Search
Translate
Toggle Menu
Search
Translate

California Coastal Commission

ca-coastal-commission
Monarchs hanging from a tree

Climate Storytelling Contest

2025 Photo Essay 2nd Place Winner

"A Look Into My Life"
By Jimena Castaneda, Carson

Text: A Look Into My Life. Climate Storytelling: My Perspective on the Changing World. Behing the text is a scrapbook style collage with a bee, a sun, butterflies, a ladybug, a camera, a megaphone.

Text: Summary. I remember the feeling of waking up to bird songs while a gush of wind sways my sheer white curtain. As a future environmentalist, the memories I have curated with the Earth, our home, are some that I hope won't be rare. This photo essay is dedicated to all the times I felt connected to Mother Earth. It is an archive of the interconnectedness between my body, soul, and mind to the globe. Climate change is a terrifying thought that makes me wonder how life will look in the future. It has made me question my life choices, but I have used those questions to live a sustainable lifestyle. Future generations will deal with society's mistakes, but I know the persistence and fight we lead will succeed. My work with local land conservancies and personal research with environmental science and studies will allow me to contribute to an already elaborate group of advocates.

Photo looking across a green lawn with trees at a stately white building fronted by columns. Text: This is a photo of a building I captured in Washington, D.C. Through this photo I hear the sound of cicadas embracing the trees and bikes ringing as they zoomed by me.

Photo of a corner of a red brick house with blue door, with a garden in front and a plastic chair and small table. Text: My abuela lives off the land. Her home in Mexico promotes the use of sustainability as she uses minimal waste. a declaration for those who do not want to change their lifestyle to help the planet.

Photo looking over rolling green hills with a few buildings in the distance. Text: The crisp, fresh air that circulated Apostle Ranch contrasts with the heavy oxygen in Los Angeles. Climate change is beginning to be felt, and is worsening our health more than ever.

Photo of a calm tropical bay with people on the beach and in the water. Text: Hawaii is home to a beautiful landscape, but it is not home to a variety of animals due to Climate Change. The ocean breeze and salty aroma linger in my nose, but bring guilt.

Photo of a line of turtles on a log in a pond. Text: Walking along the El Dorado Nature Center has been my source of mental wellness. Fear that public spaces will be the only protected forms of nature is not just.

Photo of a girl sitting on a tree branch, wearing a face mask. Text: Summer evenings are dedicated to tree climbing at the local community garden. Climate change is only understood by those who connect with nature.

Photo os four youth standing, sitting, and lying on a green lawn. Text: This is a photo of my friends and me enjoying the sunny rays and resting on the wet grass.

Photo of a pan standing in a garden holding two big zucchini in his hands. Text: My dad has grown vegetables and fruits not just for my family but for the community. This is a marker of community fighting for sustainable living.