This inaugural issue of the WVC magazine and podcast invites you to explore the ways creative practice and ecological activism intertwine with joy, resilience, deep relationship, and the celebration of biodiversity. Welcoming joy is an act of resistance: a defiant embrace of life amid loss that reaffirms the Earth’s capacity to rise and endure.
ESSAYS, STORIES, LETTERS & POEMS:
The links in each title below take you to the audio, visual art, poetry, and prose by each author.
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A Note from WVC founder & curator, Vanessa Chakour
Dive In, by Jiling Lin
”Sitting in a California poppy patch stoned on sunlight and birdsong, I notice golden pollen flying. Pollinator Californication. Delight. This little haiku (hopes to) mirror that.”
How To Write Like A Cat, by Kristen J. Sollée
”Nine small steps toward feline creativity.”
Letter to a Bobcat Mama by Sarah Killingsworth “My letter to a wild bobcat mama, who I have spent years observing and photographing, is an exploration of her universe, and my feelings about the time I spend with her. I hope it fosters empathy for her life, and the lives of other wild animals.”
Summoning Fireflies, by Kate Dworman
“Summoning Fireflies was written to rebalance the weight that I carry while working in environmental advocacy. It is a poem that celebrates Mother Nature and her fireflies with a thread of lament running through; a quiet warning about how these magical little lights are quietly disappearing. But more than anything, the poem is meant to spark that sense of wonder felt as children on warm summer nights and serve as a reminder that we are all connected—to each other, and to every creature we share this planet with.”
Remi, by Maggie Healy
“A joyful conversation with a French-speaking dog.”
Wild Lives, Wild Joy, by Kristen Weiss Public Engagement Coordinator for Project Coyote
"Coyotes are one of the most misunderstood and persecuted wild carnivores in North America. By recognizing the emotional experiences humans and coyotes share, I hope we can encourage greater respect for coyotes and a shift to compassionate coexistence with all of our wild neighbors."
We Are Family, The Far Woods “Our practice crosses disciplines to work toward an ecologically-viable and socially-just future.”
The Turtle, by Jane Anderson
“Written from the perspective of a turtle I met at an aquarium, this work expresses the deep longing I had in that moment to be that turtle.”
Good Morning, Wild Neighbors!, by Mallory Lance Fithian
”We root into our new home as we get to know our surrounding plant and animal life, and our young ones open our eyes to the immediacy of the present moment.”
WVC SUMMER TEAM:
WVC founder and curator, Vanessa Chakour
WVC assistant editor, Rona Sarita Ramjas
WVC audio production,Alex Chakour
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