Protecting the Vjosa River: An analogy for environmental policies in Albania
The Vjosa is Europe’s last wild river. Known as the Queen of Rivers, its natural flow left unhindered by the lack of dams grants great value to both ecological conservation and scientific research. After years of advocacy efforts from the country’s environmental non-profit groups, outpouring public support for the river’s protection led to Albania’s first-ever environmental lawsuit in 2017. Since then, Vjosa has been declared a national park, granting it permanent protection from any existing or future dam developments.
The river's 100-mile stretch reaches the border of Greece to the Adriatic Sea, encompassing the entirety of southern Albania. Its waters, therefore, cover a wide variety of communities, from large cities and tourist attractions to remote villages in the mountains. Among these different regions, however, lies one commonality: a shared love and appreciation for the Vjosa.
Yet, the Albanian government is pursuing a new airport on the Vjosa-Narta protected lands, while pushing forward new tourism infrastructure around the Vjosa River. With hopes that such changes will bring more jobs, Albania has seemingly determined its priorities – likely at the cost of its natural resources.
Select images published in the August 2023 issue of The Great Outdoors Magazine.
Not in my backyard: The anthem of volunteers and the Charles River cleanup
For decades, the Charles River – located in and around the Greater Boston area – was inundated with all sorts of pollution. Trash, sewage waste, and even cars were drowning in this body of water, making it inhabitable for many aquatic species. Ever since the first clean-up efforts to breathe life back into the Charles, volunteers have been a key component to the success of such efforts.
For the last twenty years, the invasive water chestnuts have spread across all different parts of the river. In the last few years, numbers have dropped significantly. The cause of this change is thanks to – you guessed it – volunteers.
Select images published on the Charles River Watershed Association's ArcGIS Storymaps page.
Finalist for the 2024 Planet Forward Storyfest.
Vermont's journey of recovery from record floods
July 2023 brought devastation to Vermont like no other – homes, highways, and entire towns were rummaged by the flooding that would cost the New England state billions of dollars in repairs. Months after the initial storm, residents throughout the flood plains are still working toward rebuilding their lives to what it used to be.
Though deemed as a "once in a century" storm, the flooding event displayed similar characteristics to the outcome of Hurricane Irene just a little more than a decade ago. Soon after, more floods added salt to the wound for Vermont residents in December 2023, then again in July 2024.
Existential questions remain unanswered for Vermont and its communities, as they navigate a future that looks drastically different from the past.
Published in Planet Forward, June 2024.
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