I am so excited to share "Welcome to Trash City", the entry I was selected to write on behalf of the National Geographic and #PlanetorPlastic campaign! Though many of you know that I was an English major, you might not know I was also a Wildlife Biology major. I grew up with a great love for the outdoors and wildlife and spent much of my childhood exploring the mountains of Idaho. My first job was an intern at Zoo Boise, where I worked with a 350-pound Aldabra tortoise, spider monkeys, a Komodo dragon, penguins, and many others. Working with animals who had lost their homes to habitat loss or other human causes opened my eyes to the plight of wildlife worldwide, and the impact we have on our environment.

I hope that the stories of the #PlanetorPlastic campaign will inspire you to write your own entry and consider how we each can make changes in our own life to affect the world for the better. One of my favorite things about Wattpad is that it gives people a voice. I hope that you will use your own unique voice to reach out to others and inspire change worldwide. 

Here is the link to the contest, it is externally linked as well. https://www.wattpad.com/story/163475700-planetorplastic-writing-contest

Hope you enjoy the story! -Hannah

(p.s. above is a picture of me watching the sunset in Hawaii ;)