The Trail Volume 13, Issue 1 October 2020
Photography by Marissa Guzik
Rutgers University Department of Human Ecology
To Our Readers‌ With a new school year we are thrilled to bring you a new volume of The Trail. As we navigate through an unusual and virtual semester, join us for Volume 13, Issue 1 to read about what our staff have been up to. With a mix of student reflections, poetry, and articles about current environmental news, we hope you enjoy our first installment in our 13th year of publication. Feel free to reach out to epibtrail@gmail.com if you have any questions, comments, or if you would like to get involved with our publication. Warm wishes, Micah & Marissa
The Trail Staff… Editor-in-Chief: Micah Gartenberg Head Graphic Designer: Marissa Guzik Authors:
Editors:
Natalia Binkowski
Micah Gartenberg (lead)
Sarah Ekẹnẹzar
Natalia Binkowski
Anna Forsman
Rebecca Bright
Jeremy Lewan
Carina Hawryluk
Simran Orion
Basil McQuade
Angelica Rojas
Naajia Shakir
Designers:
Marissa Guzik (lead)
Sarah Ekẹnẹzar
Carina Hawryluk
Table of Contents * Tip: For quick access to an article click on the title of the article.
Ways to Reduce the Impact of Deforestation. Angelica Rojas……………………………………………………………………………………….………………… 1
More Trees If You Please. Sarah Ekenezar……………………………………………....…………………………………………………….. 3
The Bucket List for the Traveler: The Maldives. Jeremy Lewan…………………………………………………………………………………………..…………….. 7
Poetry. Anna Forsman ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..….11
PROTECTING OUR PLANET. Natalia Binkowski….……………………………………………………………………..…………………….… 14
My Virtual Experience with DDCSP at UW. Naajia Shakir ………………………………………………………………………………………….………………..16
When the Night Dust Settles. Simran Orion………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…. 19
Trail Mix. ……………….…………………………………………………………………………………………..…. 21
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Ways to Reduce of
the Impact
Deforestation By: Angelica Rojas
Deforestation is the man-made act of clearing forests and trees in order to make use of clear land, or timber for fuel. Forests are an important natural resource that has been useful for human and animal survival for centuries. However, in modern times, the natural resource has been excessively taken advantage of to the point where it is negatively affecting the environment and atmosphere. Deforestation plays a consequential role in the detrimental effects of climate change. Carbon dioxide increases in the atmosphere as a result of large amounts of trees being removed. Scientists have made it clear that humans are at risk of extinction, if trees are exponentially removed without afforestation (Vang, 1). Deforestation has been kept in human practices because it is a source for employment, construction, and income for the economy. Although deforestation may not be completely eradicated, there are various ways that people and communities can work together to prevent future detriments caused by removing trees. The easiest step to fight against deforestation is to simply plant a tree. Planting a tree is considered a lifelong investment in the environment as it combats climate change (Rinkesh, 24). You can start by planting one or even multiple trees at a time to make up for some of the lost trees.
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More methods to combat deforestation include using less paper, recycling paper and cardboard, and using recycled products. Two million trees are cut every year in America, just to supply the paper demand. A way to reduce paper use is by using technology for jotting down notes, typing papers or study points, and emailing. Recycling is a great way to avoid future trees from being cut down for more supply of paper.
“If just 10 percent of all the paper used by the average American in one year were recycled, 25 million trees would be saved. That makes 367 million pounds of carbon dioxide absorbed by these trees in one year” (Slavikova 18).
Furthermore, support eco-friendly organizations and spread awareness about deforestation and its detrimental effects. This can be done through sharing environmental facts on social media, articles, or verbally communicating with friends or family members. Organizations that you can check out, donate, and support include Greenpeace, World Wildlife Fund, Rainforest Alliance, and Conservation International (Slavikova, 30).
Works Cited Rinkesh. “Deforestation - Causes, Effects and Solutions To Clearing of Forests.” Conserve Energy Future, 12 June 2020, www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-solutions-ofdeforestation.php Slavikova, Sara Popescu. “15 Strategies to Reduce Deforestation.” Greentumble, 29 Aug. 2019, https:// greentumble.com/15-strategies-to-reduce-deforestation/ Vang, J. Deforestation In The U.S. ArcGIS StoryMaps, Esri, 23 Jan. 2020, https://storymaps.arcgis.com/ stories/918884869ef94d9da9a11edc8a805a4b
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More Trees If You Please By: Sarah Ekẹnẹzar The sun is shining brightly outside as usual, but it feels a bit hotter than normal, so you decide to take a step outside. As you glance around, the bright green landscape that you’re accustomed to has disappeared overnight, leaving your eyes with a vision of cracked soil and withered trees. “How on Earth did this happen?” you wonder, before waking up suddenly and realizing it was only a dream. This scenario, albeit hypothetical, is an unfortunate reality for some people in different parts of the world. In recent decades, both temperatures and the human population have increased tremendously, following
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industrialization booms around the world. As a result, there are more “combined pressures of agricultural and livestock production (over-cultivation, overgrazing, forest conversion), urbanization, deforestation, and extreme weather events such as droughts and coastal surges…” to keep up with the growing human demands (WHO). Collectively, these activities make Earth more vulnerable to desertification, or “the permanent degradation of land that was once arable” (Nunez). Once formerly fertile, land is desertified, it loses its ability to properly support animals and local people (Nunez). Countries around the world have already
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witnessed the loss of healthy land over the years, with developing countries disproportionately experiencing greater losses. To further emphasize the severity of desertification, the European Commission’s World Atlas of Desertification declared
stemming from a lack of clean water” (WHO). It is more clear than ever before that desertification is a serious problem that yields deadly consequences when unaddressed. In response to growing concerns from environmental activists
that over 75% of global land has been degraded in some form, and that percentage could jump to 90% by 2050 if current trends continue (Nunez). This pervasive land degradation causes water supplies to eventually dry up. Subsequently, plants that provide food sources grow poorly, and local habitats can be semi-permanently damaged (Nunez). The World Health Organization reported that desertification “often produces several human health problems that range from malnutrition, respiratory disease caused by dusty air, and other diseases
around the world, the United Nations created the Convention to Combat Desertification in 1994 (Nunez). Through this Convention, 122 countries have set goals to address and reduce land degradation issues (Nunez). One of these countries set remarkably higher goals than the Convention’s proposed goals-China. Today, around 23% of China consists of forested land (South China Morning Post). In
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Qingming, Head of the Ningxiang Forestry Bureau (Liu Qingming 00:01:03-00:01:10). As China continues to encourage its citizens to aid in the reforestation efforts, there have been many small-scale individual efforts made to help along the way. Ms. Atlanhua and her husband, Mr. Xu Shijun, as part of Alibaba’s Ant Forest Initiative, planted over 300,000 “love trees” since 2017, on behalf of people on the Ant Forest app (Xu Shijun 00:00:21 -00:00:24). They endearingly refer to the trees they plant as ‘love trees’, as they have a very close relationship with the environment and wanted to further illustrate that (New China
2019, China led a separate initiative to reduce desertification by planting trees on more than 17 million acres of land, roughly equating to the size of Ireland (South China Morning Post). As of March of 2020, there were 544 million acres of forest in China, with 198 million acres of forest being planted by people--the largest amount anywhere in the world (South China Morning Post). These trees have mainly been planted on unused farmland and abandoned mines (South China Morning Post). “These are scars on our countryside and our environment. We’re here to heal the Mr. Xu Shijun and Ms. Atlanhua scars with greening efforts,” said Liu
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TV). The Ant Forest app is a game where users record low-carbon activities and generate green points that can be used to eventually plant real trees after a certain threshold is met. Mr. Xu Shijun said, “This has not only helped us financially but also improved the ecological environment [here]” (Xu Shijun 00:00:38-00:00:44). Even after Mr. Xu Shijun’s accident in which he lost his leg in 2019, one of the first things on his mind was to resume planting as soon as he got better (New China TV). This couple, among several other people in China and countries around the world, serve as a wonderful inspiration for what humans can do to make the world better. The collective efforts in China have not only boosted their environment’s health, but have also caused their eco-tourism industry to grow tremendously, with forests nationwide welcoming around 1.8 billion visitors in 2019 (South China Morning Post). Additionally, NASA has reported positive news that the global tree coverage has increased by 5% from 2000-
2017, with China accounting for 25% of that total increase (South China Morning Post). So when the state of environmental affairs appears to be unsolvable or somber, remember the efforts of people like Ms. Atlanhua and Mr. Xu Shijun to feel encouraged and hopeful for a greener future.
Works Cited “As China continues planting trees, 23% of the country is now covered in forest.” South China Morning Post. 26 Mar. 2020. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP-iBKeqcF0. Accessed 19 Oct. 2020. “Couple plants 300,000 “love trees” in desert for Ant Forest users.” New China TV. 26 August 2020. www.youtube.com/ watch?v=zNmFsIR-Ckk. Accessed 19 Oct. 2020. Nunez, Christina. “Desertification, explained.” National Geographic. 31 May 2019. www.nationalgeographic.com/ environment/habitats/desertification/ #close. Accessed 20 Oct. 2020. “Land degradation and desertification.” World Health Organization. www.who.int/ globalchange/ecosystems/ desert/en/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2020. Shovel vector: https:// pngtree.com/so/buildingsupplies'>building supplies png from pngtree.com</a
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The Maldives Soft, warm, pure white sand and
Water bungalows off the coast of a Maldivian atoll
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gracefully-swaying palm trees, surrounded by glistening turquoise waves compose the unbelievably beautiful island archipelago of the nation of the Maldives. This enchanting 26atoll tropical hideaway, made up of about 1200 coral islands scattered across the Indian Ocean, is located approximately 700 miles south of the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Maldives Cabinetâ&#x20AC;?).
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The country is home to about a half -million Maldivians, a diverse group of Islamic people with a blend of Arabic, African, and Asian features (“People of Maldives”). The Maldivian Atolls were created by coral reef formation on the peaks of the submerged mountain range that spans across the center of the Indian Ocean. The reefs eventually emerged from the water, accumulated sand and debris, allowed a place for vegetation to take hold, and began island formation. The reefs in the middle collapsed, and the strongest corals on the rim of the atoll remained (“The Maldives”).
The Maldives is every diver’s dream destination. It is one of the most coral-rich regions in the world, supporting more than 2,000 species of colorful coral and fish that exist in its crystal-clear, warm waters (Mia). Large schools of masked bannerfish, vermilion rock cod, emperor angelfish, cuttlefish, sea turtles, and manta Table of Contents
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rays glide through the waters. The coastal waters of Maleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Atoll are a surfing hotspot, where the reef generates exhilarating surf breaks. Whale and dolphin tours are Me and my dad during a visit to the Maldives in 2006. also popular in the Maldives as 16 different species have been spotted in the Maldivian waters (Mia). Windsurfing, canoeing, sailing, deep sea fishing, jet skiing, and water skiing are also available.
Sea level rise, caused by climate change, poses a daunting threat to the islands, 80% of which are below sea level (Zubair et al.). Reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predict that most of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s islands will be inundated by the end of the century, creating a humanitarian refugee crisis. 9 | The Trail
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Maldivian politicians signed a declaration on climate change underwater in 2009 to raise awareness of its country’s impending doom.
A rise in ocean temperature also threatens the islands’ reefs as warmer temperatures kill the corals (Brown). In order to raise awareness of the climate crisis, Maldivian officials held the world’s first underwater cabinet meeting to sign a declaration on climate change (“Maldives Cabinet”). In order to save this rare island nation, climate change must be mitigated immediately. The fate of future generations of Maldivians hangs in the balance.
References Brown, Sally. Coastal Communities Highly Threatened by Rising Sea-Levels, Even with Climate Change Mitigation. 20 Sept. 2019, www.southampton.ac.uk/news/2019/09/sea-levels-coastal-communities.page. “The Maldives, Geography and Formation.” Maldives Traveller, maldivestraveller.mv/en/travelguide/the-maldives. “Maldives Cabinet Meeting Underwater.” Smithsonian, 18 May 2018, ocean.si.edu/conservation/climate-change/maldives-cabinet- meeting-underwater. Mia. “Wildlife of the Maldives.” The Maldives Expert, 2 Jan. 2019, www.themaldivesexpert.com/1759/wildlife-of-the-maldives/. “People of Maldives.” Kanuhura, 8 Jan. 2019, www.kanuhura.com/en/newsroom/people-of-maldives. Zubair, Shahida, et al. “Not Quite Paradise: Inadequacies of Environmental Impact Assessment in the Maldives.” Tourism Management, vol. 32, no. 2, 2011, pp. 225–234., doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2009.12.007. Table of Contents
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Poetry By: Anna Forsman Standard Anxious when it comes to my autonomy, And doubtful I could handle such a monopoly. Night opens with the rain against the window, And after a transient visage, I can know.
A candle calls fog to the inside of the glass, ephemeral, and I ask What it is like to be outside And how does this swiftness steal such time? Is there any way I could see inside your mind?
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During and After Why should we use our time on things that leave us indifferent? We cannot Silence is our only opponent And grows alongside an unmoved Spirit. The Truth of a feeling is ineffable and incoherent, And we strive for a thoughtful intensity. They say we must waste our time on things that leave us indifferent — We will not.
This time we followed the river Tomorrow morning I will clean out my mind And I’ll search for some place I’ve been trying to find I’m displacing boulders while temperatures climb You’re decoding references on rusted road signs
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Rushes There are some books we won't read anymore Because weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re tired of the way they say the words should fit together I'd rather second guess the words I speak and choose to remember
And as Autumn inches forward, I leave them scattered on my wall, I sink back into waves of Summer Days today we hardly recall. The time flies and this time, I feel like We followed The riverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mind.
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PROTECTING
OUR
PLANET
By: Natalia Binkowski
In
the midst of the pandemic and
everything else going on in the world, I decided to bring you some positive environmental news via this article. For some background, scientists have continued to tell us that “stabilizing the climate will require protecting at least 30 percent of the planet by 2030” (Flick). This includes fresh water, clean air, and food supply. We have to do this within this decade, or else the problem could become a lot worse. Currently, “roughly 15% of the world’s land and 7% of the ocean has some degree of protection”, which is simply not e n o u g h
(Campaign for Nature). We need to protect a much larger portion of our earth in order to see major differences that will benefit not only Mother Nature, but future generations as well. In May of this year, “a California state bill proposing the creation of a state 30x30 policy” was brought forward (Flick). This would protect the biodiversity in California, which includes many species of plants and animals. Right now, approximately 22% of the state’s land area and 16% of its coastal waters are protected, which is actually q u i t e impressive compared to other states
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and places! On a global scale we have protected a total of 22% of the planet surface of the 30% required to satisfy the scientists. We are actually quite close to our goal. We need to all work as a collective to save our precious earth. To dive further into this good news, the governor of California, Gavin Newsom, “issued an executive order on Wednesday for his state to protect ‘30 by 30,’ conserving 30 percent of its land and coastal waters by 2030” (Blackledge). He wants the residents of California to take pride in the beautiful landscapes and to take action to protect them. The governor also said that “by conserving Californi a’s e c os ys te ms , fut ure generations will be able to appreciate the towering redwoods, the expansive deserts and the iconic animals that call our forests, deserts, grasslands and coastal waters their home” (Blackledge). Protecting the important habitats in California is a huge step that hopefully more of the United States will follow
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soon. It is great news that California took action, but it will be even better if more places decide to adapt to this progressive mode of action too. We need to protect more of our beautiful lands– not only in the United States, but also around the world. Once we take the initiative to save our planet, at individual and federal levels, we will see a much greener planet that will lead to happier and healthier people!
Works Cited Blackledge, Steve. "California Moves to 'build on Legacy of Open Space'." California Moves to 'build on Legacy of Open Space' | Environment America. 07 Oct. 2020. Web. 24 Oct. 2020. Flick, Pamela. "Protecting 30% of California by 2030." Defenders of Wildlife. Web. 24 Oct. 2020. November 18, 2010 Joel Reynolds. "Preserving California's Holy Grail at Tejon Ranch." NRDC. 15 Dec. 2016. Web. 24 Oct. 2020. "Programs: National Conservation Lands." 14 Apr. 2020. Web. 24 Oct. 2020. "Protecting 30% of the Planet for Nature: Economic Analysis." Campaign for Nature. Web. 24 Oct. 2020.
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Naajia Shakir
D
uring the summer of 2020, I worked at an urban farm where one of my peers introduced me to a program that they once participated in, The Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program (DDCSP). The only thing they mentioned to me about the program was that it would be a great opportunity to do some research and it would look good on my resume. When I first heard about the program, I was hesitant to consider applying because I found out that there were multiple Doris Duke Programs, and I did not know which one to apply to. Upon further
investigation of each program, I decided that I was going to apply to DDCSP at the University of Washington (UW). However, since the program only accepted twenty students, I was sure that I was not going to get in. About two weeks after the application deadline and an interview, I received an email from the program stating that I was waitlisted. At this point, I was extremely upset, but at the same time, I was also not that surprised since the application process was very competitive. A few days later, I received another email stating that I was accepted into the University of Washington Campus
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program. I was struck with emotions of excitement and joy as I truly did not think I was smart enough to get into the program, but was happy that I was given the chance to expand my conservationist knowledge and skills. Around the time I was invited to join DDCSP, the pandemic of COVID-19 struck the world, destroying the processes of everything involving people. DDCSP at UW grants undergraduate students the opportunity to experience exploratory research and learn about sovereignty to food and land (mainly Indigenous) in Washington for two summers, but the pandemic put a halt to this. As a person who has never traveled on an airplane or to the West Coast, I was very unhappy that I was not able to travel to Washington but still hopeful to learn as the program would be online instead. The virtual
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2016 DDCSP Group listening to a discussion about fire on the forest
experience of DDCSP was amazing, and I still smile when I think about it. Through this eight-week program, we discussed the issues of white male figures leading the conservation movement, the colonization of Indigenous lands, we journaled about nature, and talked about what nature meant to us. My favorite thing about DDCSP was that it allowed me to make new friends and build connections with them, since before the program I never thought that this would be possible. Overall, I was able to enhance and extend my understanding of nature and land restoration, while also stepping into my conservation boots and
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encouraging others to do the same. Joining DDCSP at UW was so enlightening and allowed me to learn about several realms within conservationism and the diversity within. I would recommend this program to anyone interested in nature and willing to unlearn and learn some dominant narratives about environmentalism and preservation. My hope is that I will be able to go to Washington during the summer of 2021 to complete my field research aspect of the program, but time will only tell if this pandemic will allow that to happen. If anyone wants to learn more about the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program at the University of Washington, I will place the link below, and there are also other DDCSP cohorts as well, and implore those who are interested to look into those too.
Though this pandemic and the current state of our country may make us angry and often melancholy, remember that there is always a light at the end of a dark long tunnel, we can get through these treacherous times.
Washington Landscape
Works Cited DDCF. (2020). Environment - Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program. Retrieved November 29, 2020, from https://www.ddcf.org/ what-we-fund/environment/goals-and -strategies/strengthening-theconservation-field/doris-dukeconservation-scholars-program University of Washington. (2020). The Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program. Retrieved
November 29, 2020, from http:// uwconservationscholars.org/
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When The Night Dust Settles By: Simran Orion A fact you may or may not know: humans are celestial. Through the marrows of our bones, through the water fearing layers of our cells, through the electrical signals jumping from Ranvierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nodes - we are the remains of tremendous supernovian explosions in the sky. Stardust. And we are not alone in this phenomenon. A star dies and the contents of its soul disperse across the galaxy. Sparks of carbon cascade into the soil that builds mountains, and into the leaves that release oxygen. Fallen bits from the brightest light shows in the universe vitalize the ocean, the rain, the dew on early spring mornings. Time quickens and humans play with numbers, words. Transitive property states that A=B=C. A girl lays on a lawn and considers the strings that tie Manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s laws to the universe. Transitive. If humans are made up of stardust and stardust luminates the oceans, we... are that life vitalizing substance that envirgorates the globe.
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Heights and depths and the known unknown. A girl peers into a murky abyss and wonders why humans love to poison themselves. Ignorance contaminates waves with each spill. Careless (but convenient!) shipments of deadly polymers trek through the marine, leaving behind a trail of sludge. We continue! Listen! Hide our minds! Stir together the ingredients of destruction and sicken our bodies. Parasites lie in the bed we make, plotting to poison thirsty souls sipping at the stream. The water today tastes irony - with the fact that the fluid for life condemns us to death. The ocean no longer glitters in the sun. Neither do we. Once celestial beings in a crystalline world, now crippled by the toxins and curses we pour into the water. What happened to the stardust? Still thereâ&#x20AC;Ś still existingâ&#x20AC;Ś but that once iridescent shine barely glimmers as centuries of human negligence extinguish the light.
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Trail
Start here
Mix
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Enjoy
fall
Break 2020
