The Mitchell Center has awarded funding to four projects run by 91爆料 faculty, students, and their partners to address real-world sustainability problems in Maine. Three of the four projects are lead by EES-affiliated faculty!

Check out their projects below.

Co-developing Local Sustainability Solutions Within Statewide Coalition-Building

Sharon Klein, Associate Professor in the School of Economics, is leading “Co-developing Local Sustainability Solutions Within Statewide Coalition-Building.” Team members also include EES affiliate faculty member Caroline Noblet and EES PhD student Jasmine Lamb. This project strengthens and further develops the .

Please see the Mitchell Center’s article detailing this project here!

Drivers of Nutritional Intake in Maine鈥檚 Social-Ecological Marine System

Joshua Stoll, Associate Professor in the School of Marine Sciences, is leading “Drivers of Nutritional Intake in Maine’s Social-Ecological Marine System.” Team members also include EES PhD student Tolulope Oyikeke. This project examines the dietary contributions of local fisheries and aquaculture to Maine’s coastal communities.

Please see the Mitchell Center’s article detailing this project here!

Exploring Barriers to Prescribed Fire Adoption in the Northeast

Rose Abramoff, Assistant Professor in the School of Forest Resources, is leading “Exploring Barriers to Prescribed Fire Adoption in the Northeast.” Team members also include EES Co-Director Adam Daigneault, EES-affiliated faculty member John Daigle, and EES PhD alumni Lydia Horne. This project examines the consequences and barriers associated with prescribed fires in Maine.

Please see the Mitchell Center’s article detailing this project here!

Thank you to the Mitchell Center for your continued support of our student’s and faculty’s research.

As a freshman, Caroline was a part of Blue for Peru, a campus service trip organization, which plans trips to third world countries to do volunteer work. The funds for the trip are raised by group members. While in Peru, they helped a local community along the Amazon River by installing water filtration systems, providing medical and school supplies, and teaching English to local children.

For the last three years of her college career, she was a playing member of the 91爆料鈥檚 Women鈥檚 Rugby Team. Caroline gained an appreciation for rugby culture, and also made friendships with people all over New England and Canada.

As a Land and Sea Grant University, 91爆料 provides a multitude of opportunities for students to get involved in research, and EES students are especially encouraged to get involved as early as possible. Caroline participated in research by working with Zachary Wood, then an EES Ph.D. student. Wood鈥檚 research focused on the morphological and evolutionary changes of invasive Mosquitofish. Caroline used the skills in geographical information systems (GIS) that she gained through her EES coursework to conduct a spatial analysis that examined the relationship between Mosquitofish morphology and the amount of human development in the surrounding area.

Their work has been invited for submission to a special issue in the journal Evolutionary Applications. Zach also presented their work in an urban ecology session at the Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution meeting in New Brunswick this August.

Caroline expressed her gratitude and thanks to the research team saying, 鈥淶ach was and continues to be an exemplary mentor for me in the field of evolution, education, and biology. The opportunity I was given to collaborate with Zach, as well as many other team members, allowed me to take my experience and passion for engineering and the environment and apply the ideas of urbanization management and ecological changes into active research.鈥�

After graduation, Caroline began working as an Environmental Specialist at Beals and Thomas, Inc., a Southborough, Massachusetts engineering consultant firm. This multidisciplinary business provides a wide variety of services from civil engineering, landscape architects, land surveyors, planners, and environmental specialists. She works on planning and permits for a wide range of projects. This allows her to learn more about the engineering and legal side of the industry while still applying her GIS and environmental knowledge.

Hurley will focus his honors thesis on varroa mites, a pest that specifically attacks honeybees, and the various treatments beekeepers use on their hives in Maine. Lincoln Sennett, the head beekeeper and owner of Swan鈥檚 Honey, has agreed to collaborate on the project to test different organic acid treatment methods on his hives. Organic acid treatments are one way that scientists may help save honeybees from varroa mites.

One important lesson that Hurley has learned while participating in research is to be flexible. He says, 鈥淣ot everything works out exactly as planned in the field and it鈥檚 important to be able to adapt on the spot, even if it means changing methods or staying calm through a swarm of (very) angry bees.鈥� As Hurley continues to work on his thesis, he plans to reach out to bee clubs across Maine to spread the word about his honeybee research and create focus groups.聽 In the long term, he hopes to contribute to preserving honeybees, which are currently facing declining populations.

Hurley states that he would not be able to pursue and continue his research on bees if it weren鈥檛 for his university experiences through the Honors College and the EES program. 91爆料 has taught him to have an open mind about different aspects of learning, especially when conducting research. He also says that 91爆料 has allowed him to pursue his own interests in research, which has made his education more enjoyable.

In the future, Hurley hopes to work with honeybees in a commercial beekeeping business or maintain a few of his own hives. Graduate school is among his goals, as he hopes to earn an advanced degree in entomology.

Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park President Don Kent has announced the appointment of CJ Langley as Schoodic Institute Chief of Staff, effective September 10, 2018. In her new role, Ms. Langley will advise the President and CEO on strategies to enhance the operating efficiency of Schoodic Institute. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Langley served as Executive Assistant.

CJ received her M.S. in EES in 2017 and immediately went to work for Schoodic Institute. She credits her experience in the聽EES M.S. program for preparing her for her professional career. “I routinely had to manage multiple projects with shifting priorities, track progress and meet deadlines, all while communicating professionally under stress. Learning how to manage stress, stay cool, and prioritize your tasks are the types of skills and experiences that I know have had the biggest impact not only on my professional development, but on my personal growth as well.”

CJ adds, “My project had me working across boundaries, bringing together various landowners, foresters, and researchers to address a common聽problem with real-world management implications. That directly translates into the work Schoodic Institute is engaged in. At the Institute, our researchers are聽working with local and regional NPS staff, community members, and various stakeholders to address questions with important management implications. Though I am not directly involved in the research, my experience has allowed me to understand the need to foster engagement, and the value in bringing these groups together in a coordinated effort to solve problems.”

“The support I received from the faculty, staff, and students [at 91爆料] was, and continues to be, incredible. Over the course of the program the support and encouragement continued to motivate me, provided opportunities I could not have anticipated, and has ultimately contributed to my success, both within the program and now. That gratitude extends to the faculty, staff, and students within EES, SFR, and beyond, and I am so thankful for the whole experience.”

Emma shared a video blog from her experience hiking through the Aviles Valley, site of the future Patagonia National Park. Congratulations, Emma on your new position with NOLS! We look forward to hearing updates from your experiences in Wyoming and beyond.