Inspiring stories move our planet forward

Discover

Learn

Participate

About

Publish
All Topics
All Topics
Apply to be a Planet Forward Correspondent

Apply to be a Planet Forward Correspondent

Planet Forward at Ford: Building the ‘Just Transition’

Planet Forward at Ford: Building the ‘Just Transition’

Ask PF: Climate Advice for Students, by Students

Ask PF: Climate Advice for Students, by Students

Our Correspondents

Our Correspondents

The Indigenous Correspondents Program

The Indigenous Correspondents Program

Across the Wards: Diverse viewpoints on a common mission

Across the Wards: Diverse viewpoints on a common mission

Feeding the Future: Planet Forward in Arizona

Feeding the Future: Planet Forward in Arizona

Apply for the Planet Forward Summer Seminar

Apply for the Planet Forward Summer Seminar

Transforming Iceland: Where Sustainability Meets Growth

Transforming Iceland: Where Sustainability Meets Growth

Planet Forward Series Hub

Planet Forward Series Hub

Planet Forward Opportunities

Planet Forward Opportunities

Open Show Features

Our Storyfest 2023 Finalists

Congratulations to the finalists in Best Science Narrative, Best Use of Science or Data, Best Scalable Innovation, Most Compelling Character, and Most Creative!

This year, we received 132 entries from 30 schools from around the world. Of those, 37 stories have now advanced to the judging stage and are currently being reviewed by independent panels of judges made up of industry leaders and specialists.

The announcement of the 5 winners of Storyfest 2023 will be made at the Planet Forward Summit on April 20th, 2023.

Our Storyfest 2023 Finalists

Best Scalable Innovation

Could probiotics help protect at-risk wildlife?
Anna Gibbs

New York University

Researcher Raquel Peixoto applies a cocktail of beneficial bacteria to a coral reef under the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia. Corals are just one of the potential beneficiaries of probiotics.
Unpacking the packaging potential of mycelium, the mushroom ‘roots’ of many uses
Kala Menchetti Hunter

Northwestern University

A black jar against a dark grey background rests on two white mycelium blocks
In Colorado, the soil beneath solar panels is ripe for growing crops
Gabe Allen

University of Colorado Boulder

Hay frows under rows of solar panels, each casting parallel rows of shadow on the ground.
An ancient building material could be the wave of the future
Cameryn Cass

Michigan State University

An ancient building material could be the wave of the future
The buzz about robotic bees
Emma Saaty

George Washington University

An extreme close up of a tiny robotic bee perched on the end of a toothpick.
Prescription foods: Healthy feeding toward a better future
Owen Volk

Planet Forward Sr. Correspondent | SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry

Bob Cat and Allan Gandelman stand side-by-side holding a large basket of colorful produce picked from their fields. A lush green field of vegetables extends behind them.
Reinventing a sustainable crab fishery
Sachi Kitajima Mulkey

Planet Forward Sr. Correspondent | University of California, Berkeley

An illustration showing a whale entangled by a crab fishing rope, with a small orange crab on the whale's underside, helping by snipping the rope.
How Australia’s Royal National Park helps preserve Aboriginal culture
Joshua Rosenstein

Planet Forward Correspondent | Middlebury College

How Australia’s Royal National Park helps preserve Aboriginal culture

Best Science Narrative

Antarctica is collapsing – what can we do?
Libby Mohn

Planet Forward Correspondent | Middlebury Institute of International Studies

A woman in a blue jacket stands on a snowy ship deck in Antarctica
With Corn Belt inching north, farm diversification gains momentum
Adam Goldstein

University of Missouri

A man and a woman stand at the doorway of a wooden farmhouse. Lush green trees frame both sides of the house.
Chernobyl, nature’s laboratory
Calli McMurray

New York University

Chernobyl, nature’s laboratory
Create change on your campus with bees, trees, and the human spirit
Eden Gardner

SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry

A bee is perched on a light purple flower with a green stem.
Essay | My coast is toast: Remembering Hurricane Sandy and looking toward the future of climate change
Jane Cameron

George Washington University

A vibrant pink and purple sunset envelops the Long Island Sound.
What’s cracking? Bird flu and its strain on egg production
Tiya Cantrell

Planet Forward Correspondent | Tuskegee University

Rows of egg cartons fill a grocery store's shelves.
The Tijuana River Estuary: A living laboratory
Julia Paige-Carter

Planet Forward Correspondent | Arizona State University

A snowy egret walks among green plants in low water.
Solutions on the Half-Shell: Healing Florida’s waters with clams
Katie Delk

University of Florida

A person holds a clam up to the camera with the ocean tide in the background.

Most Compelling Character

Crow cowboys: A story of responsibility, respect and resilience
JoRee LaFrance

University of Arizona, Ilíiaitchik: Indigenous Correspondents Program (ICP)

Stephen Yellowtail is a generational Crow cowboy who has held onto the Yellowtail ranching legacy on the Crow Reservation.
The crisis affecting small farms and their farmers: Mental health in agricultural circles
Zareen Reza

University of Connecticut

A woman steps over a large tarp covering crop land at a small farm.
Finding water on top of the world: Water issues of New Mexico
Eva Kotobuki Sideris

Planet Forward Correspondent | SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry

A blue pickup truck is parked on a dirt road in front of a field with rows of green crops extending towards the horizon line. Large mountains are in the distance.
Get inspired with Candace Clark
Hannah Krantz

Planet Forward Correspondent | George Washington University

Get inspired with Candace Clark
Here’s what a refugee farmer grows on an urban Chicago farm
Adriana Martinez-Smiley

Planet Forward Correspondent | Northwestern University

Here’s what a refugee farmer grows on an urban Chicago farm
Radical roots: How a school garden creates dirty hands, full hearts, and hearty plates
Halley Hughes

Planet Forward Alum | University of Arizona

Radical roots: How a school garden creates dirty hands, full hearts, and hearty plates
Growing Soil | Nebraska Sandhills hint changing tides in agriculture
Vidya Muthupillai

Planet Forward Correspondent | George Washington University

Growing Soil | Nebraska Sandhills hint changing tides in agriculture
Music, mobilizing, and making a living on a living planet
Pace Schwarz

Georgetown University

Labor activists join environmentalists wearing turtle costumes at the 1999 WTO protests in Seattle, Washington.

Most Creative

ModiMask: Turning used surgical masks into tote bags
Cael Parker

Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Commonwealth University

ModiMask: Turning used surgical masks into tote bags
Indigenous plant sovereignty and Cherokee culture
Raylen Bark

Dartmouth College | Ilíiaitchik: Indigenous Correspondents Program (ICP)

A wide expanse of mountains behind a line of trees and a grassy meadow.
Reconciliación en mi Río: Stewardship of the Santa Cruz River
Halley Hughes

Planet Forward Alum | University of Arizona

Reconciliación en mi Río: Stewardship of the Santa Cruz River
Chile’s environmental conservation can create inspiration
Carter Weinhofer

Planet Forward Sr. Correspondent | Eckerd College

The railings of a bridge by the sea are covering in multi-colored ribbons. A Chilean flag is blowing in the wind in the background.
Piscataway Park: Reconnecting with nature for sustainability
Jing-ning Hsu

George Washington University

A large brown bull stands in a field with winter trees in the background.
Beyond the soil | Water in Colorado
Eric Forbes

Planet Forward Correspondent Alum | Colorado State University

Beyond the soil | Water in Colorado
The Sound of Mountains Melting: A musical meditation on emotions in a world in crisis
Chris Zatarain

Planet Forward Sr. Correspondent | University of Arizona

A page of sheet music for a song titled, "The Sound of Mountains Melting," lies on a flat surface framed by a collection of small objects including a flute.
Bite me: Fighting back against invasive species one course at a time
Katie Perkins

Planet Forward Correspondent | Texas Tech University

Bite me: Fighting back against invasive species one course at a time

Best Use of Science or Data

Setbacks and solutions: Agricultural water consumption in the Colorado River Basin
Max Sano

Planet Forward Alumnus | Franklin & Marshall College, New York University

Setbacks and solutions: Agricultural water consumption in the Colorado River Basin
Indigenous energy and equations
Shondiin Mayo

University of Alaska, Fairbanks | Ilíiaitchik: Indigenous Correspondents Program (ICP)

Bond points to a graphic on a computer screen at this work desk.
What will our future sound like? How marine ecologists are confronting ocean sound pollution
Jonathan Kopeliovich

University of Connecticut

An adult and a juvenile whale swim under the ocean with rays of sunlight coming through the water.
Perennial grains are the future of sustainable agriculture
Cassidy Hough

Michigan State University

Illustration showing annual grains and perennial grains growing from 12 to 24 months, with longer roots for perennial grains.
Backyards, urban farms, and community gardens across Chicago grow local produce to combat food insecurity
Astry Rodriguez

Planet Forward Correspondent | Northwestern University

A woman stands in a garden wearing a winter coat and holding an orange pumpkin.

A project of

 

in collaboration with

Consortium of Schools Sponsors & Partners
Discover
Learn
Participate
About
805 21st Street NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20052

Contact Us

Publish
Get the Newsletter: