Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions

By studying the Damariscotta and Medomak River estuaries, University of Maine researchers have formally documented shifts in shellfish populations, from soft shell clams to oysters. Because Maine’s intertidal mudflats, such as those found in these estuaries, are difficult to study, this work filled an important gap in information about shellfish harvesting. Research documented how tidal […]

Four school districts across Maine were able to reduce their food waste by 20% by participating in a 2023 study conducted by University of Maine researchers. To build on the learning and momentum around reducing wasted food in Maine school cafeterias, UMaine has launched a second Maine School Cafeteria Wasted Food Study with four school […]

Cindy Isenhour, associate professor of anthropology and climate change and Mitchell Center Faculty Fellow, spoke with The Seattle Times for an article titled “Do Seattle-area thrift stores still offer treasures at bargain prices?” Isenhour said that thrift stores traditionally see higher demand during periods of high cost of living. “When we see the price of […]

The Bethel Citizen highlighted an effort spearheaded by the Bethel Conservation Commission and two University of Maine graduate students to develop a five-year energy plan and present it to town officials in the spring. A member of the commission networked with Sharon Klein, associate professor of economics at UMaine and Mitchell Center Faculty Fellow, who […]

Mitchell Center faculty fellow Heather Leslie spoke at the annual meeting for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) on Feb. 14. AAAS is the world’s largest multidisciplinary scientific society and a leading publisher of cutting-edge research.  Leslie, professor of marine science who was named a AAAS Fellow in 2022 — one of the […]

While New England is well known for commodities such as maple syrup, wild blueberries and cranberries, its reputation for sweets extends to another crop: sweet corn. The 2023-24 crop production report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed the region produced just under 3 million tons of corn, of which Vermont contributed approximately half and […]

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Vermont Public highlighted research on how invasive plant species could be impacting the abundance of ticks and presence of tick-borne illnesses, led by University of Maine associate professor of arthropod vector biology and Mitchell Center Faculty Fellow Allie Gardner. Gardner said in order for the research to have impact, her team needs to translate findings […]

National Fisherman interviewed Joshua Stoll, associate professor of marine policy at the University of Maine and Mitchell Center Faculty Fellow, on the disparity in available funding between the seafood sector and terrestrial agriculture. Stoll’s research analyzed grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture from the last six years and found that seafood-related grants made up […]