Victoria Smith

Feb 15, 2023 | planetforward.org | Kristen Caldwell |Maria Zaharatos |Victoria Smith

“Race you to the top!” my sister yells at me as we run up the Bubble Rock trail in Maine’s Acadia National Park. This trail leads us to an iconic summit featuring a gravity-defying boulder positioned on the side of a mountain, looking like it could fall at any moment. At age 5, I would throw all of my body weight onto the boulder in an attempt to push it off the mountain.

Feb 15, 2023 | planetforward.org | Maria Zaharatos |Kristen Caldwell |Victoria Smith |Shondiin Mayo

Hearing about climate change and the polluted state of the environment used to make me discouraged. I knew that, if we ever wanted to make progress on these issues, systemic change had to happen, and that my actions alone (switching to reusable cutlery, grocery bags etc.) would not stop the massive scales of plastic pollution and global warming. And while I couldn’t change this reality as one individual, I found hope in community.

Feb 15, 2023 | planetforward.org | Victoria Smith |Francesca Edralin |Kala Hunter |Diana Quintero

There is a hidden story unfolding of the improbable new pairing of mushrooms and the fashion industry, glamour meets grounded, to solve one of the world’s worst environmental problems – pollution caused by plastics and forever chemicals. Almost every piece of clothing made in the Western world has chemicals and plastics in them even when you don’t see them, and you think what you have on is free of these pollutants.