marino Morikawa because of his use of nanobots to de-pollute a lake in Peru. He used his own money to help stop climate change. To me, it shows how dedicated he is to his work. After doing a lot of research about Marino Morikawa and climate change, I’ve learned that there are people working to push back against climate change. My message to viewers of my website is to be inspired and help in any way you can to protect our planet. Marino Morikawa is very inspiring to me and I hope he inspires many other people too.

The Real Heroes

Project Description: This website highlights Marino Morikawa’s work. It shows how his different solutions work. It tells viewers how he saved a lake.

Honorable Mention

The Last Straw

Avni Choudepally (Holly Springs, NC)

Climate Hero: Benjamin Von Wong

Bay State Award

Danni Washington: My “Messenger Mocha Mermaid” Activist Hero

Allison Luo (Westford, MA)

Climate Hero: Danni Washington

Notable Submissions

Saving the World One Bag at a Time

Josh Liu (Lone Tree, CO)

Climate Hero: Joshua Caraway

Sea Life

Aaron Fan & Aria Fan (Austin, TX)

Climate Hero: Afroz Shah

WE ALL RISEWEPRIZE ALL RISE PRIZE

We All Rise Prize

$15,000 in Ocean Awareness Contest awards for Black, Indigenous, & Latine participants from the U.S.

Learn more: bowseat.org/contest – @fromthebowseat

CAYLEE ARDON

AGE 13

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: ELIZABETH WANJIRU WATHUTI, GREEN GENERATION INITIATIVE

Just like how we can be the problem to this climate crisis, we can be the solution to it. Elizabeth Wanjiru Wathuti has been one person helping the community thrive. She’s planted 30,000 seeds to grow trees and created organizations that help with other climate issues. She has inspired me to create a piece that represents her actions and effects on the world. I drew two glances of the world: a beautiful lush forest of trees and a barren dead land. I’ve also included Elizabeth in it soaring around placing seeds everywhere. My main point is to show the impact of an initiative and to represent an amazing hero. Seeing these movements creates hope to keep the people moving. This hope has created a vision, a vision we can make happen for the future. Knowing someone else can make something happen gives us the signal that we can also. From my piece, I hope people are able to see the impact they can make and start making the impact. I have even started to invest my time into researching the well-being of the earth’s state and seeing how I can use my voice through art to express that.

The Funny Thing About Climate Change

Marker, color pencil, graphite

ISABELLA CAMPOS

AGE 18

WINTER SPRINGS, FL, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: DR. LORENZO ROJAS-BRA -

CHO, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN MEXICO

My work and creative process were inspired by the plight of the vaquita. There are estimated to be only ten of them left. Through my research, I’ve learned lots of things about the vaquita’s dilemma. Firstly, the basic cause of their endangerment is an illegal fishing practice called gill netting. Secondly, the true cause is much deeper than that: illegal gill netting only exists because it’s so effective in catching the totoaba fish, which is highly sought after for its swim bladder. But its swim bladder is actually useless, essentially serving a placebo effect in a variety of homeopathic remedies. So in the end, vaquitas are needlessly dying and critically endangered because human greed is driving demand for the swim bladder of a fish that doesn’t even offer any medicinal benefits. The unnecessary and gross endangerment of the vaquita has opened my eyes to how important it is to spread awareness at the root of an issue, which is exactly what Dr. Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho does. He is working to make the existence (and quick lack thereof) of the vaquita known to the Mexican people and their government. His goal is to get legislation passed for greater protection and to actually enforce the law there, so both the totoaba fish and vaquita populations can bounce back and thrive. People like Dr. Rojas-Bracho, who focus on saving even the smallest and least known creatures in our ocean, give me hope for the future and encourage me to remember that it takes all of us to make a difference.

Multi-media (watercolor, ink, paper, graphite, wire, plastic bags, acrylic paint, fish nets, cardboard)

The Vaquita

EDEN GEORGE

AGE 13

BROOKLYN, NY, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: DR. AYANA ELIZABETH JOHNSON, ALL WE CAN SAVE PROJECT; URBAN OCEAN LAB

My Climate Hero is Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. Dr. Johnson is an African American, female marine biologist from Brooklyn, New York. She is also a policy expert and ocean conservationist. Her other accomplishments include being the co-founder of The All We Can Save Project, the co-creator of the How to Save a Planet podcast, and the co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab. Urban Ocean Lab is a think tank created to find solutions for climate change and ocean policy in coastal cities. The name of Dr. Johnson’s think tank is what inspired my art. I was inspired to choose Dr. Johnson as my Climate Hero because I am also an African American female who resides in Brooklyn, New York, which also happens to be a coastal city. I don’t think that many people think of Brooklyn when thinking about coastal cities. Just like I don’t think many people think about African Americans or women when they think about marine biologists. As a student who attends a specialized middle school with about 5% Black students, I understand that representation matters. The process of creating this piece of art gave me a feeling of pride and hope. After doing research on climate change, I have learned that we all can and do make a difference, for good or for bad. While deciding what climate hero I wanted to focus on, I came across other Black women. I will tell my friends about these other heroes because maybe I can inspire another girl of color to enter this important field. She then can maybe inspire another girl, and so on. Dr. Johnson’s work makes me feel hopeful for the future. That is because I hear a lot on the news about climate change and global warming, but I don’t hear a lot about what people are doing about it.

Representation Matters

ISABELLA LARES

AGE 18

MIRAMAR, FL, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: XIYE BASTIDA, FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE

Those interested in being part of the change are granted the aspiration of being an artist. The arts are just tools that help us move forward by leaving our mark. Creative minds who think alike will lead to the change we strive to achieve in this world, and I am thrilled to be part of it. The subject of the piece is Xiye Bastida, a young Mexican climate change activist who fights for change by touching the world with her words and actions. I used graphite pencils on the main figure to show the absence of color, similar to Mother Earth decaying due to our actions. The heart was made of colored pencils; it is being held together by recycled yarn that seems to be breaking. It symbolizes the hearts of those who strive for change being united in one heart. Furthermore, I looked into more studies that looked at the negative effects of the wasteful fast fashion industry. The increased levels of carbon dioxide brought on by the combustion of waste, manufacturing pollutants, and the smoke from vehicles being major contributors. Those close to me will hear about my research and be encouraged to quit supporting these businesses. In the end, it is we who will be part of the change if we work for it.

Not for Long

Chalk pastels, graphite pencils, colored pencils, Cardboard panel, hot glue, and transparent tape

CATERINA MONTGOMERY

AGE 13

PEMBROKE PINES, FL, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HEROES: GRETA THUNBERG, DAVID ATTENBOROUGH, TXAI SURUI, VANESSA NAKATE, AND THE VIEWER

This piece depicts four climate change heroes - Txai Surui from Uganda, Greta Thunberg from Sweden, David Attenborough from England, and Vanessa Nakate from Brazil - all in a broken mirror with the viewer piecing the scattered shards together, attempting to unify them. Even with individual efforts, the issue of climate change will never be solved without unity and joint effort. The hole in the middle is a space meant for the viewer, a place for future and current generations to once more unify the mirror that is our world and put an end to climate change once and for all. I was inspired when I was walking home one day and looked up at the sky through the tree leaves - the thought of all the natural life in this world being gone one day due to our own actions is soul crushing, and I wanted to convey that. Art has always interested me as it is a device to communicate when words don’t do the topic justice. What I am trying to convey with this piece is that if our efforts to stop climate change are not globalized and unified, then all we will be left with is a broken world.

ONYINYECHI OKONKWO

AGE 17

RICHMOND, TX, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: HILDA FLAVIA NAKABUYE, CLIMATE STRIKER DIARIES

In mainstream climate activism, we often see a focus on individuals from Western countries, while regions such as Asia, South America, and Africa are unfairly depicted as contributors to pollution. Growing up in Nigeria, I witnessed a different reality. The trash from the Western hemisphere, including used garments from the UK, Europe, North America, and Australia, floods our cities, perpetuated by big fashion companies exploiting cheap labor in gruesome factories. The African government, driven by taxation and bribery, turns a blind eye to these human rights violations. With this context in mind, my aim in creating this piece was to showcase the conservation and preservation efforts of indigenous people across the world, who have been caring for the environment long before the 20th century. I utilized wooden beads from my maiden accessories and incorporated the iconic African fabric known as Ankara. Ankara originated during British colonial times when they discarded materials that African communities repurposed to create intricate designs symbolizing tribes. It continues to be a common garment in Nigeria. Notably, Ankara fabric not only conserves electricity and reduces greenhouse gas emissions due to its handcrafted production process but also outlasts average cotton-made clothes. During my research, I delved into the deceptive practices of companies claiming to be vegan and environmentally conscious, only to discover that many are subsidiaries of larger family-owned organizations, like BlackRock, that wreak havoc on the planet. To address the problem at its root, we must boycott and avoid such entities. I admire the efforts of Hilda Flavia Nakabuye, an influential climate activist who organizes Uganda’s Fridays for Future movement. Nakabuye and her fellow activists have successfully mobilized a strong youth movement demanding urgent action to combat the climate crisis. The movement has gained significant traction across East Africa, with over 50,000 young people involved. Nakabuye highlights the lack of diversity in the climate change movement, emphasizing that the debate should not be exclusive to any particular racial group. She speaks out against environmental racism and discrimination, exemplified by the cropping out of Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate from a photo at the World Economic Forum. Nakabuye’s use of communal activism, rather than individual action, resonates deeply with me. Overall, my work is driven by a desire to challenge misconceptions about indigenous people’s role in environmental conservation, showcase the power of art as a storytelling medium, highlight the detrimental impact of multinational companies on the environment, advocate for collective actions to combat climate change, and evoke hope for a better future through unity and activism.

Fabric and beads

YAEL PASTEL

AGE 17

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: DOMINIQUE PALMER, FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE INTERNATIONAL; CLIMATE JUSTICE CIRCLE

My grandmother, a woman born and raised in Martinique, first introduced me to art when I was a little girl, and her passion resonated with me.

I am inspired by the artistic culture of the people of Martinique, expressed through the way they dress but also their rhythms, lyrics, unique dances, and stunning art. My passion for art is so fundamentally rooted in my culture and in my family, that it has molded me into who I am today, which consequently allows me to express myself. For this artwork, I was mainly inspired by Dominique Palmer, her relationship with nature, and how active, passionate, and unwavering she is about protecting the environment. I admire her work in promoting the arts and sustainable fashion, and her dedication to improving the world around her. I realized that it was complacency that was stopping me from doing more. I felt proud of doing the bare minimum, and never went the extra mile to actually get my hands dirty and work to actually make the planet a better place. As I read about Dominique Palmer, it became increasingly obvious that she does not just work to make the world a cleaner place, she also works to change the people living in it. Overall, Dominique Palmer’s efforts make me hopeful for the future, despite the chaos in the world. I hope that by supporting her and supporting other people who are willing to be the change they want to see in the world, we can work to save our oceans, the creatures in it, and promote a sense of responsibility and accountability in the hearts of people all around the world. Because Earth belongs to those who have come before and those who will come after, and it is our job to keep it clean for them.

The Fight

Colored pencil, multi-media

MARIA CABRICE

AGE 14

PEMBROKE PINES, FL, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: ILLYESS EL KORTBI, FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE

Through my research process, I came across Ilyess El Kortbi and her efforts towards climate change. I researched her background and her story and realized her unique soul and experience. She had experienced the Ukrainian conflict first-hand and made the connection between European conflicts and climate change. She realized that climate change not only had an effect on environmental issues, but on political, social, and economic aspects. Society is not only negatively affecting its environment but social statuses and international relations. For me, writing is an art. The art of communication with words is truly invaluable and through words, powerful and meaningful messages can be conveyed. I want to show people that words can be used to share stories and the ideas of others. Those voices that haven’t been heard, they can be propelled into the spotlight with art. I believe that using art, whether spoken, written, drawn, painted, made, or seen, can be a powerful tool to battle climate change and spread voices otherwise unknown. Ilyess El Kortbi´s efforts towards climate change, from staying in an Arctic basecamp to protesting in Ukraine, have opened my eyes to hope for the future, and help in the battle against global warming from diverse voices from all around the world.

The Ukrainian Warrior

After a war on land and war at sea

This soldier is determined not to flee

With steel-like skin, and a rock-solid heart

Their fear and their determination, Must not drift apart

A vision for the future

Despite their dark past

A virtuous trooper

Making their impact last

Ilyess El Kortbi, with their vision

Seeing the tears of the Earth and the people; Not separately, but linked

Showing their vision for the future,

On papers with ink

In the Arctic region, an ambassador for the climate

With luminary heroes by their side

Earnest efforts determined to lengthen their stride

The dangers of global warming anything but private

Aware of the dark secrets of the rich

Not afraid to make her pitch

Wars of international countries

While us, sitting safely, risk the life of one tree

Our Earth

Finite, lacking immortality

Ever since our great birth,

Ruining our lifespan without rationality.

Making the killing of our planet known, Through their protests and strikes

Shall they forever sit on a golden throne

For climbing the environmental impact hike

A Ukrainian warrior

A face lathered in scars

A sick Earth they abhor

Yet still, they stand, reaching their hand up to the stars

IVY CHRISTOFORATOS

AGE 12

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: MITZI JONELLE TAN, YOUTH ADVOCATES FOR CLIMATE ACTION PHILIPPINES

What inspired my work is what we have been doing in class. I am interested in the arts because it is a cool way to express yourself and talk about things in a fun way. I felt happy and was glad that there was a way I could potentially raise awareness. My message to viewers of my artwork is to make a change for us and our environment because this is our only home. I have learned how bad climate change is and its effects, but also what we can do to change it.

There is No Planet B

Mitzi fights for planet A

Because there is no planet B

She fights for those who can’t

She brings food, water, hope

When the government says nope

There is no planet B

There’s dryness in the air

There’s plastic everywhere

There’s poison in the water

Which causes much despair

There is no planet B

The typhoons get stronger

When we pollute planet A

A month’s rain in one day

And that’s not okay

There is no planet B

People are struggling

Food shortages

Dirty water

Destroyed homes

There is no planet B

She brings awareness

To save our planet

She speaks to the people

She brings them hope

They tell her their stories

There is no planet B

The Philippines are in trouble

Like many other nations

Rising water and larger storms

Threaten us all

We must fight back

There is no Planet B

The final outcome

Is up to us

Do we continue

Or do we change?

There is no Planet B

WIDLEY JOSEPH

AGE 14

NEPTUNE, NJ, UNITED STATES CLIMATE HERO: JEAN WIENER, FOUNDATION FOR THE PROTECTION OF MARINE BIODIVERSITY

Haiti has been suffering for quite a while, and we deserve liberation. After the assassination of our president, Haiti has fallen into chaos, and this made me think of the efforts of Jean Wiener, whose strength hasn’t gone to waste just yet. I am interested in the arts because I love creating things, and I want to represent my country in a way that I love and enjoy. Creating this poem made me happy and angry at the same time. I was happy because there was someone who really cared for Haiti, but I was angry because his efforts haven’t been noticed for such a long time, and our oceans are going back to how they were before he stepped in. When someone reads my poem, I want them to see more than what the media portrays Haiti as. It’s not pretty at all. Why don’t they show our beautiful oceans instead? Why is it the bad things that they want people to see? The way people look at us is based off of those pictures on the media, and it isn’t fair, because that’s not who we are. We are so much more than our political problems, and our climate will get better, no matter what.

Haiti: Jean Wiener’s Work

My home is dying.

The home where I have never been.

Haiti, its rich soil and history

The sweet scent of cassava and pain diri

The machann lari, smiling and laughing

Lowering prices of produce for the desperate

When they themselves don’t have enough to eat

My home is dying.

The once clear-blue lakes are becoming dark brown

Blending in with the dirt roads, paved by those searching for freedom

My home is dying.

And Jean Wiener is the hero who saved it

A marine biologist, he wanted to preserve

Our coasts, marine life, and resources, so

He created the Three Bays National Park

He saw what Haiti was going through as he grew up

Saw our beautiful waters changing color, and stepped up

Jean formed a team, and they created new reefs

Some of concrete, and others of shells

His efforts protected the food chain

And helped marine animals thrive

Revolts and politics have damaged our beautiful oceans

Turning them ugly with dumped charcoal

Staining them red with the blood of our brothers

And Jean Wiener stopped this

He replaced trees,

He helped start farms

He conducted major ocean cleanups

He children how important la mer was

He taught them about how it was their history, and they needed to preserve it

Haiti is no stranger to bloodshed, famine, and hunger

Haiti is no stranger to dark, murky waters

The Haiti you see on the TV is never what Jean Wiener worked for

“Haiti: Jean Wiener’s Work“ by Widley Joseph,

continued

You never see his reefs,

But you see the dumped bodies

You see the mud-turned lakes

The polluted coasts

He harvested seeds and handed them out to starving families

He taught them to plant them and gave them the gift of life

Not just being able to live it, but the ability to give it

Because of Wiener, our beaches are cleaner than they used to be

They are clearer, safer, and the marine life is thriving again

Haiti will rise one day, and its oceans will give more life than ever

Haiti will rise one day, and Jean Wiener will look down on us from Heaven, and finally smile

ALICE THOMPSON

AGE 12

SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES CLIMATE HERO: SILVIA LOPEZ CHAVEZ

The world keeps agreeing to stop climate change, but we only see little action. This is a severe world problem that needs to end. After watching documentaries and seeing the effect of climate change and the ocean rising, I knew I had to do something. This Contest was something I could do to spread the word. After researching many activists and scientists, I was in awe of their work. But something was different about a specific painter: Silvia López Chavez. What drew me to her was one detailed artwork she did at the Boston Children’s Museum. I lived in Boston from 11 months to seven years old. I often visited the Boston Children’s Museum with my family and saw the interactive exhibits it had there. It is a wonderful memory. Then I researched how Silvia López Chavez created a masterful and environmentally aware exhibition transforming recycled objects into artwork plastered onto the wall at the Boston Children’s Museum. I had to choose her. Her exhibition allowed the Boston Children’s Museum to teach others about being more environmentally aware. I hope that people of all ages, but especially teenagers, can learn from my poem that we must not be discouraged by the massive problem that is climate change. We have to use all of our gifts and talents to work together to make a difference. All of us are unique individuals, and we should harness that for the better.

Her Paintbrush

ALICE THOMPSON

A girl becomes glum

As she reads on ocean rise

She is conflicted

Compared to others

She doesn’t know how to end And stop climate change

She looks at painters, Silvia López Chavez

As one example

Tropical flowers

And blue oceans she painted

Her paintbrush helps us

Silvia inspires

And teaches people through art

Her paintbrush helps us

The girl wants to help

She starts reading positive

Ways to help our world

She decides to write

Her words and knowledge needed

But with her pencil

So now I ask you

What will you do to save us?

Anything will help

Will you use art, too?

Like Silvia chose to do?

Or another way?

We have to make change

In any way possible

With all our talents

We’re all different

So we can teach each other

Why are we waiting?

Let’s all be heroes

By listening and teaching

Others and ourselves

AVA VAZQUEZ

AGE 17

PROVIDENCE,

RI, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: HEIDI VAZQUEZ

When I saw the theme of this year’s Contest, I immediately thought of my mother. I though the medium of poetry would be the best way to express my admiration. I went through several drafts before settling on this one, and made sure to incorporate many of my childhood memories and the way she has impacted my and others’ lives. I adore writing and enjoyed creating this piece because it allowed me to reflect on her and the impact she has created. She has done so much for my brother and me to make sure we are aware of the effect we have on this earth, and to make sure we experience the best of it. She is also a teacher who has organized many environmental impact projects and taught a very environmentally conscious curriculum. We learned about ocean erosion, invasive species, the importance of gardening, and more. I have carried her teachings with me my entire life, and I know my classmates have as well. What is more important than teaching the next generation? She has done so much for me and my community, and that is why she is my climate hero.

ode to my mother

AVA VAZQUEZ

my childhood is written in nature inscribed in the sticky floss of milkweed seeds erupting from their pearl-shined husks, across the dusted silver leaves of autumn olive trees in beaches where the sea sparkles sapphire beneath the midday sun.

my parents opened this world to us pointed out cerulean sky, rich soil, glimmering surf. my mother drove us forty-five minutes so we could attend the school she taught at, so we could grow up running barefoot through the June-lush grass and coax swiss chard and strawberries from stubborn soil.

it is because of her i know the silky milkweed razed for fields, despite the sanctuary it gives the migrating butterflies. how the innocuous autumn olive stifles its companions, how the beaches I played on are choked with plastic. take nothing for granted.

my mother’s lessons always came with that slick undertone of warning. of smoke-choked skies, oceans grimly iridescent with oil and the folly of innovation. i noticed with youthful concern the choked beaches, the air dull with city lights and hot hot summers.

my mother is who i think of when i think of the environment her wax food wraps, snack pouches, reusable paper towels, secondhand clothes. she has taught my brother and i and countless students how to feelhow to think in this ever-shifting world.

it it because of her that i know the world i live in i see the orange skies, the bone-dry fields and the ancient ice melting. i can compost, reduce and recycle, take the bus and buy sustainable. yet the most important thing she taught me was that my actions carry consequences. the single-use plastic cup will outlive humanity. this air conditioning will burn a hole through the sky. the most important thing is to teach the next generation so they can avoid the mistakes of their ancestors and began, carefully, anew.

SOPHIA ARIAS

AGE 16

PITTSBURG, CA, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: AYANA ELIZABETH JOHNSON, OCEAN COLLECTIV & URBAN OCEAN LAB

Ihave always been deeply inspired by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson’s work, especially as a young Black girl. I first learned about her through the How to Save a Planet podcast on Spotify. I don’t see many girls who look like me involved in the global environmental movement. So I particularly admire Ms. Johnson for bringing much-needed diversity into the environmentalist space. I hope that readers can also come to admire Ms. Johnson as much as I do and realize the true extent of her work. I enjoy writing just as much as I enjoy environmental science, so it brought me so much joy to combine two of my greatest passions together in this process.

Ayana and Amaya

Brownsville is perhaps the most notorious neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. Even the proudest of New Yorkers do their best to avoid the area due to its high crime rate and homeless population. But to Amaya Jenkins, Brownsville was home. She had lived there her whole life. Her first childhood memory wasn’t a birthday party, her first day of school, or a family vacation. Her first memory was taking a photo with her mom in front of her Brownsville street sign.

Of course, there was one flaw Amaya couldn’t deny about Brownsville: the neverending pollution. The streets were always packed with trash. Plastic bags, plastic straws, cigarette butts… they never left Brownsville. Even with all the time she spent living in Brownsville, she had no memories of a clean Brownsville.

As soon as Amaya stepped outside the poor, dirty streets of her neighborhood and into her private high school in the Upper East Side, it felt like she traveled to a different dimension. The Upper East Side was always clean. They could afford to keep it clean. In Brownsville, the last thing on people’s minds was land pollution.

Amaya fully relied on her scholarship to put her through private school. After all, there was no way a teenage girl from Brooklyn could afford to attend private school on her own. Amaya’s fancy school uniform felt like a poorly designed costume. She couldn’t quite wear it the same way the other Upper East Siders could.

When Amaya arrived at her first period class one morning, everything was as usual. Her teacher, Mrs. Garcia was busy typing away at her computer. Textbooks lined the shelf at the front of the classroom. Streams of light shone through the window curtains. And no one sat beside her.

She immediately took out her laptop from her backpack, already prepared for her daily school routine. But before she could flip her laptop open, Mrs. Garcia clapped her hands together, instantly calling everyone to attention.

“Class! Today, I am proud to announce that we will be going on our first surprise field trip of the semester! We already informed your parents of these plans a week prior, and each of them signed a permission slip for you,” Mrs. Garcia announced.

This news was met with “oohs” and “ahhs” from all the students. Amaya, though, remained quiet, curious as to what the field trip could be about. She imagined an amusement park like Disneyland or a visit to the local zoo, both of which excited her immensely.

“Today, we will be attending a TED Talk here in New York City. The guest speaker for this TED Talk will be Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, a prominent climate activist, marine biologist, and New York native,” Mrs. Garcia proclaimed.

“Ayana and Amaya“ by Sophia Arias, continued

Amaya’s heart fell. Of course she was being forced to attend some boring lecture. If Amaya’s mother found out she did not want to go, she wouldn’t hear the end of it. Her mother already knew full well that Amaya hated her school and found it difficult to fit in. Amaya didn’t want to disappoint her mother any further.

Reluctantly, Amaya boarded the bus with her classmates. Every seat on the bus was occupied except for the one next to hers. Amaya sighed in her seat and buried her nose in her book and her ears in her headphones.

In less than 15 minutes, Amaya’s class had reached their destination. They all gathered into a single file line at the entrance of the venue. It wasn’t long before the students made their way inside the venue and took seats next to each other near the front row.

Looking around, Amaya was shocked. The auditorium was absolutely packed. Her eyes fell on the faces of each audience member. She could tell they came from all over the world just to view this TED Talk. She couldn’t believe it. How could so many people care to attend some long, boring lecture about climate change?

The speaker was probably just another old, rich, white guy from the Upper East Side who thought he could relate to the experiences of young Black girls like Amaya. Too many times, Amaya heard adults telling her how important it was to care about the environment. Of course, Amaya wanted better for her Earth. Hell, she wanted better for her own neighborhood. She was tired of seeing her home inundated with trash. But she was just one person in a world of over eight billion humans. How could her actions alone possibly make a difference?

Suddenly, the lights went dark and everyone went quiet. Amaya squirmed in her seat. She was already looking forward to getting out of there.

A spotlight shone in the center of the stage. Out stepped a slender Black woman with a thick, curly afro and round glasses. Although she looked to be in her midto late 40s, she radiated a youthful and vibrant energy that Amaya had never sensed in anyone else before. She looked just like Amaya.

“Hello, everyone. My name is Ayana Elizabeth Johnson,” the woman announced with a smile. She was immediately met with applause from the audience.

“Many of you may know me as a marine biologist, climate activist, the founder of Ocean Collectiv, or even as a podcaster. But I have always known myself as just an awkward Black girl from Brooklyn” (Pattillo).

While the rest of the audience chuckled, Amaya was stunned into silence. As weird as it sounded, she felt like she was the one on stage delivering a speech. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson was not anything close to a rich, old, white guy from the Upper East Side. She was just another Black girl from Brooklyn, New York.

“You see, I was brought up in a working-class family in Brooklyn, so the only vacation we could ever afford was one summer in the Florida Keys. I learned to swim there, and when I went on a glass-bottom boat ride for the first time, I was so mesmerized by the beauty of what lay beneath the ocean surface. I wondered why nobody had told me that a whole other world existed underwater. That was the moment I realized the ocean was my passion (Pattillo).

“The funny thing is the ocean does not need us. But we need the ocean. And yet, we don’t act like it. From a young age, I made a commitment to protect the ocean that protects us. As a marine biologist, I worked for the Environmental Protection Agency straight out of college. I spent a decade working with fishing communities in the Caribbean. I worked as an ocean conservationist under the Bush administration. I served as a professor at New York University. I published a book, All We Can Save, about female voices in the environmental movement (“Ayana”).

“And still my work feels nowhere near done. I feel it is my personal obligation to encourage others to be climate activists, too. Anyone can be an activist. It does not matter how old you are, where you are from, or who you were raised by. You can be an activist. It is easy to think of ourselves as one person, but one person adds up. We all make an impact. It’s up to each one of us to decide whether or not that impact is positive.”

Amaya could feel chills run down her spine. She felt ashamed of her defeatist mindset. Ayana made climate activism seem so accessible and important. It’s people like Amaya who unfortunately contribute to the climate issue due to their ignorance.

When Ayana concluded her speech, the whole audience gave her a standing ovation, including Amaya. She clapped her hands so hard and for so long that they began to ache. Amaya’s class each took turns shaking hands with Ayana and thanking her before they left. When it was Amaya’s turn to shake Ayana’s hand and thank her, she practically froze. Rather than skip past her, Ayana simply gave her a warm hug and said to her, “I wish you well.” After Ayana took the bus home from school and got off at her last stop, she decided to pick up some of the trash on the ground instead of ignoring it like she usually did. After all, everyone has an impact.

BRIZA SEABOY

AGE 14

PRIOR LAKE, MN, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: LADONNA BRAVE BULL ALLARD

Aperson who had a big role in the anti-DAPL movement was my Grandma LaDonna, who I always heard stories of because she played a big role. There were some moments while I was writing that made me feel sad, but I realized that she is someone who makes me feel proud of who I am as an indigenous teen growing up surrounded by non-indigenous people who don’t really know how I feel. I want people to know that government betrayal is not something new, but something that should be stopped. I wish for people to know that we shouldn’t have to fight to have clean water and for our sacred lands that we had before.

The Mni Wiconi Movement and LaDonna Brave Bull Allard’s Contributions

LaDonna Carole Brave Bull Allard was an inspiring activist. She was born on June 8, 1956, in Fort Yates, North Dakota. She spent most of her time growing up with her grandmother all around the country. In 1990, she graduated from the University of North Dakota. Once she graduated, she went back to the Standing Rock reservation to help the people as a historian and a genealogist. Mrs. Allard said that generational and historical trauma had an impact on her, and she wanted to learn more about why this happens to many indigenous people. To help her gain more information on the trauma impacts that happen to many indigenous people, she visited the massacre at Whitestone Hill that took place in 1863.

In 2014, she advocated against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) that was near sacred land, which is important to her community. She fought against the government for a good cause. She rebelled against the government because they went against their treaties. More importantly, the land near where they were trying to build the pipeline was very close to sacred burial grounds that are very important to her people. In 2016, she vowed to stop the pipeline, which she named the “black snake,” by allowing protesters to camp out on her land. The protesters named the Sacred Stone Camp on her land near where the Missouri and Cannonball Rivers connect.

All around the world there was support to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline. People described this movement as a cultural movement; many indigenous people from many different countries and states agreed that, “We are not fighting for a reroute, or a better process in the white man’s court.” When President Obama started to allow construction on the pipeline, there were many peaceful protesters that exercised their First Amendment rights. Even though they were peacefully protesting, security guards and police attacked the protesters with mass arrests, and violently with pepper spray, pressure hoses, rubber bullets, and dogs. The construction fortunately halted because of the Obama campaign. But when Donald J. Trump was elected as President, he allowed construction to continue. The pipeline was ordered to be finished, and the camps were ordered to be evacuated. Even though the indigenous people owned the land, which was stated by many treaties signed by indigenous people and the government, they were still ordered to evacuate Mrs. Allard’s land that she owned.

She continued to support the Anti-DAPL movement, even though there was nothing else that they could do to stop the black snake from being built. She traveled all around the world to advocate for indigenous people’s right to their sacred lands and

“The Mni Wiconi Movement and LaDonna Brave Bull Allard’s Contributions“ by Briza Seaboy, continued

the protection of these lands. All she wanted was to protect Unci Maka, which means Mother Earth in Dakota.

Many organizations awarded her for her brave and courageous acts against the government. The United Nations Forum on Indigenous Issues wanted to let her speak on climate and many other issues that concerned indigenous peoples. In 2019 the Indigenous Peoples Economic and Social Council acknowledged her bravery and made her a representative of the Council. Before she passed she wanted all of us to continue the fight, the fight for clean water and a clean Earth.

Today LaDonna Carole Brave Bull Allard is remembered for her bravery and all the things she did to protect indigenous people and land. She is known as a hero to indigenous people; she took action against the government, and still wants us to fight in her spirit. Even today, many indigenous people tell stories about the Dakota Access Pipeline. Every person fighting for clean water and clean land is a hero. LaDonna Carole Brave Bull Allard would want us to remember that “Water Is Life.”

FNATALIE DAMER-SALAS

AGE 17

SUWANEE, GA, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: FRANCIA MÁRQUEZ

rancia Márquez is the current Vice President of Colombia but began her activist journey at age 13. Marquez works at the intersection of climate change and societal justice. The Afro-Colombian community she grew up in was often abused and overlooked by the government, but she refused to let her people be the subjects of mass genocide. Oftentimes when we discuss climate change and environmentalism, we focus on the plants and animals of the affected habitats versus the people in those communities, so I wanted to capture someone’s work in environmental justice to show that climate change is affecting people of color and indigenous communities disproportionately. Marquez has had everything going against her. She is a woman living in a black indigenous community, and she lives in the most dangerous country in the world to be an activist; yet her passion and urgency did not waver. Her confidence was infectious and allowed women in her community to join her cause to protect their lands. Marquez’ commitment to having her voice heard is inspiring and goes to prove that anyone passionate and dedicated enough can be listened to and create change. We are often wary to glorify politicians as they can be self-serving, but Vice President Marquez has put the environment as one of her top priorities on her political agenda. I hope Marquez’ story inspires young people who feel discouraged by the lack of representation and constant suppression of voices in the government and invites them to pursue environmental causes they are passionate about, no matter how little power they believe they hold. I chose to create a film because of the pure joy I felt creating countless Barbie stop-motion animation movies with my sister when we were younger. The sense of accomplishment I felt after completing this film was unmatched. This one felt extra special, as I learned so much from this experience and can only hope that I told Francia Márquez’ story well.

NATALIE DAMER-SALAS

Stills: Francia Márquez – Her Story

WIOTEE KARGBO

AGE 14

CHARLOTTE, NC, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: VANESSA NAKATE, UNICEF

My inspiration for this work was mainly from my African background. When I heard about the theme climate hero I knew I had to mention an activist from Africa as most are very underrated. When I found and researched Vanessa Nakate, I teared up. She spoke so fluently and brought so much just from the first video I saw her in. I’m glad I chose her because she inspired me to create this film.

Stills: Untitled WIOTEE KARGBO

RUTH CHRISTIE

AGE 16

DES MOINES, IA, UNITED STATES

For my submission, I decided to do a dance to a spoken word poem that I wrote. I wanted to use the art of dance to connect to my words, so people could feel and hear what I was trying to get across. With this dance, I’m trying to bring people together. I’m trying to open their eyes so they can see that climate change isn’t getting any better. It makes me feel disappointed that it’s our fault. But it makes me feel empowered that all we have to do is stand together, and we can start to reverse the damage.

Stills: Why (Unspoken Heroes)

RUTH CHRISTIE

DJAHLISA FENELON

AGE 14

BROOKLYN,

NY, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: BILL WEIR, CNN

One of the things that inspired my work was my Climate Hero Bill Weir and the research that I did on him, along with the research provided on the Resources page on the Bow Seat website, which recalled how we can be heroes and don’t need a cape to help stop climate change. What this means to me is that we don’t have to be rich, people in power, or even adults to create a positive impact on the world. All we need is our minds, our determination, and our hearts to make the world a better place. It’s such an amazing feeling to be educating others on topics that’s not discussed enough, especially with the youth of today’s society. My message to the listeners is that there are so many ways to make a positive impact. One thing I learned as I was doing my research is that people tend to sleep on the regions of the world that really have it bad when it comes to climate change. Climate change is not a state problem, or even national problem - IT’S A GLOBAL ISSUE. Whether it is through my voice or through my art, I am going to make sure that this topic is not one to be forgotten or lost because WE NEED ACTION FAST. My climate hero’s efforts make me feel hopeful for the future knowing that there are people out there who care and are willing to go out of their way to make sure we all have a brighter future.

Heroes Let’s Carry On

DJAHLISA FENELON

Verse 1

You can pave the way

Not all heroes wear capes

Everyday is Earth Day

Not all heroes wear capes

Chorus

Ohhhhhh (x2)

Verse 2

Let’s hurry up

Better late than never

Prevention is better than cure

Oh world citizens it’s time to realize

You don’t need a cape to be a hero

Chorus

Carry on Heroes Let’s carry on

Let’s Carry on Heroes don’t need no cape (x2)

Lead in

Come on heroes

Come on heroes

Come on, Come on, Come on

Bridge Climate Change Also Global warming

Overwhelming by human cause We need all heroes throughout the world To reverse this Catastrophe

Chorus

Carry on Heros Lets carry on

Let’s Carry on Heroes don’t need no cape (x2)

JANESSA MONTILLA

AGE 17

PLANTATION, FL, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: LEAH NAMUGERWA, FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE UGANDA

My work and creative process were inspired by the musician, H.E.R.. I’ve listened to her music for about five years now, and I really enjoy watching videos related to her creative process. I like how she approaches each song she makes differently, and how she uses her music to spread important messages and highlight people who are making an impact in the world today. Leah Namugerwa makes me feel positive about the future. She reminds me that there are people in the world who really care about our current situation and want to protect our future. She frequently speaks at climate change events, and she shows me how important it is to use your voice. She isn’t afraid to stand up for what she believes in, and she inspires me to contact my government officials to try to create change.

Love on the Brain Parody

Climate change has us like, oh

What’s it want from us

And we can try and ignore what’s going on, but the price is too high

Baby it has us like, oh It wants us to fall apart

But if we work together then we can stop it all

Baby it has us like ah, woo, ah

But let’s not stop trying

Don’t quit trying

Just keep trying

And there are climate heroes across the world

Trying to save the earth

And Leah, from Uganda, is a climate hero

She is saving the Earth

“Love on the Brain Parody“ by Janessa Montilla, continued

Leah Namugerwa

She planted 200 trees for her 15th birthday

She is saving the earth

And we will remember her name

No matter what we do, we’re inspired by her

We all must keep trying

We must save the earth

Let’s keep trying

Let’s keep signing

All we need to do is keep protesting

Got me like ah-ah-ah-ow

I’m tired of seeing plastic in the ocean

Leah started a petition to ban plastic bags in Uganda

Uganda

She’s organized marches and created the Birthday Trees project

It gives people seeds to plant on their birthday

Their birthday

What a special thing

And she’s trying to find ways to resolve the droughts and landslides in Uganda

We thank people all over the world

Trying to save the earth

And I am so grateful to have these role models

We will save the Earth

SARA SOLIS FLECHA, AYNSLEY

HAZELTON, HERBERT BULLS, AND ALIYAH HUGLEY

BUFFALO, NY, UNITED STATES

CLIMATE HERO: COLONEL CHARLES YOUNG AND THE BUFFALO SOLDIERS, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AND UNITED STATES MILITARY

My work was inspired by the Buffalo soldiers and by struggles that both the soldiers and people of my own culture have faced. Since I was very young art has always been a gateway for me to express all my thoughts and my true self. The writing process was nerve-racking because I knew I was expected to get up on stage and perform in front of people. If I had to give advice to anyone, it would be to always try to resonate what you are working on with you and your past experiences. This makes the piece more emotional. After doing research on climate change and our beautiful oceans, I’ve learned that humans really take this earth for granted. We have to take better care of this planet we call home because we only get one. With that being said we also have to take care of one another because we are all sharing this world, and we all deserve to prosper on a healthy planet. The Buffalo soldiers’ efforts make me feel more comfortable about the future knowing that there are brave people out here that are willing to face the danger head on to make this world better.

Climate Hero Poetry Slam & Open Mic

SARA SOLIS FLECHA, AYNSLEY HAZELTON, HERBERT BULLS, AND ALIYAH HUGLEY

Project Description: The Public Art Team developed a Poetic Exhibition that asked students to research and focus their submissions on everyday trailblazers who are tackling climate threats with innovative and effective solutions.

The Public Art Team decided to take a historical approach and focus on Colonel Charles Young and the Buffalo Soldiers whose work influenced the National Park System in America. Colonel Charles Young was the first African American National Park Superintendent. The Buffalo Soldiers were African American men who served on the Western frontier from 1867 to 1896. Indigenous Americans gave them the nickname “Buffalo Soldiers” to the all-Black Cavalry Regiments. Buffalo Soldiers contained wildfires, poachers, and supported infrastructure within National Parks. Colonel Young and his Buffalo Soldiers’ work laid the groundwork for park management today.

We are using poetry, art, research, creativity, and music to create a platform that shares the history about African American Climate Heroes and provides space to discuss climate change awareness. As a part of our poetic exhibition, Local Poets and Poetry Organizations provided support to us. These poets gave us permission to share their works on our website. We were honored that Local Poets Ten Thousand and Julio Montalvo Valentin shared their work about Climate Change, Colonel Charles Young, the Buffalo Soldiers and the intersectionality of how racism and the treatment of indigenous peoples were impacted. This allowed us to give the audience a better overview of our message in collaboration with our works and discussion of climate change.

Partners

BOW Seat believes in the value of collaboration to confront the threats facing our blue planet, and we are proud to work with a global network of partners to deepen our collective impact.

American Repertory Theater

Big Blue & You

Black in Marine Science

Conservation Law Foundation

Cool Science

EarthEcho International

Fondation pour la Protection de la Biodiversité Marine

Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains

Gulf of Maine Marine Education Association

Hopkinton Center for the Arts

Huntsman Marine Science Centre

Massachusetts Environmental Educator Society

Massachusetts Marine Educators

Menino Arts Center

National Marine Educators Association

New England Aquarium

New England Ocean Science Education Collaborative

North American Association for Environmental Educators

Ocean Matters

PangeaSeed Foundation

Peabody Essex Museum

Planetary Health Alliance

Queer Brown Vegan

Shared Habitat Earth

UNESCO Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development

World Ocean Day

Youth Ocean Conservation Summit

TO all of our Contest participants, sponsors, judges, partners, and community members: we appreciate your creativity, inspiration, care, and perseverance!

If you would like to support our efforts to uplift the next generation of creative environmental leaders, please scan the QR code to learn how you can make a donation, sponsor a Contest award, or shop student artwork.

We also encourage you to spread the word about the Ocean Awareness Contest by sharing this opportunity with the creative and ocean-loving teens you know.

WWW.BOWSEAT.ORG @fromthebowseat

Bow Seat’s Yearbook celebrates the winners of the annual Ocean Awareness Contest, a global competition that invites youth to creatively raise awareness of environmental issues impacting our blue planet. Students’ award-winning work from the 2023 Contest highlights the remarkable efforts of everyday heroes who are tackling the climate crisis.

Bow Seat is the world’s largest environmental youth program for the creative arts, with a mission to create a community of young people empowered to connect, create, and communicate for our planet.

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@fromthebowseat