Though it receives little attention on the global stage, the Andes region is full of surprises. This stunningly beautiful cradle of one of history’s greatest civilizations is now known for world-class cuisine and flourishing indigenous rights movements, and even contains the point on Earth that's closest to the sun (no, it's not Mount Everest).

It’s also on the front lines in the fight against climate change.

California native Courtney Cecale is a visual and environmental anthropologist whose research on climate change has brought her to work with local communities in the snow-capped peaks of the Peruvian Andes. A member of National Geographic’s Your Shot photography community, she captures firsthand accounts of those at the forefront of climate