EDITORS' NOTE | Volume 1

This volume has been a long time coming. But it's here, and what a time to be here—we are in the midst of wars in Europe and the Middle East, at a high-point in political polarization, and are rapidly approaching the 2.0°C set by the Paris Accords.

The volume has 8 stories total. 6 fiction. 2 nonfiction. Included are our selections from our 2023 Nature's Story Contest. We here at Ark Review are inestimably grateful for our authors, readers, and leaders at Everything Starts Small. Each piece is originally and beautifully illustrated by our graphics designer, Jase. From "entombed bodies strung from her pantry like ornaments" to skyscrapers reaching "defiantly towards the heavens," these pieces speak volumes. Our contributors come from all over the globe and from all different points in their writing journey. Each demonstrates a raw, unfettered voice, reflecting on what nature or climate change means to them. But I'll let the stories speak for themselves.

- Mason

The first volume of the Ark Review has finally been published—a piece long in the making. A first issue is always the most difficult to create, but the Ark Review team made all the wait and challenges worth it. Many of these pieces come from our 2023 Nature Writing Contest, an idea I was not sure would come to life, but I am excited to see more of.

We created Ark Review to inspire the storytelling that fuels climate justice and allow the youth to share their experiences with climate change in a powerful and raw way. We hope you empathize with each author and become immersed in each of their stories.

- Esha

My favorite article in the first volume of Ark Review is "The Plastic Bottle." Being from a beach town, litter and ocean pollution are issues I always try to combat through countless beach clean-ups and volunteer work. My favorite part of the story is when it says,

“The waves will probably push it back onto shore,” they thought.

But the waves didn’t comply. The bottle continued to flee the shore, rapidly filling up with water.

which shows the ignorance of people, who try to avoid the problems they cause, which is why the environment is in the state it is in. People need to lose this mindset in order to save our planet. This story highlighted issues I keep very close to my heart. Ark Review brings this collective to showcase why it is important to care for our planet. It is important to bring awareness in order to fight for the health and sustainability of the environment!

- Gianna